I’m not here to preach at you. I’m not here to tell you what side to take. I am here to tell you that racism in America is very present. I’m here to tell you that my skin color gives me privilege that some people don’t have, and that that is not okay.

This summer I had the privilege to work at a camp with a very diverse staff and campers. Before camp started I had the chance to learn about racism in-depth. I was reminded that racism is far from over.

You know what sucked about this summer? I couldn’t always relate to my campers because I haven’t ever really been put down or left out or discriminated against because of my skin color. My campers had almost all been mistreated because of their skin color.

Although this summer took me out of my comfort zone, I am thankful for the opportunity to learn from others firsthand about the prevalence of discrimination in America.

Get informed. Seek information from both sides. But whatever conclusion you draw, don’t think that racism doesn’t exist anymore. White privilege is a thing, even though it shouldn’t be.

I am not perfect, but I’m working on helping out the fight for equality, and I hope you will as well.