Racial Injustice: A Perspective from 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

Imagine growing up in a place where everyone was separated by race and gender. In To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee, 6 year Scout Finch and her brother Jem grow up in Maycomb County or could be called a racist county . They live their lives witnessing black people getting harassed by other people in their town. Having to deal with grown ups tell them that black people are like trash, to look down on them, without realizing black people are humans too. Their father, Atticus helps them overcome this problem by telling them to fight back with words, not by a fist.
Racist screams everywhere in Maycomb County, it doesn’t matter if the black person makes the same money as other people, they are still to be looked down upon. Not everyone

is racist to black people, some are polite to them. "Negroes and dogs not allowed." (Nps.gov 3). For instance the article We Shall Overcome, from the website Nps.gov, talks about how black people were unfairly mistreated from white people. The signs that compares black people to animals, isolating them to different fountains, makes black people think that the ones being nice to them are just making fun of them. The people that want to see change in humanity, where everyone is equal to others. But the hand full of the racist people overpower them leaving the ones wanting equality in shambles because no one can do anything about it. Black people should be at fault too for letting white people get away with this type of hatred. “Southern blacks who resisted segregation, particularly those in rural areas, lived in constant fear--fear of their employers, who vowed to fire them; fear of white "citizens' councils,"” (Nps.gov 8). Black people don’t have a choice but to be quiet about these type of behavior they get thrown at them constantly. They don’t have choice but to deal with this, there are some strong headed person that would stand up and protect his or her race. But after all why would they risk dealing with more hatred thrown at them. Nobody deserves to be treated the way they are treated, like they are unworthy of breathing the same air as another person. They have the freedom to talk back, why can’t they talk back to the people that are being racist to them. “Our Constitution is color-blind... In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law…” (Nps.gov 1). No matter how much black people talk back they still get the slammed back to their original place, below other people, not equal or above anyone but below. They can talk and talk back, even come up with a speech to tell people how they feel to be thought of so lowly. But will somehow always be looked down upon again, no matter how hard they try. For instance in chapter 21 of To Kill a Mockingbird, everyone thought Tom Robinson, a black man was to win the case against Mayella Ewell, a white teenager, because of his amazing lawyer Atticus Finch and his way with arguments. Towards the end of the chapter everyone on the jury charged him guilty of rape. No matter how hard black people show they are equal to everyone, they will still be treated as if they are trash aren’t worthy of having the title of being equal to everyone else.
Scout is very young to be already dealing with everything that is happening in her town. Making her grow up even faster, resulting her being more mature for an 8 year old. That’s not good for an 8 year to be so mature for such a young age. “Well, Dill, after all he’s just a Negro.” (Lee 266). Despite Scout being mature for her age, she is still brainwashed with the way people in her town treat black people. Making her think lowly of black people, making her say that to Dill. Everything that comes out of people’s mouth to Scout, stays in her gullible mind, after all she is just a kid. Maybe if Scout didn’t read or talk to Atticus about what is happening in the big, real world, she could still be carefree about her life decisions. “The Ku Klux’s gone,” (Lee 196). Even if Atticus were to avoid the topics of what’s happening outside, the kids would still constantly ask, and Atticus being a father wants his kids to be aware of their surroundings. He doesn’t want his children to be clueless of what’s really happening. But he at times has to sugar coat some things to make sure they don’t worry too much. Like for instance, he told them that the Ku Klux Klan is gone, but in reality they were growing with more members at that time, threatening Atticus for helping Tom Robinson. Scout shouldn’t worry about her dad then, Atticus is old enough to handle his choice to help Tom. “In one and twos, men got out of the cars.” (Lee 202). Atticus took the risk of putting his life and his kids life on danger taking on the Tom Robinson case. He wanted to show his kids to the right thing, even if it has consequences. He wanted to teach his kids that other people’s opinion shouldn’t change the fact that you could help someone else. Making him even more braver than the men that decided to gang up and try to kill Tom that night before the trial. Scout may have lost her youth at a young age, but she understands more about what’s going on, and she could do something to change all of that as she continues to grow up.
Atticus teaches both Scout and Jem that there are right and wrong ways to live, he teaches them how to react to people’s idiotic mistakes to mistreat another human beings.

Scout doesn’t understand what Atticus is trying to teach her, she’s too young to. “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” (Lee 39). It doesn’t matter if Scout is too young, Atticus has his ways of teaching her and Jem. For instance he told them that they should never judge a person by other people’s opinion. He shows his fatherly side telling them how to treat others and how words were more powerful than actions. Telling them how they should understand the person being targeted before judging them. He goes into full detail never sugar coating any words to make sure Scout and also Jem understands what he’s telling them. Scout shouldn’t be taught the wrongs and rights of the world yet, she should still be carefree and joyful. “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”(Lee 149). Although Scout is young to learn about these things Atticus talks about, he wants her to know how the world sees things, but he wants her to have a different view than everyone else. He wants her and Jem to be able to know how the world sees things differently, and how that may affect on the truth and lie. It’s better at times for kids to know the lie, rather than the cold hard truth. “it's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name. It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you.” (Lee 144). Scout is a curious girl so she asks her dad anything that pops up in her head, asking him what a “nigger lover” was. He responded saying that he loves everybody and hints that she

too should love everyone. If Scout were to ask another adult, they would decline and say something sweet that Scout would probably believe. Atticus responds with no hold back, he knows if he tells Scout now, in the future he wouldn’t need to worry about her mistreating anyone. Atticus shows readers that he is passionate about teaching his kids to do the right things, even if that means he has to teach it like they’re adults.
If the white people that treats black people like they’re trash. Treating black people like they’re so low class that can’t breathe the same precious air as them, how would they feel about their behavior. Atticus says, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” If black people were to switch places with white people and make fun of them, how would the situation be. To Kill a Mockingbird pinpoints all of these down to detail to show kids how badly racism can cause a whole county to overlook the truth and go with the lie, because after all the lie had more reasons for people to believe.