Judging a Book by its Cover

You’ve probably heard the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover.” As a black male teen, this phrase occurs to me more often than not. As a black teen, adults, especially seniors tend to judge us by the way we look and dress. It’s most common for me to be judged by non-black adults. Toronto is supposed to be a multi-cultural society so you would think people would be used to, or accepting of other races by now. Not so. Everyday I see a person of a certain race being judged by their “cover” (skin). A perfect example would be how “brown people” are viewed at airports since September 11, 2001. At an airport people tend to see “brown” people as terrorists and treat them noticeably different.

The negative practice of judging a book by its cover is extremely evident towards black males almost anywhere in the world. We are seen as criminals, thieves, uneducated and extremely dangerous. As a black male with two earring and braids, I often hear the comment “you’re a thug” by others. Teachers are even surprised when they find out that I’m of above-average intelligence or when they hear that I play so-called “white sports” and sometimes listen to rock. Too many people think that blacks only play two -- sports basketball or football. When I enter a store this prejudiced mindset is even more evident in that the store clerk stares me down the entire time. It’s actually quite funny when I’m witnessing a non-black ripping them off while the clerk is consumed with watching my every move.

Some stereotypes can actually be a positive thing for some races. For example, Asians are viewed by most as intelligent and respectful human beings. People are also judged by their financial status. I see this when someone dressed up is treated special because people see them as rich. Females suffer from this misjudging, too. If she dresses a certain way she is sees as a prostitute. This pre-judging can also explain racial profiling by the police or other authorities. And why do people always assume anyone black is either from Africa or Jamaica?! Why don’t you get to know me first before making any assumptions?