As you all know, Halloween is a time for many people to dress up and become the person or thing they enjoy or admire in real life. There are many costume ideas that can be worn that are not offensive to any specific race or gender, so there is no excuse as to why there are still people deciding to wear ignorant and offensive costumes in 2017. On the weekend of October 20th, students from Hickory High School in Chesapeake, Virginia posted a picture of themselves dressed as a member of the KKK and as a cowboy. According to one of the students, after the photo gained a lot of negative attention, it was never supposed to be public and was made to be a “joke” in their friend group.
As you can see, racism and ignorance are still very present to this day. Seeing that there are people who take issues like this as a joke like it is something to be laughed at is disgusting. The KKK, the biggest terrorist group in the United States, dehumanized lives of African Americans and went out of their way to intimidate them. They wanted Black people to fear them and their presence. Fear is stronger than love and runs deeper to the spirit. This group did and forever will cause controversy in the United States. The basis of the KKK was built off of hatred, so how can someone dress up as a member simply as a joke? It does not surprise me at all that this is still a question being asked in this day and age; I just truly hope a change will come.
The time has come for you to ask yourself: Will you add to the problem of racism and ignorance, or will you be apart of the solution to end it? Many people sit back and do not speak up for problems like this and subliminally accept it to be okay. Well, it’s not. It’s time for a change in the minds and lives of many. A change in the minds of those who think it is acceptable to do or say racist things, and a change in those who are comfortable with it and think it’s acceptable. It is 2017, we shouldn’t still be screaming out the same things our ancestors were in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Let the basis of your Halloween costume this year be based on fun and enjoyment, not racism and hatred because this will not be tolerated anymore.