Page 241 - DAIS Insignia 2020-21

Privilege and Reducing Racial Bias Racial equality Mon RŽgime Alimentaire

The evils of the world cannot simply be reduced in magnitude to a measurable quantity. Racism is one such Racial equality is critical in this time of Une vie saine est tr s importante. Pour une vie saine, il
evil. It is not simply enough to condemn it to reduce it, it is of paramount importance to understand its ours. Over time, we have celebrated faut manger sainement. Il faut manger les lŽgumes
upholders and origins to understand how one must control it. The prevalence of free speech from all those milestones towards it: the end of verts et les fruits. Il ne faut pas manger de viande,
who envision a world more equal creates a confusing dichotomy- one wherein the enforcers of racism claim slavery and apartheid, the civil rights boire de l'alcool et fumer des cigarettes, parce que
c'est mauvais pour la santŽ. Aussi, il faut acheter sa
oppression as they drown in hatred and blindness. This dichotomy makes it easy to ignore the state of life in movement and the Black Lives Matter nourriture dans les magasins bio et sur les marchŽs de
racially oppressed communities, which, in more than one place, has been reduced to hope; beautiful hope protests. And indeed, there is quite a producteurs parce qu' Il faut soutenir les producteurs
that arises out of hopelessness. “We gon' be alright”. This monumental, pointed phrase from rapper lot to celebrate. However, there is still et la nourriture est tr s saine. Les lŽgumes et les fruits
Kendrick Lamar echoes the struggles of such communities around the world. We are going to be alright. We a lot of progress to be made - not only devraient tre frais sinon vous tomberez malade. Je
are going to keep faith, because faith is all we have left. And recognizing this faith, recognizing this in terms of legislation, but also in recommande de manger cinq portions de lŽgumes et
determination, recognizing this oppression, recognizing this struggle, and above all, listening, is the first of terms of our own mind sets. There is de fruits, des produits qui contiennent les glucides, les
many important steps that we, in positions of privilege, can take to rectify our ancestors' mistakes before us. still a lot of racism in every country. protŽines et boire deux litres d'eau tous les jours. Les
And this must start at home, in India. As Dalit speaker and activist Bezwada Wilson said, “In our country, we Racism is still present in what we carottes sont bonnes pour vos yeux, les citrons pour la
have no concept of equality”. It is deplorable that it is a reality in our country that basic education, sanitation, would not ordinarily consider; santŽ et les tomates pour la peau. Aussi, il ne faut pas
healthcare, and human rights depend on the family that you are born into. To do anything but condemn and policing methods, healthcare, regarder la tŽlŽ et manger en famille. Dormir huit ˆ
discontinue practices such as untouchability would be disgusting. Yet, here we stand, claiming that India is a transport, employment, and even neuf heures par nuit, est tr s important. Aussi, je
developed and flourishing country. To be against racism in the positions that people like you and I are in is to education. In any society, even here in recommande de faire de l'exercice pendant trente
be truly honest with yourself. To self-analyse without bias and exterminate behaviours that uphold casteism, India, racism is still a big part of our minutes au minimum. Si vous faites cela, vous aurez
however subtle or unintentional. It is only by looking inside can we make a change outside. lives: we want fairer skin, not only for un mode de vie sain.
Kabir Parekh ourselves, but for our partners and Nysa Agrawal
our children as well. And a lot of
our biases can have a tangible impact Tanaya Agarwal Pranaaya Jhaveri
on people, and especially on Save Your Planet
government policy. Not all of us are You say the trees will be greener
internet trolls or corrupt politicians, Reducing Racial Discrimination If we become so much better
but that's exactly why this behaviour Racial discrimination is an important issue and it's about time that it is given priority. And I think the sky can be blue
is so difficult to stop. So in order to This social construct dates all the way back to when European countries tried to Just listen up, I'm gonna tell you
achieve true racial equality, we need colonize the world. Even after countries got their independence, this concept of a fairer What I learned in school
to actively look at our behaviours and About carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide
skin tone meaning they are socially higher than anyone with a darker skin tone stuck
how they can be implicitly - or around. In India, however, this happened way before the British arrived, and we can And what they do
explicitly - racist or hurtful. It all starts see this in the form of the caste system. Its time for the truth
with a single step. The real reason why people have darker skin is because they have more melanin, a Yeah, the truth
Karan Verma pigment that helps them protect themselves against UV rays of the sun, thus causing We cut down the trees that provide us with oxygen
Look at the state that our planet is in
them not to get sunburnt like people with lighter skin. It is the body's way of coping Countries like Mozambique are all suffering
“ Equality is not something that we “ and it has absolutely nothing to do with one's character, yet individuals act like it does. So, stop now and try hard to make a difference
People make assumptions about others without knowing them and just based on their
must ask for. It is a basic human right.
Aamanya Sejpal skin colour. This is such a large issue that people of colour use skin bleaching products To make a difference
in order to be treated better and be given the same opportunities as their lighter Yeah, you can still try
Aritra Mallik & Sanah Shroff skinned counterparts. Light skin has also been set as the beauty standard all over the Please listen
Life Skill with 9C world, with fair models as their ambassadors. You can carpool with your friends or walk along the lanes
To go to your school or to the best café
The Gori Complex Racism as a concept is not an innate quality, it is taught to us by society. They feed us All of these little things still make a difference
these preconceived negative beliefs about people with darker skin and belittle them for
constant debates and arguments. Everyone believes it to be centered “ Positivity: It is the ability to look at the positive aspect of “ no reason. We can, however, help in reducing racism starting with our own homes by And start reducing all of our carbon foot prints
Everyone knows what “White Privilege” is, and it is the subject of
a situation. It is the ability to be optimistic and positive
which reduces the effect of a bad situation on a person. sharing a more positive representation of racial groups with our families. Learning We can still do it
around foreign countries, but the Indian society is plagued with about different racial groups can also help people realize that they are unnecessarily Yeah, we can still do it
Amaan Singh
something very similar that I’d like to call the “Gori Complex”. Fair or stereotyping a whole race. These may be small steps, but if we all practice them, we can You know you want to
“gori” skin is highly desirable, and there is no method we won't try for help make the situation better than it presently is. Save your planet
our skin to be fair. But in this day and age, why does this prejudice Ami Mehta Sanah Shroff
against melanin continue? People are willing to go so far for fair skin “ Self-awareness skills, as the term indicates, refer to one's
that they use skin lightening creams to disrupt melanin being produced ability to be aware of or to recognize his emotions, It is not our differences
behaviors, beliefs, motivations and other characteristics
by the body, despite how harmful this can be to health. Some creams Reducing racial inequality Heroes: the present past and future “ that divide us. It is our
such as strengths and weaknesses, such that it enables him
have even contained the fatal metal mercury which could cause brain to identify and understand himself as a separate entity. This story of racism doesn't have one single protagonist, it has many heroes. All those who have fought or are still inability to recognize,
damage. There are still practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine conducting accept, and celebrate
“
Arjun Kanoi fighting. Fighting, not only for a happy ending but for a greater present. We hope not to wake up and see a new
camps for short, pregnant, dark skinned women to have 'tall and fair terrifying travesty headlining the morning papers. those differences.
“
children', the peak of exploitation by society. Some of the heroes that star in this story: Rosa Parks, who was arrested for refusing to get up from her seat on the bus to Rishi Sankhe
This obsession for fair skin is now much more than a bias, it is a cultural “ Interaction with Technology: having a good grasp of let a white man sit, not knowing that that very moment would make her the “mother of the modern day civil rights
obsession that grows more dangerous by the day. The standard for basic softwares that come into use on a daily basis like movement.” These courageous characters of the past continue to inspire those in the present, and the cycle continues.
beauty is now simply the word “fair”, written in big, bold letters. word, will increase our efficiency while working the growth of the digital age, opportunities to spread awareness have increased. For example, Colour of Change, the “ Prejudice is a burden
To bring this crucial topic to the public's notice requires strength and perseverance that only a few have. However, with
exponentially. This skill is specifically useful in the current that confuses the past,
It's small things like this that harm someone's mental health: how their scenario but can and will help in the future too. largest online racial justice organisation, was co-founded by James Rucker. Patrisse Cullors made the threatens the future,
“
grandparents tell them about this new method of whitening their skin, Aadya Bagri #BlackLivesMatter, which is now commonly known world over. Michelle Alexander, civil rights lawyer and scholar, also and renders the present
the aunties making snide comments about darker skin. Fair skin is now a wrote a well-known book introducing people to other aspects of present day prevailing racism. All these heroes-in-the- inaccessible.
“
multi-million rupee market and another way for companies to milk making are connecting with larger groups of people with much more ease. Jia Narayan
people for money. Cartoons have fair skinned protagonists and dark “ Perseverance is a very important value that we must all Even though we may have some key figures in this battle against this multifaceted monster, everyone, including you
skinned antagonists to further embed the idea that fair skin is better. We learn to inculcate as it encourage us to work hard, to and I, need to give our support and strength to the movement. So in the words of the famous social rights activist of the
are trained to think that white is better, from matrimony to superheroes. accomplish something, with not just 100% effort, but 20th century, Martin Luther King Jr.,“ Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?” By
Society is back again, with its never ending tricks to 200% effort. understanding our own privilege, educating ourselves in every sense we can and implementing this evolved thought
“
Vivek Ramesh
create a line of robots, with no identity or individuality. process every day, we too can try and help conquer this cruelty. It may not be a happy ending, but rather a better
beginning to a brand new story.
Nysa Agarwal
235 Aanya Khanchandani 236