"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."
---Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
As an African-Canadian woman I do not allow my race to prevent me from fulfilling my goals. I am aware that racism does exist in Canada, but since I believe I cannot control the thoughts, or actions of others all I can do is be true to myself and hope that I am well received by the people around me. If I encounter a situation where I know I may not wanted simply because of my race, then I cam comfortable and confident enough in myself to deal with the matter in such a way that it wont allow the person to have any reason to stereotype me based on my actions. I have been brought up to be proud of who I am, as a result I work hard to achieve the things I want, and I refuse to allow things that I can not change to deter me from achieving my dreams. For example, I know that my chosen profession as a journalist is not one where there is a large percentage of minorities, that is not to say that this is due to racism, but it is certainly something that I am aware of. Regardless of this, I will not stop wanting to be a writer, nor will I choose not to apply for certain jobs simply because a certain newsroom has a low percentage of minorities. I believe if you cannot change the way people look at, then you can alter your attitude towards them to improve the situation.
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