Montgomery Blair HS still inspires me
Jonathan Feldman,
Rochester, NY.
My high school was integrated, and we took such pride in this that Stevie Wonder found out: he made a surprise visit to our school in 1981 to promote the creation of the Martin Luther King Day holiday. I wish that all students could have the same experience that we did.
For more info on this event:
Finding race is like coming home.
Elizabeth Lenz,
Rochester, NY.
Knowing where I am from, gives me a sense of home even when I am 4000 miles.
An unexamined legacy is still legacy.
Chad Campbell
Rochester, MN
For many of us, our legacies are unexplored. We don’t have instruction or guidance to explore them, but when we take that initiative we find the remarkable impact of our families, forbears, and legacies. But if we never take that examination, the impacts still reverberate.
But where are you REALLY from?
AnJuanna Napue,
Rochester, MN
I am constantly asked where I am from. When I say Minneapolis, I get asked where my parents are from, grandparents, etc. My origin/ancestry is constantly questioned.
Equity over equality. It’s what’s needed.
Laura Meihofer,
Rochester, MN
We need to start creating a space where everyone is welcome and where all can achieve greatness. I truly believe this begins with equity because every person has unique needs and that’s okay!
How Did You Get This Job?
Charlie Perkins
This question was posed to me by one of my staff when I started my career at Mayo Clinic. I joined Mayo after a 30-year career as a bank vice president in Chicago. A black manager, managing an all-white staff in Rochester, Mn. I thought it was an interesting question. I took the high road and gave an intelligent answer.
Someone said it best: “Life is like a camera. Focus on what is important, capture the good times, develop from the negatives and if things don’t work out, take another shot”. Keep your head up so your crown won’t fall!
Ignoring color is not the answer.
Christy Blade,
Rochester, MN
In the past I treated people without regard to their race. I’ve lived in my other countries. Until recently I thought I should treat all people without regard to race. As I’ve grown as person, I have realized that each person comes with their own experience which affects the lens they view life and events. I am asking more questions and learning my life experiences are far different from other races and cultures.
Family Faith Respect Health Integrity Loyalty
Tim Nela,
Rochester, MN
I am a family man, and I do everything for my family. These last few years have taught me a lot, and I’m going to continue to live by my 6 words, and understand that things take time and don’t happen overnight.
You’re so articulate, you sound white.
Sidney Frye
People have always told me, I have a way with words. What they didn’t tell me was that my linguistical gifts would call into question my “blackness.”
Don’t judge a book by cover.
Eric Robinson
People look at me and assume I am purely Scandinavian because of my blond hair and blue eyes, but my mother is Sioux. Sioux culture is a big part of what shapes me and my worldview.
So Chinese and For What Reason
Marissa Ding
In high school, I was simultaneously comfortable with my Asian identity in my predominantly white surroundings, yet constantly questioning why I cared so much about being Chinese. I am fluent in Mandarin and comfortable in both Chinese and U.S. culture, but for some reason I couldn’t leave it at just that. I found myself getting increasingly frustrated with growing international tensions and the ignorance towards the Chinese diaspora I saw in the peers and adults around me as high school went on. None of the other Chinese-American kids I knew seemed to have this same struggle- why did I care so much?
