The Idea of an Essay, Volume 4

Narrative & Memoir 57 that with the Black Lives Matter movement we have a way to interrupt our daily routine for the better. Rankine ends by saying that grief for the dead could be part of the solution to harmony with the living. By reading this article I gained insight into how some African Americans view life. For example, Rankine opens by quoting an African American woman’s reaction to her son’s birth: “When she gave birth to her son…her first thought was, ‘I have to get him out of this country.’” The reason behind this person’s sarcastic statement was because she didn’t see America as having a place for her son. I was shocked to read such a frank statement because I, as a biracial American with an African American parent, don’t see America as a place of bondage as this statement implies. I suppose my view comes from growing up looking forward to what America has to offer and from seeing people, of many ethnicities aroundme, love this country. My initial feelings towards America aren’t hostility and resentment. This article gave me insight to many African Americans’ view life as I’ve never had the self-consciousness about my ethnicity which some African Americans bear. My parents never emphasized my ethnic difference or taught me that my chances to be “free” were limited because of my race. I wasn’t taught to fear people in higher authority, nor did I see my father, an African American fearing the police. Throughout my childhood years, I was surrounded and befriended by people of Chinese, African, Hispanic, and Caucasian ethnicities. None of those relationships were strained because of my race. Since I wasn’t immersed in a “black” culture and none of my African American friends complained of racism or struggles related to their race, I never learned to see my skin as part of my identity. Therefore, I was enlightened further when Rankine’s article states that many African Americans would say that their ethnicity carries significant weight. A woman quoted in Rankine’s article who was asked what it’s like being the mother of a black son says, “The condition of black life is one of mourning.” Initially, I felt like this point of view was cynical, even though I know that viewpoint is a reality for many, because I haven’t lived a life with violence and death as common in my community. All my life I’ve lived in relatively calm neighborhoods where I never saw my ethnicity was never cause to be afraid. I was never in fear for my life when a white