John Stephens, New Market, VA. Many years ago, when I was a young man, I went to see the movie The Defiant Ones with Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier. The film was about two convicts who were both strident racists. They escaped from prison but they could not escape each other because they were shackled […]
Nashae Pitts, Harrisburg, PA.
Christine Mitchell, Reading, PA. I’m a black woman married to a white man but still, imagine my surprise in the delivery room when my baby came out white. Not “white” like black babies are often very light skinned until their color comes in, but white. They put our bracelets on so our babies wouldn’t get […]
Scott Kirlin Larson Leesburg, FL
Mari Bailey Temecula, CA I am Japanese. I married to American man. However, when I tell people that Im married, people ask if Im married to Japanese guy. I answer, ‘no Im married to American guy.” well….that is not enough for some people. Those people have to know which Ethnicity he is, DOES IT MATTER? […]
Sara Proffett Healy, AK I am Russian, Scottish and Spanish. I’ve always been kind of tan and I have light brown hair. I’m short but not stout. I’ve always been made fun of for being a tiny little girl. I am a mix of different races so I was never really made fun of for […]
Debbie Spragg Brisentine Plain City, OH I was born in 1954, lived in Mt. Pleasant Ohio, pop. approx. 500. Attended school from 1959-1972. Had both white and black friends but, to me, they were all just friends – no difference! I never knew anything about racial issues until maybe 1969, 1970. It was an idyllic […]
Kelsey Hamm Boone, NC Our world has recently adapted to the idea of colorblindness, or the concept that race doesn’t matter. However, to look at two people and disregard their race actually perpetuates racism. The color of your skin, as well as your ethnicity, will at least partially determine the experience you have in America. […]
John H McKinney, TX King’s speech referred to the time when a man (actually he referred to his children) would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I think there are many, many who,lack character and use the color of their skin as an excuse. There […]
Juan Lopez Madison, WI I really didn’t pay much attention to my race until I knew the importance of knowing your background and ethnicity and where you really come from.
Submitted via Twitter: @IslandvibeJason
Sile Grace Seattle, WA Said by my Appalachian granny every time I asked what race we were (everyone asked ‘what’ she was). I don’t know how to answer that question now when it’s posed to me.
Jean Hagen Ann Arbor, MI
Radhika Washington, DC I wish race wasn’t a factor that divided us as Americans or as human beings. Unfortunately, that is not the world we live in. I wish I didn’t have to think about it, but as a woman of color, I am often forced to confront race and racism.
Maureen Burns Ann Arbor, MI Understanding Race Project- University of Michigan I have three lovely granddaughters. We’re all different. It doesn’t matter. We’re family.
Juanita Lucas McLean Silver Spring, MD J
Nicole North Haven, CT 28 years later I still love him and realize he was always the one I had been searching for all this time.
Kari Adams Morris, MN
Steve Everett Tallahassee, FL
Tiffany L. Seattle, WA
Miriam Rand Albuquerque, NM
P. Contreras Benicia, CA How you choose to dress gives an impression about you. Whether that impression is accurate or not no one will know unless they get to know you. But, they won’t get to know you if your image repels them. Example. Teenage Boy (black, Hispanic, Asian, white) in your neighborhood in jeans […]
Submitted via Twitter: @derricklweston
Brooke Bradley Age 14 La Jolla, CA
