Graduation Speech: If We Were America

Sadly, America today is not what we had hoped for what we want our future to be. More deaths and destructive incidents have occurred over race. No one is able to walk the streets safely without being questioned or afraid for their lives. The people of color live in fear each and every day of their lives because of the color of their skin. There is no one that we are able to trust our lives, justice, and freedom with. Whereas white people have nothing to fear because they have never felt this way before and will never face this barrier the vast majority of America has faced. They have someone they can trust, be protected by, and live their full rights in having freedom. In return minorities have received this delusion of the ever promised freedom for which we originally came for. America is this way because of how we are brought up in the world. It begins with our family and how they perceive race then it is taught to us
being told that this is the right way. But we could be the one to change this cycle of teaching to our future generations.
Mahatma Gandhi has once said “be the change you wish to see in the world”. In order to change America’s perception of diverse nationalities we must learn to accept others. I am not saying that your generation should make a change to stop this. But that your generation should understand this is our history no matter what nationality, color of skin, or language you speak. If you are born in America or have become an American, we are all one and the same. We bleed the same on the inside and outside. We are born the same way into the world, and we are only mere innocent human beings. We must keep our innocence and move forward in a more positive direction and that is appreciating life. Understanding our history is a part of who you are and who you will become, take it in and acknowledge the sacrifices people have made for their lives so that you are able to place yourselves in their shoes when they are hurting. This is what America needs in order to become one. America is hurting in its time right now and right now we are trying to mend the unpleasant past we were once suffering from. As for our society, we still have a long way to go in learning from each other, accepting who we are, and understanding each other. We have taken the first step towards becoming one, and that is writing this letter to you.
To the next generation I hope you will understand how we became America.
I hope that you will not have to cower in fear when you walk the streets alone or are in a sea of unknown citizens. I hope that your future will not be as challenging as ours or heart breaking to watch as so many unfortunate events occur, but will witness the more exciting things in America. That you will see America at its finest with hand in hand helping anyone in need as much as they possibly could. Realize that race is just a fabrication of one’s perspective and that those who believe in it do not understand you. Teach them to comprehend America’s history and learn from our past. Do not do what past generations have continuously done in teaching what was told the right way, but to show your generation what exactly is the right way and that is that we as Americans are the same regardless of what color skin we have. To the next generation I hope that when your time comes and we have all come to understand our history and what society has done to us, that America will be
free.