The International Day Of Peace began in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. It is dedicated to world peace, specifically the absence of both war and violence. The day might be occasioned by a temporary ceasefire in a combat zone for humanitarian aid access. After the day's first dedication, it gained traction and support from many political groups, military groups, nations, and citizens. The designated day for International Day Of Peace is September 21. 

Although the day entails laying down weapons and ceasing fire, the United Nations General Assembly has recognized peace is so much more than that. Peace means freedom from disturbance. The people of America can not be truly free from disturbance until racism is no longer prevalent. As Secretary-General António Guterres has said, “Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life in every society. It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality. And it continues to deny people their fundamental human rights. It destabilizes societies, undermines democracies, erodes the legitimacy of governments, and… the linkages between racism and gender inequality are unmistakable.”. This is precisely why this year's International Day Of Peace theme is “End Racism. Build Peace”. We can not grow as a peaceful country without standing against racism. 

Racism, inequality, and discrimination have recently bombarded social media. The social presence of these problems has revealed that the mistreatment of people is an underlying factor in violence. Racism causes citizens to doubt the government which was created to protect them. As a result, many people resort to violence to solve the problem at hand rather than reaching out to authorities. In a perfect world, racism would finally end and the United States would be exponentially more peaceful than it was. We may not be in a perfect world but in order to grow as a nation, we must reconcile the mistreatment of our people and take responsibility for the pain and violence it has caused. Any citizen of the United States is an American, treat your neighbors with love and respect. Create an example in your community of peace. This month we should focus on peace and we can start by taking a part in ending racism.