Overcoming_Racism

Overcoming Racism In 1971, racial tensions were high in Alexandria, Virginia. Three schools, composed of both African Americans and Caucasians, were brought together to form one high school. “From that union, the Titan football team was created” (Aldridge, 1). This piece of history inspired the movie “Remember the Titans.” Coach Herman Boone, made famous by the movie, is the retired 1971 Virginia high school coach. As portrayed by the movie, the students at this school didn’t trust each other. They judged one another, and even went as far as not talking to one another. Aside from that, a lot of them didn’t like the idea that their Coach was African American. From this, Coach Herman Boone knows what it is like to have to teach others to put aside differences in order to work as a team, and because of his knowledge, he continues to educate everyone worldwide about how important it is, even in today’s world, to put aside differences so a common goal can be reached. Seeing past skin color should be an important quality for everyone. It’s necessary for people everywhere to give others a chance no matter which race they are. Coach Herman Boone believes this to be true because he has experienced it for himself. Boone has “transformed a group of young men of different races, who wouldn’t as much as sit beside one another, into being friends for life.” He also believes that by simply talking to people of a different race is a step in the right direction; it can even be enough to cut all the pressure out of a situation and become friends right off the bat (Boone). In fact, there is a song of the Civil Rights Movement era, that promotes this very thought. The Marvin Gaye song is called “What’s Going On,” and it’s about too many tears being cried, too many deaths being committed, too many judgments being made, and not enough love. It also talks of there being too much picketing and hating, and not enough people talking about what’s going on before they jump straight to violence (Gaye). Coach Boone knew that if the boys in this football team would simply talk to each other to work out their issues instead of jumping to conclusions and automatically thinking violently, they would get along. He also has a personal example that provides evidence of this idea. The story is told about how a Caucasian friend of his told him the story of how he was afraid of African Americans his entire life, until he actually talked to someone who was of African American descent (Boone). By talking to him, he got to know the individual and became friends with him, and he learned that he didn’t have to be afraid of people who were African American anymore. I believe if we Americans took the time to learn patience and understanding of anyone who is different than us, there would be a lot less hate and violence and a lot more love in this world. A lot of people use racism as a defense mechanism because they have a fear of diversity. Coach Boone took those young men who were afraid, who didn’t sit by or talk with one another, and taught them to play as an integrated team and to respect and trust one another. The Titans were told that by working hard and putting differences aside, it’s possible to work as a team and make all of them united as one (Boone). There is a song called, “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” by Donny Hathaway. The song talks about issues along the same lines that Coach Boone discussed with his team. The message of the song is keeping one’s self respect and pride, adjusting to the changes in the world, and not letting your fears get the best of you (Hathaway). By doing these things, freedom will come, or in the Titan’s case, there will reach the goal of State Championship. It’s easier to get along with people who are different than yourself when there is at least one thing in common. For the Titans, they had one interest in common: football. Coach Boone taught the boys in this team the importance of focusing on football and not on their differences. A person can learn to get along with anyone, no matter what differences there are. There may be surprise when someone becomes great friends with someone else who is very different; the amount of time you spend with them trying to accomplish specific goals is what’s to thank for this friendship (Boone). There is a song called, “People Get Ready,” by Rod Steward and Jeff Beck, which ties in with this idea. The song is about faith. It’s about how there is enough room for everybody to make it as long as everyone keeps the faith (Steward). When it comes to Coach Boone’s Titans, there is room for each of them, no matter what their race, to reach their goal…as long as they can keep the faith by getting along with one another, by acting as members of a team. There is a lot we can do as adults to help the future generation from experiencing racism. Everyone can help when it comes to the future of America. Coach Boone believes we should care for the young people of today by guiding them in the right direction when it comes to race. We should teach them not to judge others based on skin color. We should also teach them to be educated about racial issues as well as with general knowledge. Herman Boone clearly states, “Education is important because it can be passed along to future generations.” The children of today also need to be taught that success or failure is a result of the choices they make. If they’re taught this important lesson, they will pass decent values down to their children, and their children will then pass it down to their children, and so on. Coach Boone also believes we should teach children to be nonviolent. Diane Nash, a woman who organized the student nonviolent coordinating committee, said, “Nonviolence a way to fight and a way to heal at the same time.” Boon gives an example of a discussion about the fear of violence that he has with someone who is African American. The coach asked the gentleman why he walked with his pants sagged, and he responded with, “Because I’m afraid not to.” This is an eye opener for children of today’s society. They need to be taught to be accepting of people who dress differently. They also need to be taught to accept people of different cultures, races, backgrounds so there will be less violence in America. Seeing past skin color is vital in America. It’s important for us to live as peacefully and nonviolently as possible. Many people are simply afraid of diversity. They fear people who are different than themselves. By talking to others once feared due to them being a different race, racism is reduced significantly. By talking, people end up getting along and finding common interests, therefore learning that it was silly to fear others who are different than themselves, and they won’t make the same mistake in the future. There is a lot we can do to prevent violence and racism in the future, and education is key in prevention. We need to teach the children of today to not judge based on skin color and other means of appearances, such as how someone dresses. We need to teach children to not be afraid to express themselves by voicing their opinions and standing up for what it right. If we teach them these things, they will pass them down to the next generation, and then we can be assured that the future of America is as nonviolent and racism free as possible. Anybody can work together as a team, no matter what race they are. All they have to do is keep the faith. By talking with one another and learning not to be afraid because of diversity, they can reach a common goal. There is proof of this in the team, the Titans. Coach Boone taught the members of this team to not think of themselves as individuals, but as one unit. After enough coaching, the boys of the team learned that they could become united and work as one team instead of many different individuals. This lesson was extremely difficult due to the racial tensions of the high school in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971, but Coach Boone pulled it off, and the goal was still met. Yes, the goal of bringing the boys to State Championship was met, but teaching the boys, who were of different races, to get along with one another to the point where they would be friends for life is the goal Coach Boone intended to meet. Coach Herman Boone described the members of the titans as “running out in the field, together as team, having only one heart beat.” This is how America should be: united with one heartbeat. We can only reach our goal with enough education, with enough people willing to teach, and enough people willing to learn about how to put a stop to violence and racism. Works Cited Boone, Herman. “’Lessons from the Titans.’” University of Akron. 10 Feb. 2010. Keynote speech. A Celebration through Music from the Civil Rights Movement: In Performance from the White House. PBS . WVIZ, n.p., 11 Feb. 2010. Television. Aldridge, Kevin. “Coaches’ lessons cover race issues.” The Enquirer. N.p., 18 Apr. 2002. Web. 16 Feb. 2010. . Gaye, Marvin. "What’s Going On." What’s Going On. Tamla Records., 1971. Hathaway, Donny. “Someday We’ll All Be Free.” Extension of a Man. Atco., 1973. Stewart, Rod. Beck, Jeff. “People Get Ready.” People Get Ready. ABC-Paramount., 1965.