Adam Won, Sacramento, CA This will represent deep healing for me, considering that I am both a Chinese Cantonese and have a grandmother with mostly indigenous Peruvian background with a recently discovered distant Italian/Spanish Basque background. I grew up with both cultures because my father is a Chinese Peruvian mestizo (he does look more Chinese […]
Black Girl Magic is a thing.
Afrika Afeni Mills, Randolph, MA Black Boy Joy is a thing, too, and both are important to embrace. The narratives about Black girls and boys are so often absent of magic and joy. We need constant reminders of the full humanity of Black children.
Bird Watching: A Metaphor on Race
Keenan Chandler, Atlanta, GA. There are all sorts of birds in the world: big birds, small birds, flightless birds, aquatic birds, birds with wondrously colorful plumage and those with subtle, dull feathers. If we want to appreciate them equally, do we pretend not to see their differences? Do we say the pigeon is the same […]
Being white doesn’t equal perfect life
Phoebe Varney, Albion, MI Based on the way things are now, everyone assumes that I grew up in a perfect life full of white privilege and smooth sailing. I go to a private college, I am a cheerleader who is in a sorority who enjoys name brand clothes and has an expensive taste. I am […]
The one with the brown skin.
Jeremy Martin, Cincinnati, OH. My 7-year-old daughter about the only African American girl on her cheer team. How do we move past skin color as an identity, even for children?
I’m myself and I’m so happy
Lindsay Rich, Lawrence, KS Everyone lives in a world where they are constantly judging others, and looking their best in order to fit in. My six-word story means that I am comfortable in my own skin regardless of what color it is. I am also comfortable with my appearance and am happy to show my […]
All-American Girl: Minority at Work
Stefanie Bernosky, Houston, TX. I was raised as an All-American girl to an All-American family in an All-American town. I even looked “All-American”, proudly featuring my braces and American Flag sweater in this dated family photo (circa 1994). We can trace my family (both sides) to the United States prior to the United States Revolution. […]
Don’t straighten your hair, baby girl.
McKinley Dixon, Richmond, VA. In the dominantly caucasian school that my sister used to attend, she would get picked on for her hair being curlier and fuller than the other girls in her school. It got to the point where she would straighten it every morning before we go to school. Damaging her hair, for […]
I’m surprised you speak so well.
E.C. Boyd, Canton, OH. I was not born, but I was raised in a predominantly white neighborhood because the school system was better in Perry Township than the low-income, mostly black Canton City Schools. As the only black person on my school’s debate team, I dealt with a lot of people surprised that I could […]
Adopting AA baby started needed conversations
Susan Kosior, Fredericksburg, VA.
I changed countries, now I’m black
Kehinde Yemen I sat down at a store today in the middle of Mumbai and a cute little girl about two years old was walking by with her grandma. She took one look at me and refused to come any further. I smiled at her encouraging her to take the few extra steps but she […]
Life is beautiful, remember to smile.
Zhuo Tong, Irvine, CA There are several races in this world, and not a single one can be omitted, because their race is the sign of their culture, we should respect each races’ skin color and respect their culture. Different races’ people look different, they have their own characteristic, we should love each other and […]
I am proud of my heritage
Tate Caraway, Dana Point, CA I feel all people no matter what race or color they are should be proud of who they are and where come from.
Pennsylvania should be a southern state.
Joseph Monaco, Rancho Santa Margerita, CA On a short vacation to my home town in Pennsylvania, I realize that this state should be considered a southern state due to its obsession with the confederate flag.
The Internet Says I Am Racist
Jacob Young, Laguna Niguel, CA Race is an issue being discussed frequently in popular culture in today’s political climate but I believe that America is not doing enough to talk about race in person. We are seeing a lot of the discourse around race taking place online, on twitter, facebook, chat boards. However, I don’t […]
If the same, then why judge?
Adrian Hernandez, Mission Viejo, CA The word race is a social construct that categorizes people. In reality, were all part of the same race which is the human race. What society does is group people and were judge based on that group when we are actually the same. Instead, judgment should be based on intentions, […]
No, I’m not good at math.
LeAnn Dunson, Aliso Viejo, CA I am half Filipino/Chinese and against popular belief and the stereotype, I actually suck at math. I have struggled since math was first taught to us now. I am currently taking a statistics class and my partner always puts me on a pedestal for understanding the material but it didn’t […]
I was born broke not rich
Shawn, Mesquite, TX I came from nothing, I did not get my first phone until I was 15 and I bought it myself. Anything materialistic I have I got on my own.
All girls sports should be equal
Lizette Martinez, Mesquite, TX
xavier doesnt start with a j
Xavier Juarez, Mesquite, TX People judge by my last name being ‘Juarez’ that my first name must be ‘Javier’ because I guess stereo-typically Juarez is a Latino last name and Javier is also stereotypically Latino. I take it kinda good and bad like yee I”m flattered you think I’m Hispanic not just Caucasian or whatever […]
Yes i’m from Deerfield, and yes I love country music.
Cailie Currier, Durham, NH
We from the same religion place.
Yau Shing Alan Tse, Irvine, CA We from the same religion place: Our ancestors all originated in Africa, which means we all came from the same place. We are changing in every corner of the world. It may make us different from each other now, but it doesn’t change what happened in the past. We […]
I like kimchi more than potatoes.
Sarah Diggins, Berlin, MA. I’m almost entirely Irish by heritage (my dad’s side is 100%), but I never really clicked with the culture. I grew up loving Celtic music, looking at gorgeous landscapes of the Irish countryside, and hearing stories about my Irish cousins and ancestors from my grandparents. But when I went to live […]
One Family Between Two Dangerous Countries.
Samantha Salas, Mission, TX.
Do not be Discouraged, Be Proud.
Nathaniel Simmons, Hostos Community College New York, NT Do not let anyone say that you shouldn’t be Proud of who you are or the Culture and Race that you are apart of, Be Proud of Who you are and Your Race/Culture as well as Embrace it.
Not all Italians want big families.
Paula Scaglione Buffalo, NY
This is my non racist family
Teresa Figueroa, Stafford, VA.
First black family on our block!
Tawana Littlejohn Washington, DC We were welcomed with mostly open arms, the year was 1967.
Your agenda doesn’t trump mine, Stop!
Native of San Diego, San Diego, CA Yes I was born having blond hair and blue eyes, yes I was born here in America. That’s where it stops. My family was poor and we Never had things handed to us. We literally had a field in our backyard where we grew our own food and […]
Can someone help me find my privilege?
Steven W Grudzinski, Clarksville, TN I was born white (not my choice, none of us get to pick our parents). I lived poor, on welfare, homeless a few times and fatherless, all of the things that people who identify as disadvantaged state yet I am also called privileged because of a lack of pigment in […]
Judging someone on appearance is bad.
Dusty McCarrel, Vernal, UT Please stop this generation from becoming worse.
Race is created by society’s prejudice
Keegan James, The Blake School, Minneapolis, MN Although in the literal sense race is a real thing, the stigmas that come with are completely made up by society. The idea of race has been used to ostracize certain groups while it has also been used to justify egregious acts. I believe that whereas race has […]
I’m a minority where I’m from
Charlotte Nevins, Pittsburgh, PA. I am originally from The Bahamas and I think I have a unique experience as a dual citizen of there and the US. Back home, I was always assumed to be a tourist and often felt like I didn’t quite fit in in a lot of social circles. The population is […]
I Am More Than My Hair!
Ja’Leia Etheredge, Durham, NC
I know my own worth
Zada Mitchell, Durham, NC As a young African American woman, I know that I have my worth as an artist. As a student. As a daughter, and as a human being.
They say we care. Then shoot.
Reef Dancer, Pittsburgh, PA It’s not always bullets. It’s not always on purpose. People say that they support equality for everyone. They say that all people should Have the Same rights no matter what color your skin is. They say that love is love, that you should be able to be whoever you want to […]
Color Doesn’t defined Who You Are
Abigahil Garcia Trejo, Durham, NC
We, as people, are all different
Hannah Balfour, The University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH Race is a social construction created to enhance white supremacy and segregation. We as humans are different individuals with vastly different histories, origins, and experiences that shape who we are.
I got black, I got white
Billy Dunlap, The Blake School, Orono, MN Whatchu want?
We are all the same people.
Brooke McMahon, The University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH When I was growing up I lived on a boarding school campus. I grew up looking up to the girls from Spain or the boys who were over 6 feet taller than me. I formed relationships with people from all over the world at such a […]
My history is layered, not linear
Holly Grodt, The University of New Hampshire, Bluffton, SC My family history may seem very straight forward when you look at me: white, able-bodied young woman from a working-class family. However, I am actually a very rare case. My dad is adopted and I have never met his blood relatives before. My older sibling are […]
My skin color doesn’t define me
Katie Kerrigan, The University of New Hampshire, Parsippany, NJ Recently I got called out on my white privilege. I acknowledge that I was born with a certain amount of it, but I do not want that to define me or people to assume things due to that. I think with everyone it is important to […]
Try to relate and don’t discriminate
Derek Gard, The University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Unity and separation due to interpretation
James Wirth, Sherborn, MA
Race is fiction. Love is real.
Leah Hidenfelter, Durham, NH Race is a category made up to discriminate and distinguish against others. This is a false term to describe those from different backgrounds and communities. Society used this false term to create racism is our world today. Racism is real. However, so is love. Love is used around the world to […]
Montanan Nigerian, African American, Proud Texan
Larry Hubbard, Arlington, TX
I am a proud to be Jewish
Mason I Schribman-Charney, The Blake School, Minneapolis, MN< p>Being Jewish has always been a major part of my life and identity. When I was younger, I hid my Jewish identity from my friends, but as I’ve grown older I can say that I am proud to say that I am Jewish. I know that there […]
We should not ignore white privilege
Nate Gullickson, The Blake School, Edina, MN I think that people too often dismiss the idea that they have certain are given certain priveledges simply because they are white. When people do this it makes it harder for society as a whole to make progress and change toward creating a world where one’s race does […]
Sports need to be equally accessible
Chaucer Countryman, The Blake School, Deephaven, MN I chose these 6 words because I feel like everyone no matter their race should be able to try multiple sports. I have been one of the lucky ones who have had many opportunities with many different sports. It makes sad when I realize that some people aren’t […]
Ambitious, Outgoing, Determined describes me
Hilary Nunex, Hostos Community College, Bronx, NY I chose these words because it represents who I am as a person, I am 100% Dominican born and raised in the Caribbean. It is something I am proud to say. I put ambitious as one of my words because it shows how determined I am to become […]
Ashamed to be White
Linda Koch, Fennville, MI Knowing what was done to Africans was bad enough, now after reading about the removal of native people from their land here in Michigan and elsewhere, as well as slavery of and cruelty inflicted on native people, it makes me feel ashamed to be of the Caucasian race even though I, […]
I’m much more than just Latino
Benji Pomonis, The Blake School, Bloomington, MN I chose these words because yes, I am Latino, I was born in Colombia, but at the same time, I am much more than that. There is a lot more to me than just the stereotypes about Latinos.
Are you sure you are Hispanic?
Olivia Rose Castillo, Sanger, CA. I am constantly asked if I’m sure of the racial group I belong to because the color of my skin. I am light complected, I’m a lot lighter then most. Doesn’t mean I should be defined by my skin color. All of my are similar in our faces but all […]
No, I don’t bball, I GOLF!
LaRee Sugg, South Chesterfield, VA #URTRCP #TheRaceCardProject As a member of the LPGA Tour, no one looked like me. I would often travel from city to city never seeing another person of color at the course. I not only carried the weight of my golf bag, but the weight of my race down every fairway […]
There are no categories besides humans
Megan Fisher, Arroyo Grande, CA Biological Anthropology
Race is not the issue
Cody E McCarroll, Black Rock, AR
Half-Hawaiian, Half-White, Continually Misidentified as Either.
Richard Makuahini Pali Jr., Dana Point, CA
Hapa Haole still from the Islands.
Richard, Kealakekua, HI
Indian student brown but still international
Simranjeet Kaur, Niagra College, Canada I do not understand much about that but still try to understand.
Skin color does not determine worth
Kyra Reese, The Blake School, Minneapolis, MN I chose these six words because I feel like this idea gets lost in our society these days. With all of the current events surrounding race such as police brutality, treatment in prisons, and much more that can create this feeling in society that your skin color determines […]
I’m a Jewish courageous white male.
Jake Shapiro, The Blake School, Minneapolis, MN I chose these words, because it shows my identity, and portrays a characteristic I see in myself. I was born 100% Jewish, and it is something I hold on to every day. I put courageous as one of my words because I am always wondering something and questioning […]
Old Soul, White Skin, Human Race
Glenn, Richmond, VA Why can’t we all get along? #URTRCP #TheRaceCardProject
I’m black and so much more
Makayla, Richmond, VA Society places a heavy focus on my identity as a black individual, but my life is intersectional. It makes it so hard rise up against adversity when everyone wants to stick you into a box and place judgment on that one factor. It has taken a lot to embrace and appreciate the […]
Racist parents from shame springs motivation
Ingrid Irigoyen, Bethesda, MD For the first decade of my life I lived with biological parents who were avowed racists. That experience was scarring because even as a young child my little gut instinct told me that they were wrong. Even though I didn’t fully understand it, the hate made me feel ill in the […]
I descend from first American colonizers.
Kim Looby, Charlotte, NC I thought I was Irish and came here during the 1850s. But I’m actually 16th generation American. My family is responsible for settling America and colonizing it. I’m equally disconnected from any ancestral culture and distinctly American? I have a few German relatives left in Germany but they’re over a hundred […]
Honduras, rich culture and great potential
Diego A Rivera, Miami Gardens, FL Honduras is a beautiful country in Central America that is going through a rough patch but has so much to offer, a very rich culture and a lot of potential.
A proud American, unwanted in America…
Joseph A Flores, Roswell, NM The scion of pre-Chicano era parents who believed assimilation into the American culture was the key to success. My English only, college graduate led American lifestyle has been rejected by both the White ‘race’ I was raised to engage with AND the Hispanic ethnic group I ‘should’ belong to… in […]
Ashamed to Acknowledge the Black Side
Heartbroken Grandmother, Durham, NC My granddaughter was never allowed to have contact with her father or us when she was a young child. He fought to see her but the court system in Indiana never held up the court orders for his ex-girlfriend to allow him visitation. This lasted well into her teen years. Though […]
Child of Pennsylvainia coal miners
James Tupko, New Milford, CT My grandfather came to Pennsylvania in 1907 to work in the coal mines. It had to be tough to be a Lithuanian in America.
Growing up as the minority in my elementary school.
Allison Silva, Durham, NH I grew up in Boston, Massachusetts in a good neighborhood but schooling in Boston is a little bit different. To choose schools you needed to fill out a list of your top schools and then enter a lottery. I chose a school just outside of Boston in Roxbury. It became very […]
Becoming myself not my birth giver
Kurstyn Ciancio, Weatherford, OK Everyone assumes that since I look like my mother, I am just like her. I am the spitting image of my the woman I call birth giver but have created a better future for myself. I use the term “birth giver” because it takes more than carrying a child for 9 […]
An Accent is a sign of Courage
Carmen Garcia, College Station, TX
Trait that assumptions are built upon
Tiana Moore, CT Throughout life, we are told not to judge a book by its cover. That we can’t base our opinions of others on just a first glance. Despite being told this we always make assumptions when meeting new people. One of the first things we notice about someone is the color of their […]
I’m a business oriented white kid.
Jacob Watson, Essexville, MI
Is It Racist to Abhor Ignorance?
Steven C., Corbin, KY I was raised in an all-white racist community, by racist parents, and attended all-white schools where racism was not only permitted, it was commonplace. I joined the US Army at 18 and it was only then that I was around people other than Caucasians. The US Army is a melting-pot of […]
Respectfulness earns your race-deserved respect.
Kirk R Towner, Lake Shore, MD Six more words in the form of a question: Will we ever not see color?
What can I do?
Katherine Wilson, Findlay, OH This is a question that I have found myself asking myself often over the past few years. After the previous election I felt hopeless. Although I wasn’t at risk of harm because of my white cisgender status, I knew people who had reasons to fear. The hateful rhetoric made me fear […]
I am proud of my accent
Lana Meyenburg, Osgood, IN In the beginning when people talked about my German accent I was disappointed because I was different. Now I’m more proud of it because I understood that being different is not that bad at all. You can share your stories and way to live with other people. The accent is a […]
Native, Half White but still intelligible
Sadie, Wabeno, WI
Race doesn’t define me, God does
Patrick Graham, Durham, NC
White chocolate, black chocolate, both chocolate
Braden B, Wabeno, WI The truth is the truth.
We must learn to live together
Mark M. Person, Richmond, VA My family donated Nat Turner’s Bible to the AAMHC of The Smithsonian in Washington, DC. Mr. Turner was baptized on Persons Millpond in Southampton County in 1828 and had the Bible with him traveling through the area preaching the gospel. The Bible is in the right place and is an […]
Can you guess my race
Micah Daniels, Los Angeles, CA
White supremacy I win needs dismantiling
Ken Woodward, Germantown, MD I’m a 49-year-old white male. I have primarily lived oblivious to the pervasiveness of white supremacy and mostly denied its existence. I raised a mixed race step-grandson from a 4 months old to now 24 years old. Two years ago I started my journey into understanding the world of People of […]
I did not know I’m biased
Tom, Richmond, VA, I always prided myself in not being racist or biased. After well over 40 years of life I finally realized I have automatic biases that I did not realize were there that impacts my decision making #URTRCP #TheRaceCardProject
A Jew lost in this world
Maya Granot, OH Jews only make up 2% of the world’s population. As a minority…as a Jew, I constantly have to think about what I say and who I say it around. I have to think before I speak rather than speaking freely because I never know who around me Anti-Semitic. Being a Jew gives […]
I am Hispanic enough for you!
Ian Diaz, Norfolk, VA Intersectionality exists. Too long have I been told that I’m not Hispanic enough, not white enough, and not black enough to exist in certain spaces. But I am enough. Others cannot dictate my existence. I am who I am and I am a proud, mixed gay man.
How do you racially identify? HUMAN!
Nancy Jo Taylor, Mishawaka, IN #TRCPIUSB I am required to ask this question at my job each day. It irks me to no end. Just because some governmental types want to keep a racial accounting of the populations we serve.
Skin Color Does Not Equal Worth
Angela D. Huff, Plymouth, IN #TRCPIUSB I am a white woman with two children: a white daughter, and a biracial son whose father is black (if you were to ask my son’s father, he would tell you he doesn’t like being called African-American). My children grew up in my small hometown community, attending the same […]
I’m the typical, big, white girl.
Laura Coil, Lima, OH I chose this because once I got older, I got a bit bigger than what the normal size for a girl in society is. I was and still am at times made fun of just because I am different. A lot of girls are called “typical white girls” if they like […]
Proud Black Womanist Mother Scholar Activist
Deidre Hill Butler, Schenectady, NY Thank you!
I am no longer taking disrespect.
Dashe Jones, Richmond, VA The most disrespected person is the black woman. I am not going to sit by and be used as a walking matt no more. I am not a trend and I am not a toy you throw away when you feel like it. Black women are magical and are worthy
Without sight, we are just people.
Grace Brown, Anaheim, CA
White, Veteran, Nurse, Single, Funny, Scooterist.
Ed, USA
I am a mutt and proud.
Kyria Rezner, Cocoa, FL I was raised in a diverse family believing everyone is equal. When I entered the real world, it disgusted me. I was saddened over the way people learned to label themselves. “I’m Italian.” “I am German.” “My family is Irish.” The one that effected me most however was one that would […]
American Veteran College Graduate Still Black
Rosie Montgomery-Mostella, Gadsden, AL I live in Alabama and much as l likes to think things have changed some stereotypes remain the same. I was standing in line waiting to use an ATM machine and the woman in front of me, was so nervous and fidgety she dropped her belongs twice. I would like to […]
Being Black and southern, educated engineer
Kristen Ellerbe, Richmond, VA. Calling me an Oreo or not really black, or basically a white girl means that you define some part of my personality, attitude, preferences, or demeanor as being owned and attributed solely to white people. Is it my intelligence, my sense of style, or how I speak? Is it because I’m […]
From Kansas? How is the city?
Mykala, Bonner Springs, KS When I travel, especially to Arkansas or to a place that is considered a rural area, the people there automatically think I am a prude and that I do not do things on my own. They call people from Kansas “City Folk”, including my grandparents. My grandparents introduce me as their […]
Contrived for power, superiority, riches – dehumanizing.
Carol Wenger, New Holland, PA. As a white woman, I’ve been learning, relating, and waking up to an understanding that I’ve been complacent in my ignorance of white privilege. I seek transformation in repentance,forgiveness, and relationship building. My current questions are: what else don’t I know? What else should I do? Is forgiveness possible? Is […]
Sensitivity doesn’t make you less proud.
Bill Dunn Wichita, KS As a white male with almost exclusively conservative Southern roots going back many generations, I am proud of my ancestral heritage. This pride is not diminished by my awareness of and sensitivity to the experiences and feelings of others with a different racial background. In fact, the ability of many in […]
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