As a Black Person my identity has affected almost everything about the way that I consume news media. Black people in America are put in a very difficult situation as they are constantly carry the brunt of consequences for policies in the country. For instance, abortion affects everyone, but when Roe v. Wade was overturned Black people were the ones who were primarily affected due to the many lasting effects of systemic racism. The same can also be said about the recent controversies around government funding for social programs that disproportionately affects Black people, along with the government ruling that DEI is discriminatory. Most Black people uniquely recognize that their identity and humanity is constantly being attacked or debated when they watch the news in a way that non Black Americans will never experience.
When it comes to Ferguson, I remember experiencing this phenomenon first hand. I believe I was in Fifth-grade in my very white elementary school when Michael Brown was killed by police. I was very informed about the issue and when I talked I could see that none of my white classmates really cared. When they heard about Fergusson it was not a big deal to them, they did not see themselves in Michael Brown the same way that I did. They could not imagine a world where they could be doing nothing wrong and still get killed by the police. They were unmoved by the story because knew that would never happen to them, I was scared because with my identity I knew it could. As an adult, I’m sure one or two of my former classmates have grown to care more deeply about this issue, but I believe that my identity will never give me the choice to. I think a lot of Americans truly did not care about the killing of Michael Brown unless they were able to empathize beyond their identity and look at everyone as people.
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