Article by angel austin

I am the Dream

By Angel Austin

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ack in December my family took a trip down to San Jose, to go see a documentary my mom had heard about that was released a few years ago but was playing in a church nearby. “White Like Me,” it was called.

In White Like Me an antiracist educator named Tim Wise explores racism and race in the US through the perspective of whiteness and white privilege. Many people have heard of the documentary called Black Like Me. Based on a true story of a white reporter who at the height of

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the civil rights movement, temporarily darkened his skin so he could experience the realities of a black man’s life in the south. Just from the summaries of the movies I could tell that this was going to be interesting and that many questions from my mom would be asked as the film con-

cluded. I remember sitting there with my sister and brothers feeling very uneasy and somewhat claustrophobic. I typically feel that way whenever I talk about the hardships of racial discrimination and segregation in previous years, so this wasn’t anything new to me. I remembered that my younger sister feels the same way, so I looked over to check up on her. She was slouching down on the bench seat and covering her face. The drive home was quiet. Until about 10 minutes before getting home my mom turns around and asks my 11 year old sister, Tenaya Austin, “Do you feel or think that the Los Altos/ Mountain view area that we live in is racist?” Minutes following that question, Tenaya sat still and silent.

She turned to see what was going on. As still as a post, not knowing what to say she managed to let out a squeaky “No.” That

question was definitely a thought provoker. What would she have said? What should she have said? For days after, I thought about that question. There was really no mention of it after that night, but there the question was still there just floating around in my mind.

If you were to meet Tenaya anywhere you would meet a very confident, sassy, happy, loud, and creative little girl who is in tune with her surroundings and the world around her. Old enough to recognize how hard life is and how not everyday is going to be a good one.

Losing her mom at age 3, having a 5 year age gap with her older sister, and now having to go through the awkwardness of becoming a teen and finding herself. An 11 year old who will boost your spirits when someone says something

mean about the way you look or are. So unapologetically herself, it can be a problem. Describes it as, “I’d say like 20/80. 20% advantage 80% disadvantage. I know people might think I’m mean or stuck up or bratty, but you know I don’t really care what those people think because overall i’m just me and I don’t want anyone to change who I am. My friends and family love me for me. If I am doing a good job with the people who I trust and want to like me.. The people who don’t like me I don’t need to care about their opinion and I don’t need them thinking i’m some perfect child because they’re not my mother” (Austin). A very mature and intellectual girl. Tenaya is a young African American girl, one of two girl, youngest of 6. “ I think I have to grow up faster because my siblings are much older and my parents expect me to be mature.” “ I think I have to grow up Tenaya because my siblings are much older and my states.

faster parents expect me to be mature.” Tenaya states.

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Seeing this level of maturity in my 11 year old sister, I was intrigued and interested in what she thought about racism in the Mountain View/ Los Altos area. Does she feel or think that the Los Altos/ Mountain view area that we live in is racist? Do her peers think so? An answer soon to be found, I

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brought the question to Tenaya and her 6th grade peers.

What does racism mean?

In order to really grasp the concept of racism, one would need to know exactly what it means to be racist The dictionary definition of the term is: the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abili-

ties specific to the race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races. Maggie Apter, a caucasian friend of Tenaya’s states, (Maggie quote).Haley Garrison, another caucasian friend of Tenaya’s defines racism as, “Discrimination against black people.”

(Garrison) Tenaya adds, “I think black people are the most commonly targeted race in general and I think that people aren’t really fair to other people with a different skin color. “ (Austin)

She gladly feels that this does not apply to her because her friend group is pretty diverse. Including Korean, chinese, african american, italian and swedish races.

As she’s at this transition period in her life she’s connecting racism to her social life and education. Now that more examples of racism are apparent, especially with the debates (Donald Trump) and recent news regarding the Black lives matter movement: created in 2012 after a 17- year old boy, Trayvon Martin was thought to have looked suspicious and was therefore shot

by George Zimmerman (white man, member of neighborhood watch). It has been clearly stated to the public that, “Zimmerman told police immediately after the incident he killed the teen in self-defense after a scuffle. He was taken into custody but was released without charges

many african americans being filed.” After told this Tenaya angrily states, have been fighting for for “That’s so unfair.. People so many years. probably wouldn’t do that because if a black man “That’s so unshot a white man he’d go fair.. People to prison for like 10 years probably but if a white man shot wouldn’t do or beat a black man then that because he might go on trial but it if a black man would be no big deal. “ shot a white Tenaya has highlighted, man he’d go to at such a young age what prison for like 10 years but if a white man shot or beat a black man then he might go on trial but it would be no big deal. “

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Works Cited Austin, Tenaya. Personal Interview. 25 March 2016 Personal Interview. 19 April 2016 Apter, Maggie. Personal Interview. 25 March 2016 Garrison, Haley. Personal Interview. 25 March 2016 Edwardson, Ashley. “These Statistics for Police Violence Will Make Black Lives Matter Folks VERY Angry.” Allen B West AllenBWestcom. N.p., 28 Oct. 2015. Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

Cullors, Patrisse, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza. “About the Black Lives Matter Network.” Black Lives Matter. N.p., n.d.

Web. 19 Apr. 2016.

“California.” : Most Racist States In the U.S. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

“Racism.” - Global Issues. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

“Racism - Google Search.” Racism - Google Search. N.p., n.d.

Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

“University of Missouri Students Report Threats of Violence CNN.com.” CNN. Cable News Network, n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2016.

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