The Media's Silence on Racism

 After watching this TED Talk (https://www.ted.com/talks/dexter_dias_racism_thrives_on_silence_speak_up), I was reminded of a conversation I had with one of my friends recently. In the aftermath of George Floyd's death with protests all around the country, and even a pretty sizeable one here in Troy, many people felt there was going to be real, systematic change in how society views race. However, even as soon as July, these protests, media coverage, and even posts on social media died off. 

Media is integral to how we think and act, what's on our minds, and the conversations we have with friends and family. The reason for the wave of change was largely due to the widespread media coverage of George Floyd's death and the related protests. It forced many white people, myself included, to confront the world of privilege they reside in. Resources were spread about how to be anti-racist, what language to use, and how to use privilege for good. 

For a while, I didn't want to confront these things. I, like many others, thought just not being racist was enough. For about a week after George Floyd's death, I ignored the stream of posts coming my way. It was a hard topic. It was scary. It was different from my entire worldview. What changed my mind was the group chat for a protest I was attending.

People of all kinds shared the discrimination they'd faced right here in Troy based off the color of their skin. Before, I thought that, since Troy was so diverse, racism wasn't really a problem. However, now I see that it is a problem everywhere in the world, no matter how diverse your community. After that, I became more interested in how I and white people as a whole could help rid the world of racism. The media was a large part of that.

The news and social media during this time constantly pushed my boundaries, changing the way I thought about the world and what I felt I could do about it. My experience is not unique, however. Thousands of people around the world saw this change as well. However, just when it felt like something was going to be done about the horrors, the media seemed to fall silent. 

There was no more pushing of boundaries, confronting privilege, or even covering protests that were still taking place all over the country. I think, because of that, many white people fell back into complacency, not ready to take on social norms because it wasn't all around them.

As Dias says in his talk, "racism thrives on silence." Once coverage of protests and anti-racist sentiments stopped making money, mainstream media went all but silent on the issue. This silence is unacceptable for widespread change and justice. The media is an extremely important source to push people's thought beyond themselves, and to help the world as a whole.

They cannot stay silent. The conversation has to continue to have any meaningful impact. 

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