Race does not define you character.
Ethan Boroskin,
Rockville, MD
I am a member of Montgomery College’s “ACES Ambassador Leadership Program” AALP.
Each of our 24 members decided it was important to “voice” our thoughts. As a united team, we wanted to submit them in solidarity. We are grateful for this Project.
Stereotypes are a result of laziness
Christal L,
Wayne State,
Detroit, MI
Instead of getting to know people, some find it easier to put people into boxes. Black = bad. White = good. Mexican = illegal, etc. It’s sad. Get to know people. Skin color gives a hint to who a persons ancestors could have been. It says nothing about the persons character.
Changing the path of my children!!
Tina Bradford,
Chino Hills, CA.
Being raised in a home where “White is Right,” I only had one thing I could do. So I went on my own path of development. Creating myself into the black sheep of the family. Why would I do such a thing? So my children could learn we do not judge on based on the color of their skin, their sexuality, their education, or the past. We judge people on their character. We embrace cultural differences and learn from each other. No, my children are not considered supreme beings by my family, because they are mixed. But in my house, I would not want them any other way. I do not want them to associate who they are as a race, but know they will grow into a productive adult that makes the world a better place for you and me. As said before, yes, I am happy I am the Black Sheep of my family!
Character is more important than race.
Richard Byrnes,
Sellersville, PA
Forget this race baiting. It is divisive. Live by MLK’s philosophy of judging people by their character, and not by the color of their skin. I am white, male, privileged, and absolutely not apologetic for any of it.
Judge by character, not by color.
Camarillo, CA.
When I was in middle school, I noticed that my classmates tended to form “cliques” with people of the same ethnicity. However, I preferred to learn about the values and traditions of other cultures. Speaking to people of different backgrounds continues to allow me to stay open-minded and gain new perspectives.
The consequences of hegemony are blinding.
Alba Isabel Lamar,
China.
The idea of beauty has, for many years, been defined by western ideology and western media. Women of color are both fetishized and rejected but seldom has my experience been that those in power look to judge us based on the content of our character.
Dark skin woman; I love me
Sylvia,
Memphis, TN.
Thank you for this outlet. Letting people share their experiences, personal opinion & self worth, and/or reflecting on others in a limited character count gets to a very real place
We must overcome deeply rooted racism.
Amanda Adams,
MA.
People don’t realize how deeply ingrained racism is in our country and in the whole world. We can’t ignore such a painful and divisive issue- instead, we must work to overcome people’s hate and ignorance so that we can truly start to judge people only by their character.
Character content matters not skin color
Mitch Jenkins,
New York, NY.
One ideology is consumed with, obsessed with, and fixated on race yet calls the opposing ideology racist.
In Rwanda they were all black.
Jan Ramer,
Indianapolis, IN.
I lived in Rwanda for 2.5 years, and got a small taste of what it is like to be in the racial minority. The larger lesson for me was that we humans can define “other” in many ways, not simply the color of our skin, and even more importantly, we CAN recover from horrible hate inspired tragedy through forgiveness and unbelievable strength of character.
Race Doesn’t Exist, We Create It
Jenna DeBell,
LONGWOOD, FL.
Race doesn’t exist, we create it.
The concept of race has always baffled me. Judging a person’s character, intelligence and abilities merely by the color of their skin does not correlate in anyway. In fact, it seems ridiculous. Race is referred to as “groups of people who have differences and similarities in biological traits deemed by society to be socially significant, meaning that people treat other people differently because of them.” The phrase that resonates with me the most from this definition is “deemed by society.” Race, and all of the problems and tragedies that this word brings with it was all created by humans. It really is just a social construct, and without it, the world would truly be a much more harmonious place. However, after thinking about societal patterns, race as a social construct doesn’t seem so out of the ordinary. Think about it- human beings have always felt it necessary to pick sides or to establish groups. For example, when we go to school we quickly find our place in the social hierarchy by finding people like us where we “fit in”. We have chosen a side and didn’t even realize it. This pattern starts young and soon transforms into divisions in economic status, divisions in religion, divisions between the popular kids and the nerds, the jocks and the art students, the Knights and the Florida Gators. So many factors and predispositions are considered when looking at a person nowadays; the idea of judgment before even getting to know someone has become an almost standard way of life. It has become the norm to be on one side or the other. Breaking all boundaries, whether it be of race, religion, or political stance, and by realizing that we are all members of the human race- we all share a common skeleton, we all breathe in and out- is the only way we can come to terms with this unnecessary judgment. It is interesting to me that in times of tragedy, like the recent events in Las Vegas, people become colorblind and will even risk their own lives to save someone else, perhaps even a stranger. Why is this? Perhaps if we could figure this out things might begin to change. As said by my favorite band, “Under clothes, under skin underneath we’re all the same. For when you remove the tricky tricks, only skeleton bones remain.”
If we ignore it, it’ll leave.
Nick
Lakewood, CO
Personally, my experience with racism hasn’t been very bad, Growing up in this time period, my generation has come to accept the idea seeing someone for their character, instead of their appearance. In middle school, was called a couple names, but they weren’t necessarily directed towards my ethnicity, but towards my physical character. What I’m saying is that we as a race need, to completely ignore racism, and eventually see each other as equal.
Defined by my character, not race.
Kim Hollins,
Portland, OR.
It’s all about who you are and not what you look like in my book. A person’s character can greatly affect one’s perception of an individual as well as racial groups they may be a part of. What you say and do contributes to racial stereotypes and adversity way beyond the scope of just a third-party perspective. We should never forget where we’ve come from because it’s made you who you are today, and we should all use negative experiences as motivation for change which can bring true self-empowerment. Realizing we all have an impact on the world around us helps me break boundaries and barriers everyday. Live each day as if it were your last and ask yourself: What kind of impression do you want to leave behind when it’s all said and done?
Race equals color, not my character.
Whitney Bell,
Geismar, LA.
I am me, not my race
Dawn Taylor,
Alta Loma, CA.
I don’t want to be defined by the color of my skin and I don’t define others by the color of theirs. We are better defined by our character, how we behave when we think no one is watching. When in doubt, be loving and kind. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Treat others the way you want to be treated. CBU HIS311 Project.
My race makes me my own character.
Maleny Vega,
Moses Lake, WA.
