"What does it take for someone to move from a position of hate and racism to a position of tolerance and respect like the transformation that occurred in Derek?"

     In order to improve your understanding of the question that gives origin to title of this essay, I'll start doing a pretty basic summary of the film we saw during some classes Academic Leadership, American History X. In this film, Derek, older brother, is sentenced to prison for killing two black men trying to steal his truck, in addition, Derek is a leading member of a group of neo Nazi skinheads community where he lives. The younger brother of Derek, Danny, witnessed the crime and was heavily influenced by the behavior of his brother, joining the same group. During the time he was arrested Derek had to live with Lamont, a black man who worked with him taking care of the laundry services.

     There are several reasons why people become racist and, according to the American Psychological Association, ignorance and intolerance of other cultures, and one that is very present in the film, is the fear of sharing power with people of other cultures and ethnicities are some of these reasons. But there are several ways to change a racist person to a person with knowledge and a more open mind. In my point of view, the first step must be a self reflection, look to yourself and do an analysis of your own behaviors and thoughts. Sometimes we need someone to give us a "push" toward this self evaluation, because we can't take the first step alone. Maybe talk to someone who lived or lives the same situation as us and listening to the opinion of someone with more experience and more mature is very important. This occurs in the film, when Dr. Sweeney asks Derek: "Has anything you've done made ​​your life better?".

     Besides the self reflection, living with people of different ethnicities and cultures and be part of a Community have where people respect even differences are the most important factors in building an open mind and a cultured individual. Derek also had this experience while he was in jail, and it was probably the most important factor in his change process. His relationship with Lamont made him  understand that skin color or culture does not define the person's character, because those who Derek saw as the "best" were disappointing him and  Lamont was the only friend he had at that time, even with his racist thoughts and attitudes.

     The power to influence people on each other is very much emphasized in the film, the idea that everything we do causes a negative or positive impact on our lives and on the lives of those with whom we interact. Therefore the presence of parents, family and close is an important aspect in the life of a child / adolescent. The lack of good examples and bad company are reasons why people are "blind" and start acting wrongly. Being part of a group where thoughts are massive and not according to the interpretation and analysis of every single person contributes to the formation of ignorant individuals and without character. The influence that Derek has over Danny is very evident to me and it aims to show how we need to be aware of our own attitudes, we must know how to relate to people and respect them no matter what, we must know that we serve as an example for our brothers, sons, friends or whoever we relate.

     Therefore, these are important factors that affect the thinking and attitudes of people, especially when it comes to racism and discrimination. The formation of people with knowledge of many subjects, cultures and concepts, open minded people, able to reflect on their attitudes and thoughts, and ready to serve as an example to others and respect depends on several aspects that are understood and built over time. This perspective is directly related to our Academic Leadership class, because through our skills and our gifts we can serve as an example for many people, and learn to develop our critical thinking to avoid ignorance, disrespect and discrimination. 

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