The Personal Side of Bias, Prejudice, and Oppression

I remember an incident from when I was around 9-years-old.  I was at the playground and there was another little girl playing by herself.  She was black.  I went up to her and we started talking and playing together.  We were having a lot of fun until another group of children came over.  They were a few years older than us and they started saying means things about my new friend.  They were teasing her because she was black and saying that I should not be playing with her because she was different.  Her mother was nearby and when she heard what was happening, she took her daughter and left.  The older kids laughed and then walked off, leaving me to play by myself again.  I remember feeling confused and not sure what had just happened.  I knew there were not a lot of black children in my neighborhood but that still did not me from wanting to play with her.  I didn't think of her as being different. 

I feel that this girl's equal rights had been diminished by this group of kids using their own prejudice and biases against her.  I am sure that they were just doing what they had been taught from parents or close family members.  She was not treated fairly.  They were making fun of her because of her skin color.  They made her feel like she had no business being at the playground or playing with other children, especially a white child.  They did not know this young girl, but made an opinion about her based on skin color. 

This brought up a lot of mixed feelings for me.  I was really too young to understand the history between whites and blacks and why these children had such hatred for someone they didn't even know, especially a child.  I was confused.  I wanted to play with the girl and wanted the other group of kids to leave us alone.  We were not bothering them or hurting anyone.  It made me angry that someone could say such hurtful things to someone else and believe that it was the right thing to do.

I believe that the way people judge others needs to change.  The media is to blame for a lot of these problems.  The ways that news is received and broadcast needs to change.  People have learned false information that causes them to judge and use their own personal biases against others.  Getting to know others that are different than themselves would be a great opportunity for a person to change.  Everyone deserves respect.