I was always different growing up
Julie Long, Pioneer, CA. When I was 8, we moved from a big city to a small country town, where there were, maybe two other...
Privileged, What exactly does that MEAN?!?
Janet Davis, Huntsville, AL. I live in the South where we have always had a larger black population as long as I can remember &...
I wish we were all creamy-brown.
Tony Cunningham, St. Cloud, MN. I was going to say “blue,” but that would be a big adjustment. If we were all one race, we’d...
A missplaced comma, in fluid sentences.
Anil Oommen Eugene, OR University of Oregon I am brown, a Malayalee, a person of Indian descent in a primarily white setting. This is often...
“Am I white?” –My Latina daughter
Anne Hickling Phoenix, AZ I don’t know how to answer this when she asks. The answer is both “Yes” and “No.” Her Cuban grandparents self-identify...
“Generic Brown” is my passport everywhere.
Gil L. Pettigrew, MS, The Federated States of Micronesia. I have a very strong, very proud cultural heritage; I’m a North American Mestizo, 50% Native...
Yes, Brown is beautiful and worthy
Gilberto Tapia Jr, Salinas, CA. I grew up within a mostly Hispanic/Latino community. I remember growing up, others would keep their distance because of my...
duck duck brown duck, amidst greys
Chris Apriori Minneapolis, MN It was a childhood game… or so they thought. One I would play for the rest of my life. Now I’m...
Little brown girl, white man’s world
Beatriz Mallory Newfoundland, PA My father was one of the first black men to work at IBM in the late 50’s; my mother a Puerto...
Trust me…I am a doctor
Dr. Carmen Beverly Auburn, AL Not your nurse, maid or clerk…really a fierce brown lady doctor trying to keep everyone well.
Empowered Latina recovering from self hate
Natalia Lopez, Los Angeles, CA. Growing up in East LA and being told I was one of the “good children”, I played into the identity...
Born white. Married Brown. Love Conquers.
Kerri Wakefield Ann Arbor, MI Understanding Race Project- University of Michigan
White, Black, Brown should not matter.
Jonathan Bennett, Forest, VA. The only problem is it does and to too many. America, the America I grew up in, was described as a...
Pride comes before the downfall, duh…
Courtney, Wyoming, MI. All this pride to be black, white, brown, American, whatever, just let it go. You didn’t put any work to be the...
One white, one brown, same parents.
Adana, Seattle, WA. I have 2 children. My son looks just like his papa: dark, wavy hair and alabaster skin. My daughter looks like me:...
