“My Own Quotation”

“Give respect and equal dignity to all.”

-Respect one another because in the eyes of God we were created in his own image and likeness thus we deserve to be treated as a human being which is the highest form of creation. 

“The Telephone Conversation”

Telephone Conversation

by Wole Soyinka

The price seemed reasonable, location

Indifferent. The landlady swore she lived

Off premises. Nothing remained

But self-confession. "Madame," I warned,

"I hate a wasted journey—I am African."

Silence. Silenced transmission of

Pressurized good breeding. Voice, when it came,

Lipstick coated, long gold-rolled

Cigarette-holder pipped. Caught I was, foully.

"HOW DARK?"... I had not misheard... "ARE YOU LIGHT

OR VERY DARK?" Button B. Button A. Stench

Of rancid breath of public hide-and-speak.

Red booth. Red pillar box. Red double-tiered

Omnibus squelching tar. It was real! Shamed

By ill-mannered silence, surrender

Pushed dumbfoundment to beg simplification.

Considerate she was, varying the emphasis —

"ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?" Revelation came.

"You mean — like plain or milk chocolate?"

Her assent was clinical, crushing in its light

Impersonality. Rapidly, wave-length adjusted,

I chose. "West African Sepia" — and as afterthought,

"Down in my passport." Silence for spectroscopic

Flight of fancy, till truthfulness clanged her accent

Hard on the mouthpiece. "WHAT’S THAT?" conceding

"DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS." "Like brunette."

"THAT’S DARK, ISN'T IT?" "Not altogether.

Facially, I am brunette, but madam, you should see

The rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet

Are a peroxide blonde. Friction, caused —

Foolishly madam — by sitting down, has turned

My bottom raven black — One moment madam!" — sensing

Her receiver rearing on the thunderclap

About my ears — "Madam," I pleaded, "wouldn’t you rather

See for yourself?"

This conversation is all about racism. The landlady is a racist in a way that she judged the African. When the African told that he’s African, the landlady refused. She remained silent for awhile and suddenly asked him how dark or how light he is. At the end, the landlady did not allow the African to rent the apartment.

I advice to those who experience racism is to ignore the people makes fun of them but instead show them they are beautiful and talented. We should respect each one of us regardless of race, color, sex and status in life.

Source:
http://poefrika.blogspot.com/2007/09/telephone-conversation-by-wole-soyinka.html

My Perception of Black and White

Racism has been a global issue. It is a belief that another person is less human because of skin color, language, customs, place of birth or any other factor that reveals the basic nature of that person. This is characterized the abilities that can be attributed to people simply on his traits and that some racial groups are superior to others. Racism was at the heart of North America. The black Americans and their descendants were seen as lesser human beings while the Whites people are champion of freedom with human rights.

Black is being associated as bad, dark, evil, dull, mourning, the end, secrets, magic, pain while white shows goodness, purity, cleanness, holiness, peace and innocence. Others think that white appears good and black appears bad. But for me, it does not mean that black is negative and white is positive. In school, I observe that one cause of bullying and name-calling is racism. They compare the black people and the white people wherein the black people are being teased and made fun with. Why do they discriminate the blacks? Black people are also beautiful and special in their own way. Skin color is not the basis of things. Treating a person badly won’t get you anywhere.

For me, white symbolizes purity and angels and black symbolizes darkness and demons. People say that white is honest, shows cleanliness and symbolizes all goodness in the Earth while black shows evilness and bad things in this planet. But, it does not mean when someone’s black he’s bad or something we don’t just depend on what we physically see but what’s inside their hearts. All of us our equal, that’s how God created us. We may have unique talents and appearances but in God’s eyes we are one. My point is we should stop racism. We don’t need to organize causes or big things; we can start on our own and be a role model to others.

White and Black have the biggest visual contrast which can be associated with other opposite concepts such as day and night or good and evil. As the years passed by racism is gradually  eliminating. I firmly believe that every individual is born with inherent worth dignity no matter what race you came from. We should respect each and everyone because God created us in his image and likeness.