Dictionary.com defines a stereotype as “a widely held and fixed idea about certain characteristics of people. A box used to group a specific set without a second thought.” Merriam Webster claims it’s “a preconceived idea of the individual.” Urban dictionary says, “If a person looks like another, they must be the same, and must be categorized as a certain way.”
This is what society has taught us to believe: stereotypes define us, not our words or our actions, but the preconceived ideas society has formed.
I am black. What must this mean? It means I mustn’t know how to swim. I must love kool-aid, fried chicken, and watermelon. My dad must be a deadbeat, with multiple baby mommas.
Being a black female means I must know how to cook “soul food.” Or, my favorite, if I have my hood up because I’m cold, it means I’m a thief and shouldn’t be trusted.
Stereotypes aren’t only hurtful and often false, but dangerous as well. Bustle Article printed a story in April 2015, “Walter Scott, A Black Man, Was Shot To Death”. There are two people named Walter Scott, one white and the other black. They live two completely different lives. Walter Scott (white) and his wife were standing in front of a vacant lot.
The police officer pulled up to the couple and asked if they were okay. They said “yes”, and the officer moved on because they were white. This is the same officer who shot Walter Scott (black) in “self-defense” because the fifty year old ran from him, unarmed. The officer’s defense was “he was runnin’ so he must’ve done somethin’ bad.”
I am also a woman who believes in gender equality across the board. What does this mean? It must mean that I am a femi-nazi, and I shove my beliefs down people’s throats. People, especially females, who care about seeing others as humans, are judged and crassly compared to Nazis.
Since when has something as important as HUMAN RIGHTS been negated and compared to the atrocious actions of the Nazi party? Nazis were cruel and wanted to eradicate certain individuals. Feminism and equality are compared to the crimes of those monsters. Good intentions and motivations are now equated with negative associations.
This is what society has taught us to believe: stereotypes define us, not our words or our actions, but the preconceived ideas society has formed.
Buzzfeed posted an article in July 2015 featuring 14 females holding up signs stating why they are against feminism. Answers ranged from “I don’t need a leg up” to “I support all people, and not one class.” Alternet saw this article and wrote their own a week later titled “What I Learned Growing Up in the South as a Feminist, and the Problems With Today’s Feminist Movement”.
The main point being that women have turned against feminism because they get so much hate, and are thrown under the bus every time. Lady Gaga recently declared herself “not a feminist.” Lana Del Rey claimed, “it’s just not an interesting concept.” Taylor Swift claimed she “wasn’t into guy vs. girls.”
The media in America portrays it as a useless fight, and a pointless concept, and judges those who still fight for rights. Yet, not all feminists are abrasive. Many engage in peaceful protest and are more than willing to have level-headed and open talks with those around them.
What if I also told you I am from Texas and offered no other explanations. What would you assume? I mean you would probably assume that I am a gun-toting, Republican-supporting, ignorant redneck, who is a die-hard Christian.
Let me clear the air. Not all Texans are Republicans, not all of us are in favor of guns, and not all of us are Christians. We have smart people and idiots like every other place on Earth. Not all of us have farms or cattle. But, society assumes Texas is all country, Republicans and full of rednecks.
I am a person, not a stereotype.
I am an African American Woman, who hails from Texas, who hates guns, but has a completely middle of the road view. Yes, I do love fried chicken, but not every black female does. My father stayed married to one woman for twenty years. I am not a thief, a “femi-nazi”, nor a redneck.
I despise watermelons and Kool-Aid. I love to swim and support human rights 100%. I love rock music and hate rap. I work my ass off every day, because I want to become someone important someday. I am a person who is completely against injustices of all kinds, including stereotypes.
As Harper Lee once said “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view… Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.”