Upon the release of The Hunger Games in theaters, some people caused an uproar about Rue being played by a black female. Turning to Twitter, some of the tweets included: “I was pumped about the Hunger Games, until I found out that a black girl was playing Rue,” from @johnny- knoxIV, and “Rue is too black for what I pictured,” from @abimaxwell_. It’s very clear that Rue’s appearance, so different from the tweeters’ white mental image, made them uncomfortable.
These tweets tell us a few things about those who posted them. For one, they did not pay attention. Anyone who’s closely read the book knows Collins describes Rue with “dark brown skin and eyes.” She doesn’t fit the description of someone who is white, so it should be no surprise that she’s played by a person of color.
This brings me to my next point – race should not be something people are uncomfortable about. Just like religion or politics, it can be an interesting point of discussion. Through them, one should try their best to have a better understanding of other races and what they go through.
A lot of people think that, because of events like the abolition of slavery, end of racial segregation, and the Civil Rights Movements, racism is a thing of the past. As a result, it’s believed that certain racist comments are not only acceptable, but that people simply need to stop being “too sensitive” because, after all, “everyone’s a little bit racist.” This isn’t the case. Such comments can never justify an ignorant attitude.
Instead of focusing on stereotypes, discussions on race and equality should be a chance to focus on our similarities instead of our differences. Someone’s race should not be seen negatively. When saying this, I don’t mean everyone should get to the point where they don’t see race, as that’s very unrealistic.
No matter how open-minded you are, you’re still going to see me as a black female. The point I’m getting at is mine or anyone else’s race should not be seen as a flaw. At the end of the day, we are all part of the human race. What we typically define as race is simply another physical variation along with hair color, body shape and height. It shouldn’t be used as an opportunity to make jokes, judgements or stereotypes that are not necessarily true. It’s an amazing form of diversity that should be celebrated, not disparaged.
While actions of extreme racism have largely disappeared, we as a society still have a long way to go before we can say that racism is a thing of the past. While there will always be racist fringe groups, we should try our best to stamp out stereotypes and end these racist comments that now seem acceptable. Believing in stereotypes, consciously or otherwise, only restricts knowledge of other races and cultures. So, I encourage you as a reader to have discussions. The next time race comes up, don’t be afraid to talk about it. If you’re one of those people who finds race uncomfortable, that’s all the more reason why you should have these discussions. Think about it, how can one expect us to overcome issues of racial equality if people are too scared to even talk about it?