I’m Catholic; Therefore I’m a Minority
Thomas Paul Lachowsky,
Topeka, KS.
Where’s my affirmative action?
White Baby Boomer Low Wage Slave.
Skyler Crane
Oceanside, CA
There is a small splash of African in my ancestry, never talked about, though obvious in physical traits of many of my relatives, Why I give my Race Card sentence is that born a baby boomer to low, very low, middle class WASP parents, i was not given or alerted to the financial & social aids of other races in America, not wealthy enough to be “in the know” of scholarships, grants, financial aids, I feel i represent a forgotten group of American youth who turned to the “Counter Culture Revolution” BECAUSE we could see no viable future, no clear, deliberate, “helping hand up” for us. I, as many, many, others of my age, ethnic, and financial means, have humbly, steadfastly, honestly, continued to be solid workers in the community, allowing so many to step up and succeed on our backs, and that we do this without regret at the forefront of our minds, our hearts. Regret, albeit kind regret, with respect and humility, comes now in older age when I hear of the strife of others who actually had a Race Card that was NEVER afforded to me. Thanks for the avenue to speak this truth.
No College Scholarships for White Males
Theresa Goldenberg
Melbourne Beach, FL
In Zora Neale Hurston essay “How it Feels to be Colored Me” she explains that she didn’t realize she was black until she moved to Jacksonville Florida and it was reflected in how people treated her. When my son started applying to colleges he quickly realized that most of the scholarships were not for white males. He made the comment “I didn’t realize I was white until I started applying to college.” I thought this was another side of this important issue that should be covered in the race card project.
Affirmative Action is separate and unequal
Brandon W Hogan,
Jonesboro, AR
I am a 35-year-old black man living in what is supposedly a very racist, bigoted Southern United States state or Arkansas. Other than a handful of incidents in high school of people just trying to anger me, I have never been the victim of any kind of “racial incident” or had any confrontation that was, as far as I know, based on race other than having a few young black men tell me I am not black enough because I tell them not to call me, “nigga.” It’s worth saying that I have never once had to say anything similar to anyone of another fact-it has never happened in my adult life.
I strongly believe that Affirmative Action policies are not only inherently unfair and unethical but serve to actually lessen the accomplishments of any non-white person, whether that person benefited from such policies or not. I am a U.S. Army Medical Corps Veteran and have a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Master’s Degree in History. I should not have to explain that I have achieved what I have(relatively meager as it may be) without handouts or hand-ups and that I actively refuse and denounce such programs as insulting and ultimately damaging to everyone.
You’re actually smart. Not Affirmative Action.
Nana A. Forson,
Baltimore, MD.
Said to me, by a Caucasian male, after a brief conversation during orientation- at The Johns Hopkins University. We were both freshman, enrolled in the same class.
THE reason I have a scholarship.
Marilou Ingles,
Romulus, MI.
I am American Indian, I grew up in poverty, and I am from the South. I often joke that I received a scholarship to U of M because of my heritage. I do not believe that I would have been admitted based on academia, talent, experience, or personality; I am here because it looks good on paper to give a poor little Choctaw kid access to higher education. Talk about insult to injury.
Maybe I’m Being Too Cynical
Poppy Davis
Chicago, IL
Sometimes, even though affirmative action has done great things for minority races, I feel as a person of Asian descent, that it’s nothing more than a policy put into place by white leaders who think they know what’s best for minorities. Am I wrong or do my feelings have validity?
Being White Doesn’t Mean I’m Rich
John Johnson
USA
This race card comes from the struggles of applying for college scholarships and being white. There are many scholarships designated for different races that I’m not allowed to apply for, yet I don’t see any scholarships designated for people of my race. I’m not at all implying that scholarships for races is a bad thing, and that it doesn’t help people afford something as expensive as an education, I’m just stating that being white does not mean I have $80,000 to pay for an education, and would enjoy scholarships designated for me as well.
Assist based on need, not color.
Bobby
Chicago, IL
Current iterations of affirmative action programs are a relic of the narrowminded thinking of the past century. They should be reformed to award assistance based on socio-economic status, not race/gender/religion/etc. To truly help all disadvantaged people we must break from the outmoded thinking of archaic legislation.
Rejected or accepted: Race or not?
David Zetoony
Alexandria, VA
When race is considered in a contest — whether its use is lawful or unlawful, ethical or unethical, motivated to equalize or motivated to discriminate, implicit or explicit, intentional or unintentional — it means that you never know the degree to which you won or lost based upon your merit. If you didn’t get selected was it because of racial discrimination not in your favor? Because another candidate received affirmative action in their favor? or because you were not the best qualified? If you did get selected was it because of latent discrimination in your favor? Latent discrimination against other canddiates? Affirmative action in your favor? or because you were the strongest?
We still don’t have equal opportunities.
Stanley Umeweni
Philadelphia, PA
I am Stanley Umeweni, and I am a high school student from Central High School in Philadelphia, PA. I chose these six words because after a little over 50 years after the Civil-Rights Movement, not all races have equal opportunity. Even with laws and policies, such as Affirmative Action, the color of your skin can still determine where you fall on the ladder of life, regardless of education or skill level.
I don’t know any other way!
Dan Angel Dufresne
Union City, NJ
I feel that sometimes people use race as a crutch to act a certain way, and do certain things. People claim ignorance, come up with excuses and have a lot of pressure put on them. As long as we have things like affirmative action there will always be disparities between races.
Not born racist, just born white.
Jake Skillman
Greenfield, IN
Even as a small child I loved diversity, insisting on going to Korean school on Saturdays with my friends, checking out language books in Romanian, Japanese, Spanish and even Swahili. It’s crazy, because I grew up on a country farm, living in a trailer. Some how that automatically made me a “red-neck racist piece of white trash”. I’ve been crushed and heart broken so many times while reaching out to others only to be rejected or not trusted because I’m white, and “whites are racists.” Growing up I felt buried by someone else’s sin. I never figured out how white equals racist. I learned the history, but knew I was not like that. My family wasn’t. Things like affirmative action, and terms like “reverse discrimination” stung, and reeked of lessons on racism not learned. Clubs at school like Nation Black Scholars, Hispanic club, and Asian American society, were groups I wasn’t allowed to join because of my skin color. Yet there weren’t clubs that specified my race. I wasn’t born racist I was simply born white. But I suffered the “justified” version of racism. One day society will learn that any form of racism is wrong & shouldn’t be supported or kept alive. When we judge even whites, by their color, we keep racism on life support in an effort to prove we can control it. But can we? Do we fight fire with fire? Use racism to defeat racism? Offer up an excuse why we can use racism for a positive outcome? I pray in the future that it can be said of a white male child, “Not born racist, just born a human.”
This white student supports affirmative action!
Alexandra Walling
Seaside, CA
I go to a “majority-minority” college. The more I get to know my classmates, the more convinced I am that affirmative action and other programs to increase the presence of underrepresented minorities in higher education and the workforce will be to the betterment of all.
Affirmative action necessary for current injustice.
Laura
Silver Spring, MD
It really bothers me when people dismiss affirmative action on the grounds that it is making up for racist past. Racism lingers and affirmative action is necessary to counteract racism today.
Job for White Male? Affirmative Action!
Craig Durkee
Atkinson, NH
Due to affirmative action it is nearly impossible for a middle age white male to advance in corporate America.
