Cruel 7 - Reader Submission
I may not have experienced “hate-crime” or “hate-speech” as much as other ethnicities have being a caucasian female in North America. But there is a story I feel is important I share. As a child, we are naive to our surroundings and pretty much anything seen as “negative” from an adults perspective. In preschool, my best friend’s name was Khalia, and she was the perfect best friend anyone could have asked for at 7 years-old.
One day after school, her parents were late picking her up so my mom and I stayed behind so she wasn’t alone. With us was another male caucasian student (I think it is important I address his background), his parents were approaching him at the front of the school where we were all standing. His mother seemed to be approaching us quickly with such terror in her eyes, then grabs the boy’s hand yelling at him as they walk away saying, “YOU DON’T HANG OUT WITH BLACKS. THEY’RE BAD PEOPLE!” I turned to Khalia, and she just put her head down pretending as if she never heard what that mother said.
I was 7 years-old! In that moment, I realized how cruel people can be. I quickly hugged Khalia and told her how perfect she was and that she’s the bestest friend anyone could have ever asked for. Moments later, her mom arrived and my mom and I offered to take us all out for ice cream to cheer Khalia up, while my mom spoke to her about the incident. I will never forget this moment because even though that hate-speech was not directed to me, I felt it just as much as Khalia did. It was cruel and unfair to say such a thing to a young preschooler. I feel that not only kids should be educated of hate crimes, but so should adults. More love, less hate.
- Anonymous
