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This article makes a point of saying "The more people of color we see in positions of power – it will help to change the way people see race". I agree with this statement. When Obama became president, I think that helped open eyes to those that didn't understand that people of color are as intelligent, selfless and  of the same value as white people. Many Americans nationwide loved not only Obama, but also his wife and his family. I think that when Obama was elected president, it was a huge step in the right direction towards racism. However, now that the Obama era has come to an end, and Trump is now president, I feel as though we will stop moving in the right direction. The article also mentions that hopefully, as the people who were born in the more racist decades, such as the 60's, die off, racism will very, very slowly come to an end. To an extent, this is a valid statement, but generations today are still being born and taught as they grow up to be racist. Unconsciously, every day people make racist comments such as "white men cant jump" or even just saying something about a colored man looking creepy. All through schools and on the streets racism will be a problem as long as these stereotypes are still locked in brains of children, teens, and adults. These comments prevent us from being able to move forward in racism, but rather moves us sideways. In order to take a step forward people need to realize what they are saying is wrong even if they are just joking around.

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Shelly Fields is a 46-year-old white woman living in Richton Park, a racially diverse Chicago suburb. She says she's raised her four daughters, who are biracial, to see people of all races as equal, just as her parents raised her. Fields doesn't think that racism will ever disappear completely, but she's hopeful that it lessens with each passing generation.

"The more biracial children there are, the more equality we see," Fields said. "The more people of color we see in positions of power - it will help to change the way people see race."

Her oldest daughter, Summer, is a 22-year-old graduate of the University of Chicago. When she was in high school, Summer probably would have agreed that race relations were looking up. The '90s and early 2000s were "a post-racial fantasy time" in Richton Park, Summer said. "Being firmly in the middle of the Obama era - it [was] a moment of progress. It was validating."

Now, as the Obama era ends, she is of the mind that racism isn't going anywhere.

"Racism always evolves, and will find a way," Summer said.

The question that Shelly and Summer are tackling has been posed in many forms for many generations. Will racism just die off with old bigots? Does the fate of race relations lie with the children?

That idea has been milling about the public psyche for generations. It lives in that famous (if oft-decontextualized) line: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Martin Luther King, Jr. said it eloquently in his "I Have a Dream" speech, but we've heard that sentiment through the ages, from Thomas Jefferson to Oprah Winfrey. The belief that our children's generation will be less racist gets repeated by teachers, parents, politicians and activists. And understandably so. Much of American culture is predicated on the idea that we can create a better future for our progeny, instilling in them values that we as a nation have often failed to uphold.

In our small, very unscientific survey last month, Code Switch heard that conviction. We also heard just the opposite. We wanted to know if beliefs about the future of racism were held consistently in families from generation to generation. Here's what we asked in our December callout: Will racism fade away when old bigots die?

Of the 120 or so people who responded, more than two-thirds said they did not think the next generation would usher out racism. And nearly the same number thought their answer would differ from their parents or grandparents. (There's reason to think, given some more scientific national research, that there's not really much difference between generations when it comes to racial beliefs.)

But let's get back to the Fields family. Summer Fields responded to our survey. She had no qualms saying that racism would be with us for the long run. She didn't know exactly what her mom would say, but she was pretty sure it wouldn't be that.

Here's what Shelly said: "The further we get away from the idea that one skin color or race is better than the other, the better. Past generations had these ideas, and they were spread to the next generation and the next."

Shelly learned about race from her parents. When she was growing up, she said, they taught her never to judge other people based on skin color. That didn't stop them from being cautious when she began dating outside her race and eventually decided to start a family with a black man.

"Once [my mother] found out I was pregnant, when it hit close to home, it was a different story," Shelly said. "She was afraid ... She said, 'You're gonna have a baby with dark skin and kinky hair.'

"'She was afraid because she didn't know [what to expect]. And I really didn't know either."

But Shelly said that once her daughters were born, her parents were able to see firsthand that there was nothing to worry about. (She lives right behind her parents, and they've been heavily involved in each other's lives.) She said that her neighborhood has always been racially mixed, and that her family has never really experienced racism there. That, she said, helped her parents move past some of their fears and double down on their belief that people of all races should be treated equally.

"They taught that to my daughters," Shelly said. "They and I showed my daughters, and I'm hoping that they'll show their daughters and sons."

Summer isn't quite as hopeful. As a high schooler, being surrounded by a mix of black, white, and multiracial classmates, it was possible for her to believe in a more uplifting future. After arriving at the University of Chicago, where less than five percent of the student body was black, her perspective changed. She started learning about things like race theory in her classes. The overwhelmingly white environment also affected how she thought of herself; her identity suddenly felt more political.

She found herself engaging and disagreeing more with her mom's ideas about race. They've argued over things like trigger warnings and safe spaces (her mom says that's not how the real world works) and about how to self-identify. Summer thought of herself as biracial until she went to college. When she started referring to herself as a black woman, that became another point of contention.

"My mom doesn't understand," she said. "She feels like that's an affront to her."

While Shelly knows racism won't disappear ("We still have families that teach the same things they were taught about judging people based on race," she said,) she holds onto some optimism.

Summer's prognosis is a little bleaker.

"Our country's whole identity is founded on the pillaging and murder of Native people and chattel slavery," she said. It would help to acknowledge that, she said. She's just not sure democracy could handle it.

"For us to call that out and admit it would be the first step," Summer said. "But it would destroy the whole project."

That generational dissonance seemed to be a common thread among the people we surveyed. We heard from a South Asian college student in Florida who said that because her parents chose to come to the United States, they're more invested in the notion that America is a land of opportunity for all people. So they don't get why so many people of color in this country fear police or don't work their way out of poverty.

My mom isn't racist ... but she doesn't understand institutional racism. I have an understanding of [American] history that my parents don't.

"My mom isn't racist ... but she doesn't understand institutional racism," she said. "I have an understanding of [American] history that my parents don't."

We also heard from a white elementary school teacher in New Jersey who's hopeful because his white students idolize musicians and athletes of color. But he said his parents think the culture gaps between races are too large to ever overcome. At one point, he spoke to them about moving from his largely white neighborhood into one that was racially mixed. He thought he'd be comfortable there.

Their response?

"No, you wouldn't."

Much of the available public polling data suggests that millennials like the schoolteacher are not as different from Generation Xers or Baby Boomers as they might think. Kathleen Weldon, communications director at the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University, said millennials tend to say they are more optimistic about race relations than their parents, and more broadly accepting of things like interracial friendships and marriage.

But when questioned about specific policy issues tied to race, she said, millennials sound a lot like their elders. They don't "have different views on the [George] Zimmerman case, aren't more aware of the disproportionate effect of HIV on the black community, are not more likely to think government should play a major role in the social and economic position of blacks, and are no more [or less] likely to think the [Voting Rights Act] is still necessary," Weldon said.

"In other words, when it comes to perceptions and policy around race in the U.S., young Americans don't look much different from older ones."

Jocelyn Wilks and her father, Elijah, expected their views to diverge significantly when it came to race and racism. But though they come from different generations, were born in different parts of the country, and even have different ideas of what they'll call racism, their outlook is pretty similar.

As a black man born in Mississippi in the early 1960s, Elijah lived with state-sponsored racism. He was in fourth grade when his school integrated. When he was in high school, there was a black homecoming court and a white homecoming court, a black "Mr. and Miss High School" and a white "Mr. and Miss High School."

Those experiences inform his thinking about race. His daughter, he said, formed her opinions another way.

"I've never taught [Jocelyn] about racism," Elijah said. "I never had those conversations with her. I let her grow up and develop her own opinion of things. That was never taught in the home when I was growing up and I didn't teach her that way."

Another difference between father and daughter, he said, is geographic. He was raised in Mississippi; Jocelyn was born and raised in San Antonio.

"Where I grew up, you were either black or white," Elijah said. "In San Antonio, it's predominantly Hispanic, and whites and blacks are minorities ... It makes a huge difference."

Jocelyn is a 28-year-old accounting student who lives just north of San Antonio. Her experience teaching pre-school helped convince her that racism was going nowhere fast. During that time, Jocelyn heard a lot of nonsense from her students, like one boy who, after losing a basketball game, said his opponent's "genes were made to jump." Jocelyn knew the children were getting those ideas from somewhere.

"When you're 9 or 10 you can't call bullshit on your parents," she said. "You take those racist statements as facts. ...

"Kids pick up things that you don't teach them. So if Mom treats a person of color poorly, the kid sees that and picks it up, because that's their model."

Jocelyn said she and her dad have different ideas of what's worth labeling racism. Born in a harsher time, his threshold, she said, is higher.

"It won't be the small slights that people in my generation find to be racist," she said. "He thinks things are getting better, and they are better from when he was growing up. But it's not the better that we're looking for. He wouldn't look at gentrification or housing segregation and say, 'They're doing that on purpose, this is racist.' It would be a church shooting, and he'd [say], 'That's a hate crime.'

"Dad says, 'It's not fair that these people are getting killed and no one's going to jail for it.' And I say, 'It's not fair, if your name is Shaniqua, that you have to work 15 times harder to get a job than anybody else.'"

But when they come back to that question that has been passed down through the generations - Will racism fade away when old bigots die? - Elijah and Jocelyn sound almost identical.

Father: "As new generations come into existence, it will be lesser and lesser, but I don't know if it will ever end."

Daughter: "As long as there's racism in this generation, there's going to be racism in the next generation. It might dwindle, but it won't disappear."

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Shelly Fields is a 46-year-old white woman living in Richton Park, a racially diverse Chicago suburb. She says she's raised her four daughters, who are biracial, to see people of all races as equal, just as her parents raised her. Fields doesn't think that racism will ever disappear completely, but she's hopeful that it lessens with each passing generation.

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"No one is born racist, racism is learned" was a quote that stuck out to me. If we were to begin teachings from a young age that equality is necessary to provide the maximum amount of happiness for the maximum amount of people. There has never been teachings in elementary school about racism, not in Huckleberry Finn's time, and still not today. The idea of slavery, and racist remarks were acceptable to Huck Finn because he was NEVER taught that it was wrong. Huck would look around and see other whites treating colored people poorly, and never thought twice about it because he learned from the people around him. The way that Huck had to learn that racism was bad, was getting to know a black man and then feeling pity for him. If everyone else during Hucks time was to learn about what was going on, and the effect it has on people then maybe, steps could have been taken to abolish racism instead of still trying to do it hundreds or years later. If teachings about racism was more in depth and began at younger ages, our progression in racism would move forward rather than sideways.

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This poem doesn't talk about way colored people feel or how they were treated. Instead, the poem is written as though racism is a person that can read it and be persuaded to change its ways. It states how racism plays with a persons rights along with asking "why are you here", referring to racism. I like this poem a lot because it does not mention how whites are racist or black people are treated horribly, instead it talks about racism as a whole. If racism was never made up in the first place, there would not be as bad of an issue of segregation. This makes me think of how life would be so much different if white people never took colored people to be their slaves, and they were never inferior. Racism has corrupted our nation, causing interior problems between individuals.

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Racism, Racism, Racism / You give a human sorrow and hate / Racism, Racism, Racism / Look at what you've done and look at their ...

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Blacks and Whites Define Word 'Racism' Differently

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Blacks and Whites Define Word 'Racism' Differently

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Black and white people have very different views on what the meaning of racism is. Ask a colored about racism and they may say its an ongoing way of life. However, ask a white and they will respond along the lines of racism is an action and an attitude, not a lifestyle. Due to black people being on the receiving end of racism, they have become more attuned to it where as white people do not understand what it is or was like to experience the segregation and poor treatment of racism. Today, many white teens use racist slang without being conscious of the fact that they are being racist. The term "nigger" is used to greet friends and sang in songs excessively. The article connects to people being unaware of what is actually racist and what is not. It says "You hear a lot of blacks screaming that racism is dripping off the trees, and you hear a lot of whites screaming `I'm not racist! I have no animosity toward blacks,' ". Many people don't realize that what they are saying is in fact racist. Due to the fact that we no longer are lynching people of color, people think that racism is solved. However, lynching and treatment like that isn't the only aspect to being racist. I think that this is a factor in how we are moving sideways in our progression of removing racism from our lives.

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Mo Lawrence  says that him and his friends would torment colored children at school not because they were being racist on purpose, but because they were being kids and were not taught any different. He says at one point he was "frozen by a wrong that no longer felt right". This connects to The Adventures of Hucklberry Finn because as the novel went on, Huck began to dislike the feeling of actions that he knew was wrong where as he used to get pleasure by doing it. For example, when the Duke and King continue to scam innocent people for money, Huck feels uncomfortable and no longer wants to associate with them. He does not want to do what he knows is wrong because his morals were telling him stealing money is in fact not okay, especially if you are doing it for a selfish matter.  Mo says he was "frozen" by the wrongs that were occurring, which leads me to believe he didn't actually do anything about it, instead he was in a more frozen with fear stage. When you are frozen with fear, you are unable to move, or do anything. The person just stands there in awe of what is going on. This is like Huck, although he dislikes what the Duke and King are doing, he does not do anything to stop, instead he just lets it happen and cringes while witnessing it.

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Mo Lawrence - Slam Poetry about Racism - UBC's Got Talent 2012

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When Black women walk, things change by T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison

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When Black women walk, things change by T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison

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Dixon and Garrison explain that 53% of women of color are obese, not because they just like to eat all the time, but because of the things that they have been through. In order to try to inform the public about the issues with weight, and preventable death causes, they organize walks with women. Hundred of women can sign up to join a march which is beneficial to people of color and what they represent. This connects to women and equality marches that have occurred for decades in order to try to gain freedom. History is still being made for black people, and we are watching it right before our eyes. Organized walks today can be seen often for fundraisers or to spread awareness. If both black and white people were to all come together to walk for the women of color, it would not only create more support for the issue, but also make more amends between the different races.

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T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison: When Black women walk, things change

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T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison, founders of the health nonprofit GirlTrek, are on a mission to reduce the leading causes of preventable death among Black women -- and build communities in the process. How? By getting one million women and girls to prioritize their self-care, lacing up their shoes and walking in the direction of their healthiest, most fulfilled lives.

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Eisenbolan mentions that even though New England racists don't lynch and set fires, they are kidding ourselves if they say they're not racist. Lynching may not be a New England thing, but during Huckleberry Finns time, the south would do it without a second thought. Huckleberry Finn had to witness a man being threatened to be lynched and often hears threatening words around him. This article makes me wonder if there is racism around me and I just don't pay attention to it, or if it may slowly be getting better within some schools and communities. In schools today, racism is only talked about when reading literature or learning about history, but is that really enough? In order to take a big step forward would posters and speeches even be enough?

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I have been following the stories of racism shown at Fenway Park about racist fans and how it appears Boston sports fans are probably the worst.

Yet Boston is just a small city geographically and population may be highest in New England but I believe on the low end of cities with population.

I have been pondering what about the rest of us? New England racists may not set fire to crosses on folks lawns or lynch. Yet it does not mean racist beliefs and thinking does not persist it does.

Growing up and still living in a very white area. I recall and still know about racism. Really its hard not to hear a racist comment or racist behavior at a flea market some dealers really despise selling to Hispanics. Why? Belief that Hispanics try to get the items for next to nothing (all customers do btw).

Yet growing up in the 1970s there was a great influx in North Central Mass. of Cambodians fleeing Pol Pot. People not living in those communities were mad and thought it would mean high crime, rampant welfare and drugs.

Since late 90s racism about Hispanics and constant drumbeat I hear that Hispanics brought drugs and crime that New England would be drug free and tiny crime rate if they did not come. Sigh so idiotic and racist thinking.

Now I have no idea how it ranks with rest of nation. I think we New Englanders are kidding ourselves to say we are not racist.

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Racism And New England Let's Be Frank About This

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I have been following the stories of racism shown at Fenway Park about racist fans and how it appears Boston sports fans are probably the worst. Yet Boston is just a small city geographically and population may be highest in New England but I believe on the low end of cities with population.

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This Amazing, Troubling Book by Toni Morrison

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This Amazing, Troubling Book by Toni Morrison

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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a book that makes people uncomfortable. Although it's a classic, it has themes and language that can be troublesome. Both Toni Morrison and The Washington Post's piece show that race will always be an uncomfortable topic. Even though many believe in equality, there are still racial issues within our nation. Morrison's comment on the novel being a classic if proof that some issues in our society are to be resolved. Even though the book is viewed as uncomfortable to some readers, it assists our nation with taking a step forward in ending racism. The novel addresses facts that many were not willing to talk about openly, which allows the reader to have knowledge about what happened in our country. The language and story of the book was a huge step due to how it brought up  controversial topics that could now be resolved at one point.

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The pledge is to bind themselves to one another. I am understanding more how black people use their use of "brother" and "sister" to connect themselves to each other. Not all, but most of their ancestors face slavery. They take the past, discrimination, stereotypes, and poor treatment, and power through it together. Each one of them has each others backs.

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BECAUSE we have forgotten our ancestors,
our children no longer give us honor.

BECAUSE we have lost the path our ancestors cleared
kneeling in perilous undergrowth,
our children cannot find their way.

BECAUSE we have banished the God of our ancestors,
our children cannot pray.

BECAUSE the old wails of our ancestors have faded beyond our hearing,
our children cannot hear us crying.

BECAUSE we have abandoned our wisdom of mothering and fathering,
our befuddled children give birth to children
they neither want nor understand.

BECAUSE we have forgotten how to love, the adversary is within our
gates, an holds us up to the mirror of the world shouting,
'Regard the loveless'

Therefore we pledge to bind ourselves to one another, to embrace our
lowliest, to keep company with our loneliest, to educate our illiterate,
to feed our starving, to clothe our ragged, to do all good things,
knowing that we are more than keepers of our brothers and sisters.

We ARE our brothers and sisters.

IN HONOR of those who toiled and implored God with golden tongues,
and in gratitude to the same God who brought us out of hopeless desolation, we make this pledge.

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The Black Family Pledge Poem by Maya Angelou - Poem Hunter

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BECAUSE we have forgotten our ancestors,our children no longer give us honor. BECAUSE we have lost the path our ancestors clearedkneeling in perilous undergrowth,our children cannot find their way. BECAUSE we have banished the God of our ancestors,our children cannot pray. BECAUSE the old wails of our ancestors have faded beyond our hearing,our children cannot hear us crying.

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TED -  Clint Smith: How to raise a black son in America

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TED -  Clint Smith: How to raise a black son in America

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Due to the color of his skin, Clint Smith says he grew up missing many fundamentals of being a child . Huckleberry Finn lives in a time where racism is the norm. He hears Jim's story about how his family got separated because he was sold to a white. This is an example of how the children's childhood was stripped from their family, never able to see their siblings or mother or father. No child wants a childhood without a mommy and daddy, however on top of the families being separated they were treated horribly. Huckleberry Finn began the book disrespecting most black people, but as he got to know Jim his mindset changed. If those who are racist were able to open their eyes and understand the way people of color are treated still today, maybe some would change how they think about racism, just like Huck did at one point in the novel. Every year, my grandparents move to South Carolina for the winter. Every year they come back and tell me about how I don't understand how bad racism still is down there. My grandparents friends and even family members down south continue to have prejudice thoughts and ways of life. Many people that live up north do not think that racism is remotely as bad as it really is down there. We have moved sideways in many parts of the country towards racism due to those areas not improving on certain aspects of racism.

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As kids, we all get advice from parents and teachers that seems strange, even confusing. This was crystallized one night for a young Clint Smith, who was playing with water guns in a dark parking lot with his white friends. In a heartfelt piece, the poet paints the scene of his father’s furious and fearful response.