It all started on Friday. I was having lunch with Jon (boy in my AP lang class) and some friends when Jon said "I want to make a band and call it 'trayvon martin and the skittles'" I told Jon that I found that "joke" quite offensive and asked if he realizes that I am the only African American in the group and in our class. He argues and says it's funny and that I'm too sensitive and that it isn't about race. I told him that he made it about race as soon as he made the Trayvon Martin joke.
Monday. Most of the essays we read in class are about colonialism, race, etc. and me being the darkest person in the classroom...you see where I'm coming from. Anyway, the essay is about colonialism and we had to be in groups and discuss the essay. Jon was in the group.This girl Tara says "I don't think racism towards white people is as harsh as racism towards POC." I nodded my head in agreement and then Jon says "I have to disagree. you all took Art 1 right, so you know...how the atmosphere is?" we said we took it but don't know what he means by "atmosphere" (I was in Jon's Art 1 class so I was confused). He then goes on to explain why he brought it up "Well there was this group of kids, Tamir, Ahmaad, and Rajauhn (I know all these boys)...and you know...they were...black...and about that gangster lifestyle. Tamir was very homophobic and rude." I stopped him right there and explained to him that Tamir and the other boys behavior (ahmaad and rajauhn's behavior wasn't even that bad, they were sent of class once, the whole school year, they knew jon was a racist so they would bother him about it) has to do with the way they were brought up, their environment, etc. and Tamir does not symbolize the whole race, he's experienced prejudice and that's why he's racist towards white people(not justifying, just explaining), homophobia in the black community has to a lot with the pressure on black men to BE men, they're constantly told to be manly. They're told being smart isn't manly, being submissive isn't manly and that all they're good for is sports and labor so when homosexuality; which society likes to associate with being feminine comes up, they're totally against it(Not justifying just saying) and that is the reason in Tamir's case, I know him. The teacher told us to get back on topic so we did. After that, Tara was still bothering Jon about the racist stuff he said earlier and I brought up the Trayvon Martin "joke" he made. He said "It's not offensive it's humorous find your sense of humor, I hate how people make him out to be a victim, he deserved to die, he beat the shit out of Zimmerman". Tara told him he was wrong and that Trayvon did not deserve to die, she also said "Jon you are a white cis male, you're opinion on POC and Feminism issues will always be invalid" (I love her!) He said it's not about race, the joke is funny, get over it. I then said "You only think it's funny, because you're white, you have never been oppressed the way POC have." He then got offended and yelled and screamed "it's because of the fucking color of my skin? Fuck you, I'm right, I know the facts, I'm not racist." He walked out and that was that...I have to spend nine more months in this class, There is another racist in the class besides Jon but I'll talk about that later. Pray and hope for that I won't slap somebody.