This post is based on a video, that is based on a video.  A man who is from Africa is now a model in Korea.  Recently, he has been on Korean television talking about his experiences with Korean and some of the racism that he has faced.  This prompted a YouTube channel to do a video asking people on the street what they thought about Black people.  To see that video, you can click here.  While the video is very informative, one thing jumps out at me. People talk about racial problems between Black and Korean people, but not a solution.  While racism is deeply ingrained in some people, it is starting to go away in the younger generations.  So what can be done to try and make race relations between Black and Korean people better?  Here are a couple of things that can be done to help this situation.

Stop Believing Everything the Media Tells You

Media companies are owned by people who have a story to tell.  So it is not surprising to hear that most media companies do not report the entire story or the entire truth.  The story that they tell is designed to get you to love what/who they love and to hate what/who they hate.  The fact that some Black people feel that all Koreans eat dogs or that some Koreans children feel that Black people grow tails at night shows how powerful the lies in the media can be.  Knowing that what in said in the media can be edited can help one to reason on why they must be careful about what they believe.  Does this imply that all the things said in the media is a lie?  No.  Some things are true, but not all things are true.  When looking at what other people tell you, consider the source.  You may find out that the source you are getting your information from is not as reliable as you think.

Talk to Each Other

There are so many Black people who want to know about Koreans, and so many Koreans that want to know about Black people.  But people are afraid to talk to each other and find out the truth.  There’s nothing wrong with asking a sincere question and seeking the truth. In going to Korea and talking with Korean people, I got to see that Korea was a much better place than I thought it would be.  The worries and concerns that I have about life, Koreans have about life as well.  The loving spirit I try to show, they try to show as well.  Because I made people feel comfortable around me, I was treated well.  Many Koreans have also felt that once Black people became comfortable around them that they were treated well also.  At the end of the day, we’re all human and part of the human race.  By talking to each other, we find out the truth about each other.  The truth is not a scary thing, but is something that will truly set one free.

Will the prejudice, fear and misinformation about both groups end tomorrow?  No.  It takes time for these things to happen.  But often times we are either a part of the problem or a part of the solution.  While no human has the power to end all of the issues we face right away, we can make a small difference by our own behavior.  So by choosing to be apart of the solution, we can help to make things better one person at a time.