5 Equality

About the Author

Trinity Brown was born in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. She is currently a freshman studying Kinesiology/Pre-Med in hopes of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. Trinity has done gymnastics for 17 years and competes as a gymnast at Utah State. In her free time, Brown likes to spend time with friends and do arts and crafts.

This essay was composed in February 2022 and uses MLA documentation.

CONSTANTLY LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER, out of the rear and side view mirrors, being cautious of the pronunciation of each of my words to be sure I am not being targeted solely for the color of my skin. These have become part of my everyday life as an African American woman. Always feeling as if I must walk on eggshells to avoid judgment and being seen as the “angry black woman” while expressing my feelings or defending my beliefs is draining. After years of listening to my parents harp about loving the skin that I am in and embracing my curly hair, I often want to ask: how is it possible to love and accept my skin when the society I live in does not accept it? Despite a world containing approximately 7.5 billion people, all with different mindsets, cultures, beliefs, traditions, and a country whose existence is built purely off of immigrants, we continuously seek to discriminate against people who are more melanated. It is easy to post about advocating for Black Lives Matter and equality of all skin tones on social media. Still, from the perspective of an African American, it becomes hard to believe when you constantly hear about race-based murders and watch your friends and loved ones get beat to their death or singled out because of their skin.

Constant stares, questions, and presumed assumptions about me based on one stereotype have almost become normal. Usage of derogatory slurs and words that target the African American race by others and not receiving punishment for it has become normal. Systems and structures embedded within the rules and regulations of our society that put Africans at a disadvantage, also known as systemic racism, have been considered normal. The United States of America is known to promote equality, but that cannot be achieved if we continue to turn a blind eye to flaws within the society we live in. The majority of discriminatory behavior stems from ignorance or a lack of understanding of equality. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, equality is “the quality or state of being equal: the quality or state of having the same rights, social status, etc.” This definition just barely brushes the surface of what equality essentially is. Equality is about ensuring every individual has an equal and fair chance to make the most of their lives.

My time in high school quite literally resembled the tracks of a roller coaster. There were many ups and downs during my four years there. I went to a private Catholic high school that was predominantly African American, 97 percent to be exact, where the teachers and administrators were predominantly Caucasian, including the school’s principal. I constantly heard rumors about the principal not addressing racial comments or slurs being said and sometimes taking part in it, but I had never directly witnessed anything until two months before I graduated. The principal had called a school-wide meeting over zoom, wanting to discuss some of the hate crimes that had taken place recently, along with the Black Lives Matter movement. While in a heated debate where everyone was trying to strongly convey their point of view about the sensitive topic, the principal used the “N” word during her argument. Immediately after hearing what came out of her mouth, I felt a sense of tension fall upon every person on my laptop. A student, our student-body president, then proceeded to inform her that what she said was inappropriate, uncalled for, and racist. The principal, in her defense, explains that she was forced to use the word to get her point across. The issue received no sort of attention from the Archdiocese of Washington D.C. Catholic Schools until recently.

Going to a university that is predominantly Caucasian and participating in a sport for my entire life where I make up the 9% of African Americans that compete as Division 1 gymnasts leave room for lack of equality. Fortunately, I have not experienced any significant attacks against the color of my skin. Still, I have experienced microaggressions about my body while doing Gymnastics, resulting in me receiving an unfair score at a competition. Being told by a judge that I received a deduction in my floor routine for my thighs being too big and running like I run track, one of many stereotypes for African Americans, was when I realized that this would not be my last time hearing these degrading comments. My coach then told me that life is unfair and that you cannot please everyone. If one of the beliefs of equality is that no one should have lesser chances in life because of the way they were born, what they believe, and whether or not they possess a disability, then the way my body is shaped should not affect the result of my performance. Gymnastics has been a major part of my life for sixteen years. Now being a collegiate gymnast in the NCAA, I am beginning to witness and hear more about the racial slurs and comments being made toward some of the African American gymnasts who were my teammates before college, not only from their peers but from their coaches as well. It becomes hard to find the motivation daily to continue to do the sport you love when you are constantly being degraded because of the color of your skin.

Equality is derived from the French word Equalité, which descends from the Latin word Aequalitas. Originally, equality at its root was synonymous with uniform size and identical shape, essentially referring to an object. As time and mindsets have evolved, the term has as well. We witness equality when each individual is offered the same opportunity and is given the freedom to fully express their talents or differences without being ridiculed for it. Who I am today as an African American individual has been impacted because of the lack of equality I have witnessed in person, on the news, and on social media. There have been instances throughout my life where I wondered if I was a different race would my life be easier, and if I was, would I become more susceptible to obtaining an opportunity because I am not suffocated by the stereotypes and assumptions that come along with being an African American in the United States.

Equality is extremely important to me because it leaves room for people to better contribute to our society in that when people of different cultures, ideas, and traditions are put together, we are essentially able to learn more and pick up new ways of life that could help us prosper as a country. Without this type of diversity, our society would not be as advanced as it is today. I may not look the same, talk the same or interpret the same, but everyone deserves an equal chance at everything life has to give.

Works Cited

Equality and Human Rights Commission. “Understanding Equality.” Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2 August 2018, https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/secondary-education-resources/useful-inf ormation/understanding-equality. Accessed 6 February 2022.

Harper, Douglas. “equality | Etymology, origin and meaning of equality by etymonline.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/equality. Accessed 6 February 2022.

“Equality Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equality. Accessed 6 February 2022.