Rosa 1Matthew Rosa

Ms. Gardner

Honors English

17 January 2015

Barrier from the Outside World

Skin is the number one largest organ in the human body. Skin can come in all

different shapes and colors and is transmitted throughout society harshly, or at least

used to be. Racism has occurred for over a century and is still causing harm today. As a

14 year old young man I did not comprehend the impact of skin color across the world.

Skin has played a great role in history for a very long time, and many historical events

have been triggered because of it.

I recall sitting in 9th grade english studying Martin Luther King Jr. Before class,

the Civil Rights Movement did not seem as important as I thought it was. Later I learned

the huge role skin played in the 20th century. Not only provoking death, but altering

lives. Skin color has not affected me greatly in my lifetime, but I am sure it is very

different for people on the other side of the country. Racism because of skin color is still

occurring across the globe, and I can not express the feelings I have for the children

and adults going through that much pain. Back in the 1950’s,skin color played a much

more vast than today. Back then, you could not even go to the same drinking fountain if

2 people had different colors of skim. I think that people used to think that skin defines

who you were physically and also mentally. In conclusion, the Civil Rights Movement

made it so blacks were allowed to vote, eat, and shop wherever they wanted to.

Rosa 2Today, I believe that skin is taken in for too much account. In todays society skin

can define the type of person you are. If one does not take care of their skin, then they

must “not care,” according to our standards. This issue can bring up multiple questions.

Why do people wear make-up? Do they try and cover up their scars? Are they trying

look better? Are they trying to fit-in? What is wrong with their skin in the first place. If

society today did not care about skin color, texture, and shape, then maybe the world

would look different today. It is interesting to see people without make-up covering up

their skin. Every 28 days one’s skin is renewed. With new skin, people could say they

have started fresh. Jennifer Lopez is one of the worlds leading skin care promoters. She

is often acknowledged for beauty. She takes great care of her skin and it shows.

Jennifer inspires others to take care of their skin. With great looking skin, people have

an overall greater vibe, If people think they are beautiful then they will be happier in life.

Skin is “the thin layer of tissue forming the natural outer covering of the body of a

person or animal.” The skin has three different layers, epidermis, dermis, and subcutis.

The outermost layer is the epidermis. This is the layer where acne, blemishes and skin

tone is shown. Acne is the occurrence of inflammation of the glans in the skin. Acne is

usually found in teenage males and females. Acne is a sign of growing up for most

people. When a young teenager finally sees his first pimple, he has a sense of

adulthood.

I remember as a child seeing the aging of my grandpa through his skin. I arrived

at my grandparents house midday to inspect his health. His was on the verge of death

battling cancer for the last year. I could tell though the dark scratches in his skin, he was

not looking good. “Mom, is grandpa okay?” I asked worriedly. “He is not going to make it

Rosa 3much longer.” My mom returned. I did not like the situation. I was uncomfortable. His

skin looked blue and very crispy. His time was calling. My grandpa’s skin had reflected

on his life. It had been with him though those 70 years. It brought me here. And you

could see that it was dying along with him.

In conclusion, skin can affect people both positively and negatively. People can

be judged by their skin color and texture. Skin color has affected the world for a very

long time and severely played a factor in the Civil Rights Movement. Skin texture can

display the age of many people and define who we are as people. Judging people

because one’s skin will occur forever.