Those three words had once pierced, and remain scarred into my conscience. Such was my shock when I returned home one day, after having sent my younger brother to school, with father in the passenger seat, as we slowly ascended up a slight incline into our apartment complex. Blossoming trees blocked our view, as we can barely make out the residents-only gymnasium that stood one floor above the main entrance.
Large glass windows and partitions adorned our simple luxury, and when opened, it allowed the cool and misty breezes to comfort us while jogging on the treadmill. We don't normally take notice of the large panes of glass that hung over us as we drove past, but that day was an exception. A large banner draped horizontally over the entrance, tied on both ends onto the steel window frames. We might not be able to feel it, but there's quite the heft in its construction from what we can see, sagging in its weight.
Credits to: Andre Levy - Stand Against Racism
Upon gazing at it, I had depressed the brake pedal a tad too vigorously, as the car jerked forwards on the fairly quiet driveway. Ordinarily, my dad, an attentive and experienced driver that he is, would've remarked my rather sudden reaction, perhaps recalling that I've already forgotten my driving lessons. But just like myself, he was outraged at what we saw. Printed onto that yellow banner, the words "Africans Not Welcomed" were boldly displayed, impaled into my soul as I kept glancing at it.
Our residences are located in a rather quiet, but strategic location, placed between a large township to the north, and the capital city of Kuala Lumpur not far south. Neatly in the middle, it's nestled with a community college, some government buildings, small business parks, and factories. Thus, there's a relatively sizeable population of native Africans here, mostly studying, working, or setting up local businesses. Africans aren't numerous here in Malaysia, and that may have caused some disconnect between us and them, so much so that they're often referred to as "Negroes". I never found out the reason behind that banner, though I can confidently suspect it was due to some misunderstanding.
To Idle, To Remain Silent.
Credits to: Helton Mattei - POTENTIAL THREAT STRUCTURAL RACISM #1
I wonder, how much suffering have we faced since the dawn of mankind, all because of misunderstandings? As we drove into the complex, we had asked the guards regarding that banner. "Oh, we didn't notice that", they said. Understandable, given the placement of the guardhouse itself would've made it rather difficult to notice. "This is hateful message, you should take it down", my father said, as I sensed the raging disquiet in his voice. The only response we got from the guards, was "We'll look into it". Left unsatisfied, there was nevertheless little we can do at the time, as we had a tight schedule for the day.
We agreed to let it hang for now, as mother was waiting patiently for us to pick her up. Once we've made the round-trip back, there was a wee little Swiss Army knife in the glovebox, waiting to be used. Small, but enough to cut the banner's cords with ease. Five hours later, the family had gathered together once more, and we drove back home, before creeping ever so steadily along the narrow driveway. However, just before we could see it, the banner was no longer there. Surprised, we drove past the guardhouse to ask as to what happened to it. "Oh yeah, it looks like someone removed it", they remarked with equal astonishment.
They're mostly good folk those guards, but I'm genuinely concerned if they can ever be relied upon for serious cases, like break-ins or burglaries. Yet, perhaps it would've been too harsh for me to judge them, as I had a feeling that maybe, I wouldn't have removed that banner myself. As disgusted as I was, I had a sensation deep in my bones that just maybe, I wasn't brave enough. "What if someone sees me? Clearly, someone's paid a lot of money to get this printed, and I don't want to cause an argument", I thought to myself.
Credits to: Helton Mattei - SELF DEPRECIATION STRUCTURAL RACISM #2
I was glad that the banner was removed before then, because even if I stood there, with a knife clutched in my hand, I can only do nothing. It's that fear of taking the big step forward which stopped me. Ashamedly as I am to admit it, I was willing to let others suffer the pain of seeing those three words, than to do something myself. I've been timid since I was a child, perhaps born with shyness imprinted in my DNA. I was the person who swayed left and right, following the winds no matter the direction. I would never think of fighting it, and this same dilemma played me during my schooling years as well.
I was one of the very, very few mix-raced kids in school - being half-Malay, half-Chinese, with some Indian and Caucasian thrown into the mix further back in my ancestry. In fact, I was among two or three mix-raced pupils in primary school, out of nearly 2,000 others. In secondary school, there were probably a dozen of us, compared to 4,500 students in total. Yet, as the tree-branch that I was, swaying along without any care, I got along with everyone, maintaining indifference with most, no hostilities remarked, though never becoming part of large circles.
As such, I had no problems engaging with students of all ethnicities. Though that alone was rather awkward, since each of them only hangs out with their own kind - Malays, Chinese, Indians, Aborigines, and of other minorities. Given such a diverse multiracial society, it was surprisingly hard to find groups that broke the racial divide, and to do so by choice, not convenience. I never recalled many prejudices against myself, but by hanging around with cliques here and there, each sitting in their own corner of the school, I've had the displeasure of hearing some nasty things, talking behind each others backs.
Breaking The Mould.
Credits to: Helton Mattei - UNDERENPLOYMENT STRUCTURAL RACISM #3
It gave me a great, albeit terrible insight on what one ethnicity thinks of another, with all the prejudices and snarking that was carried over from past generations. Front and centre, these talks became no different than the gossip and jokes that were typically made by the naïve younglings that we were. Yet, as I was when I first saw that banner years later, I was too afraid to stand up to the racists. "What if they beat me up?", I wondered if I had the courage to talk back. I kept quiet, and even in those few moments when I felt comfortable enough to speak out, it was made with frankly pathetic effort.
I recoiled and gave up so quickly, that any words of wisdom may as well have vanished into thin air. Too bad I never had any photos taken, as it has been nearly three years since that banner was first flown, and its fate today remains a mystery. It had at least, one positive impact by giving me an epiphany over all that I have done. In that time, there has been more than a few terrible incidents of racial conflict, from the plight of the Rohingya across what can only be described as ethnic cleansing in Myanmar, to police brutality and senseless killings in the United States.
That was the last straw, and it gave me the realisation that I can no longer stay neutral, not against something so illogical and inhumane in every capacity. The lesson to learn here - don't be like the younger me, he who once stood silent in the tide of racism. He that refused to utter a single word or take one step, in the defence of our common humanity. Don't be timid and look away as others beside you face hatred. Don't be afraid to stand up against racism.
Credits to: Rhinosmith Co. - Stop Racism
I will never understand why such a notion needed to exist, let alone to be expressed with such fiery anger and hostility. It's not enough to stand by quietly, and be non-racist. We need to keep pushing back for change. For that, we must use our voice with good intents, to become anti-racial and speak up for those people being treated differently simply because of their skin colour. More to that, speak up for those who has faced prejudice in general - by their gender, sexuality, religion, culture, or background.
Love, and be loved. That's what humankind exists for, and no matter how much hatred has been sown into our hearts, we only yearn for love. Why then are we making it more difficult, by adding barriers of illness between each other? Each and everyone of us has a voice, so don't let us all pray silence over the suffering of others. Hold onto our hearts, and fight against racism. Our future depended on it.
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