This summer, I decided to take a break from politics. Between classes for my major and my passion for social change, I spend a lot of time reading the news, and that often means reading about tragedy. All summer, I managed to escape most of the big stories. I kept my time on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to a minimum, which helped give me peace of mind and soothe my anxiety, but felt entirely selfish.

Since the 2016 election, staying in the loop about American politics has become increasingly difficult. Stories often revolve around tweets from our commander in chief and the revolving door of hirings and firings in the White House. When stories are framed around policy, the result is usually a loss for marginalized identities in our society. By the time school let out for the summer, I was exhausted. Clearing my mind was an act of self-care.

But there’s one story I couldn’t have escaped even if I tried: Charlottesville. It was everywhere. On Aug. 11, white supremacists from across the country flocked to Charlottesville, Virginia, for a massive rally. They even took to the college campus of the University of Virginia with torches and chants. The violence bled into the next day, when a car drove into a group of protesters, killing one person and injuring 19 more, according to CNN. My Facebook feed was covered in articles and heavy commentary on the issues. There was a heightened level of hyperawareness about race. People were shocked by the violence white supremacy brought to a small college town.

I was not.

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other white supremacist groups are often talked about as if they are distant from us. Sometimes, that means placing white supremacy as a thing the country’s past. While President Donald Trump’s words may have incited violence, he didn’t create these ideas that people of color are less than. This type of terrorism has existed in the U.S. for a long time.
It even exists in Orange County. The KKK has a strong history in Anaheim. Just last June, a Klan rally ended in bloody violence when counterprotesters showed up. This ugly reality begs the question: What’s to stop the KKK or any other white supremacist group from coming to Chapman’s open public campus?

It’s a terrifying thought, but it’s the kind of fear that stays with me regularly. Orange County is a conservative bubble in what many consider a very liberal state. My experiences here range from casual microaggressions to racial slurs hurled at me from strangers in speeding cars. Charlottesville is not an isolated incident. It’s a reality that has existed for people of color for a long time. Fear is something I’ve had to become accustomed to. What happened in Charlottesville is horrible, but in a few short weeks, the world will move on. I challenge you to be someone that doesn’t.