A few years ago, I saw a Black man visiting Bohol, and I noticed people staring and overheard someone say, "Kuyawa Itoma lagi kaayo." I'm unsure if it was meant as a joke or if they were simply ignorant, but it was still inappropriate to say it like that. This situation is similar to the poem's themes of unfair treatment based on one's appearance.

It has effectively exposed that by judging a person based on their skin color, is thus ignorant, illogical, and dehumanizing. It serves as an eye-opening lens for the cruelty of racial discrimination through the interaction between the potential tenant (speaker) and a prejudiced landlady. Other than that, it has also help us readers to reflect on our own biases and consider the impact of such unfair treatment in real-time, in our society.

Based on the experience of a friend of mine, when she was in high school, she was denied the rights to participate to school officer election and pageants as she is "too fat", "too short", or "too dark". Unbeknownst to those who judged her, that she is the most capable and suitable person I know for every position there is, she is a total package. Absurd but yes that's reality, people will mistreat you if you're different and just judge you when you don't meet the so called "norms" and their unrealistic and illogical "standards".

This kind of unfair treatment still happens to many people, and that includes me. I still remember when I was in elementary school, people would call me names like “agta,” “dwende,” and “negra” because of my skin color. I felt ashamed because it was not my choice to have dark skin or to be that short. It hurt me to experience such treatment at a young age. I often wondered, “Why do they treat me differently when we are all human beings? Why do they judge me when I am not doing anything wrong?” This experience made me realize that racism is still present in our society, and many people continue to face discrimination simply because of how they look. To those people who experienced being mistreated and being judged by others, let us all be strong. Strong enough to set aside those hurtful words that they throw at us. Together, let us all create a more better place, where racism wouldn’t suffice. Let us all be aware and start the change within ourselves, setting a perfect example to other people.

I once saw my friend being treated differently because of how he looked and spoke. Some people assumed he wasn’t “really” Filipino just because he had a mixed background and a slight accent. It made him feel left out and embarrassed. That moment taught me how painful it can be when others judge you based on your appearance or background, instead of who you really are as a person.

This reminds me of a time when I was in high school and experienced something similar. My friends and I went to a resort, but we were not allowed to enter just because we were wearing cheaper clothes and slippers like Spartans, even though we were willing to pay the same as everyone else. We were treated differently just because we looked different from the other customers. This made me feel sad and angry because everyone should be treated with kindness and respect, regardless of their race or background.

The poem teaches me that racism is still a problem and that we should not judge people based on their appearance.

An incident at ICM showed how prejudice can appear in everyday life. At ICM, the saleslady gave full attention to some customers while another person felt ignored. Like the man in the poem who was judged by his skin color, this person might have felt judged because of his race or appearance. This behavior shows how people can be treated unfairly based on how they look. Both the poem and this incident remind us to treat everyone with respect.

I have encountered situations where some of the Aeta people in the province of Pampanga are treated unfairly because of their race and background. The Aeta people primarily rely on farming for their livelihood, and there are times when they travel to the city to sell their fresh goods. Unfortunately, some individuals deceive the Aeta about the prices of the goods they are selling, taking advantage of them. This is very unfair to the indigenous people who have the right to demand fair compensation for their hard work. However, they often cannot defend their rights due to a lack of privileges and a platform to voice their concerns. It is disheartening to see how others view the Aeta people, who are simply living their lives and striving for their future. I hope that everyone comes to recognize the significant contributions the Aeta people make to our environment and appreciates them wholeheartedly and without discrimination.

This poem significantly impacts our views of those who are judged for their uniqueness. It serves as an eye-opener, revealing how cruel and inhumane humans can be. It is a shame that some individuals possess the intelligence to act in a mannerless way just to criticize and judge others. His poem also helps us refine our perspectives in life, prompting us to avoid unfairness and biases in real-life situations.

I, myself, have experienced being criticized because of my dark skin color when I was younger. I was often bullied and made fun of, as many viewed me as a defect for having darker skin and large round eyes. Being a victim of prejudice was hard to bear; no matter how hard I tried to thrive, some would always discourage me and attempt to drag me down. I was afraid to form deeper connections with others because I feared they might betray me or judge me based on my appearance. It was quite depressing and stressful, but the good thing is that I managed to overcome my fears and learned to stand up for myself. I will never allow these people again to ruin what I have achieved within myself.

By writing the dialogue between the Black African man and the landlady, it reveals how racial prejudice is often inserted in everyday conversations. The landlady’s question, ‘How dark?’ belittles the man to his skin color rather than recognizing his humanity, resulting in prejudice to his character and morals based solely on that racially rooted question.

Instances like these does not happen only in movies or poems but rather in everyday situations of every part in our society. Racism, prejudice, and discrimination is deeply rooted in our society. There was a time when I was at Panglao with my family. We saw different foreigners, most were Black, and I overheard a Filipina lady tell her son to stay away from the Black people or they might steal his things. In that moment, I was shocked by her assumptions and racial comments about people who were simply trying to enjoy the beach. It made me realize that racism is embedded in our roots, and it’s time to trim those overgrown roots and plant new seeds—ones that do not involve prejudice, racism, or discrimination.

So far, I haven't encountered such moments when I got discriminated by my race and I'm thankful  with that. Mostly, I saw this kind of events through movies just like "Hidden Figures" where it tells the story of three African-American women, who worked as mathematicians at NASA ; overcoming significant racial segregation and gender discrimination to make critical contributions to the success of early space missions; essentially acting as "human computers" performing complex calculations by hand while facing challenges like separate bathrooms and being denied access to certain areas due to their race. Despite having those difficulties, they still manage to make a name for the NASA. I hope that we could stop these discriminations and view everyone equally and value each others worth as a human being.

The landlady does not see the man as a person—she only focuses on his skin color. This makes him feel frustrated and embarrassed. The poet uses humor and irony to show how wrong and unfair these judgments are.

This happens in real life too. I remember a classmate being called a “terrorist” just because they weren’t Roman Catholic and lived in a rural area. That was unfair because a person’s religion or where they come from does not define who they are. Just like in the poem, they were judged based on stereotypes instead of their true self.

This reminds us to treat people with respect and fairness, no matter their race, religion, or background.

I saw many people being treated unfairly because of their appearance, their background, etc, and I was also a victim of unfair treatment from other people. People would bully me because of me because of my appearance especially my skin color and looks. People would often compare me to my sister because my sister is prettier and whiter unlike me whose looks aren't good and the color of my skin is brown. People would say "itoma man nimo Joy maayo pa imong ate kay puti". "Pagpa puti uyy murag man kag agta di makit an". "Igsoon diay mo? di man mailhan nga igsoon mo ka gwapa Ra sa imong ate unja ikaw dili gwapa". After hearing those words, it hurt me so much because they lowered my self-confidence because of my looks and skin color. Whenever I look at my reflection, I would remember those hurtful words and would feel bad about myself. But as I grew older, I realized that I shouldn't be bothered by their discrimination towards my looks and skin color because their judgement is not important and I am happy for who I am.

For example, a friend might not get a job because of their background, even if they are well-qualified. Similarly, someone might be treated differently at school because of their appearance, like their clothes or skin color. These examples remind us that it is wrong to judge people based on these things. Everyone should be treated equally and with respect.

My friend experienced that, some of my classmates in high school teasing her and say "itoma nmn ka" in a joke way without knowing that those joke can hurt other people's Often, people don’t realize the impact of their words, thinking it’s just a joke, but comments about someone's appearance, race, or background can be deeply hurtful. It’s important for everyone to be more mindful of how their words might affect others, even if they don’t intend to cause harm.

This goes to show how a multitude of people in society consider a person with features different from theirs as entirely nonhuman; thinking that just because someone is even slightly different from their inherent appearance, it gives them the right to discriminate and harbor strong feelings of indifference and ill-intentions towards them. The poem shows exactly that—the deeply rooted prejudice and bias people and/or society have towards people of racial color or background.

From what I witnessed and have seen, whenever black people—or any dark-colored person for that matter—walk by, may it be in public settings like malls, on the streets, or in Panglao, I have always observed some of the crowd's wandering eyes staring right at them. Some may even whisper among themselves and comment how shockingly dark their skin is or how different they look from "us". And yes, maybe some of these comments may just be pure curiosity and not ill-intended, but there is certainly always an ignorant person or two that just will straight-up call them racial slurs and insults. And that reveals how from then until now, there will always be some form of racism and prejudice that people will always pull, whether it is rooted inside them or what they have learned from the beginning, it will never cease from this world.

In elementary school, I remember one of my classmates who had a darker skin tone being bullied because of it. Some of our classmates would say things like, "Oh, you're black, you must be a bad person," as if his skin color defined his character. I could see how hurt he was, even though he tried to laugh it off sometimes. There were moments when he would sit alone, quietly looking down at his hands, as if wondering why something he had no control over was being used against him.

Ps. I sincerely apologize for the late submission, ma’am. I was experiencing severe tonsillitis and was not feeling well, which caused me to oversleep. Hope for your kind consideration, ma’am. Thank you!

I can relate to the speaker because when I was in high school—a private one, to be exact—I was unfairly treated due to my lower social status and so-called "ugly" appearance. Some classmates looked down on me and their treatment made me feel excluded. Just like in the poem, where the speaker is judged before even being seen, I felt that I was not given a fair chance simply because of how I looked and my background. It made me realize how deeply ingrained these biases are in our society.

Based on my brother's experience, he has been bullied due to his abilities. People would say things like "gapalahi rmn kas imung mga igsoon kay makamao nya ikaw galugos." When someone said that to him, he replied, "lagi maayo mn sila kay bright ag ako anhi," but I know he felt deeply hurt inside. And there's a time he said" Why ing anhi mn ko" As his sister, I also felt the pain of others judging him based on his abilities. Despite this, he continues to show his worth, proving that everyone deserves fairness and respect. It's important to empathize and strive for a more accepting society. Everyone deserves to be treated with fairness and respect.

Ps. I apologize for the late submission, ma'am. I went to bed early because I wasn't feeling well due to a cough and a runny nose, as well as some stomach pain. Additionally, there was no internet connection last night. I hope you understand, thank you.

One of the relatable examples would be an interview where Michael, a highly competent black male, applies for a job position. However even with his impressive resume, the interviewer seems more interested in his race, asking if he would ‘fit in’ to the company. He later finds out that the position eventually went to a “blended in better” candidate.

Soyinka’s poem serves as a reminder to us that judging people based on their looks rather than their abilities and character is profoundly destructive and unjust.

It reminded me of the time when I was in elementary school. We have this classmate who has

dark skin. She did not like her skin because she got bullied, name calling was also so much done towards her. People especially girls hate her because back then a lot of boys like her due to her beauty and personality. They would call her “itom”, spread things about her, and backstab her because they’re pissed that it was not them.

The poem serves as a reminder of the need to address and challenge such discrimination. It teaches that we have to look beyond just appearance because we do not know who they are and what they’ve been through, just like the saying goes “don’t judge the book by its cover”.

Reflecting on my personal experiences, I was been being judged by people based on my background without knowing the truth behind it. I've noticed that every time I was with them their treatment unto me is awkward, thus they intent to make me feel that I am not belong with them or feeling of left out.

Overall, "Telephone Conversation" serves as a significant  reminder of the need for awareness and empathy in addressing the prejudices that persist in society. It encourages readers to reflect on their own biases and the impact of unfair judgments on individuals' lives.