Racial profiling

In eighth grade, we had to write a research essay on any topic of our choice. Still one of my most prized possessions kept in a corner of my Google Drive, I spent weeks writing and researching about Racial Profiling. A topic which I have had the wonderful pleasure of witnessing myself, here's the stereotypical racial profiling airport story. Anytime I go to the airport with my mom or dad, the security guards 'conveniently' pull us aside to do a body check, look through our bags, or ask us extra questions about the amount of money we're holding. We often hear stories about this happening, but when you truly experience something like that you become hyper-aware of the world around you. Similar to Staples, as I grow older and enter the world, reality shifts and I become more aware of the impact of race throughout society. Though my experiences are nowhere as extreme (I am very privileged), the race always factors into the way I am perceived by the world. Staples states that it is "not altogether clear to me how I reached the ripe old age of twenty-two without being conscious" of the stereotypes which follow him. This shows how over time these stereotypes perpetuated on various races become more obvious and impact life in harsher ways. Oftentimes these have consequences that reach farther. Staples elaborates on his experiences by showing how black men can be mistaken for burglars, assumed to be murderers, and are seen as criminals to the public eye. Our unconscious racial bias towards others can be harmful, but the most important thing we can do is be aware of it.