Shonda Kay Purvis, Green Cove Springs, FL. I have had to rebrand myself and change my name because “Shonda K. Purvis” (and her “BLACK” resume) doesn’t get job interviews, but SK Purvis (and “his” “WHITE” resume) does. (By the way, I am a Caucasian female. You thought I was black, didn’t you?)
No, I don’t like fried watermelon
Corey Qalker, Hastings, FL I am Corey walker and I feel like people get so many stereotypes and don’t know the real you and what you really are and who you really are. University of Tennessee, Knoxville Sociology 110
Anger stole my sense of joy
Charken, Mimai, FL When I was younger, I had anger issues which one day burnt me out for a few years. It wasn’t until recently when I started being closer to those who made me happy that I realized that anger could take away the happiness and joy in your life.
Different skin tones, same color blood.
A.R., FL
We are one race. Human race.
Joel DiMaggio Wein, Sunrise, FL As long as we allow compartmentalization and grading of physical differences within the human race, there will always remain a need for the self-appointed epidemic of bigotry starving minds and stunting humanity’s growth to greatness. We are humans who are descendants of humans. As the saying goes in American football, […]
White child calls black man Dad
Morgan Fort Lauderdale, FL My now three and a half year old brother named Kendall was born to two crack addicted parents. My grandmother now has full custody of him and is his Mother figure. My grandma goes a few times a week to the Walmart across the street to do her grocery shopping. Benny […]
Nobody knows I’m NOT the enemy!
Marlene Krantz, Miami, FL. I’m lily white with blonde hair. I have black children and black grandchildren. In 1980 I married an African American man and we had 2 daughters. I lost custody of my 10 year old son because of discrimination. I really feel sad about all this discrimination around the world.
I Shouldn’t Get Benefits For Whiteness
Emily Bertot, Clarksville, MD. I grew up in Florida in an extremely non-diverse, middle-class area. Moving up North was a big culture shock, but it forced me to realize how many different types of people there are. I was also made aware of my privilege.
Do Not Assume Who I am
Dillon Harris, Fort Lauderdale, FL People assume I am Hispanic and I am often treated with the same discrimination that actual Hispanics are. Nobody should have to go through discrimination or racism. It is uncalled for and rude. We need to all work together to put an end to discrimination.
FORCED here. BUILT America. NO Equality.
Ken Plummer, Fort Lauderdale, FL …Nothing but RACE
Listen when we say it’s real!
Celestial Holmes, Yulee, FL. It’s frustrating when whites are dismissive and argumentative about race issues and privilege in America.
We All Look The Same Inside
Eliyahu Hakohen, Englewood, FL. Being Hebrew is no picnic, everyone uses us for their scapegoat when needed. Jews have been blamed for all the madness including the black plague. Is that why we are the Chosen People ?
Not my fight, but our war
Sophia Hill, Sarasota, FL The troubles of the world seem to be closing in on us, but I have faith in my fellow man, and I believe that one day we will be proud of the fight we put up now.
Dad said: who was your n***** . . . yesterday?
Ben Ament, Ocala, FL Dad claimed to not be racist. Sadly, comments like this were not unusual for him. Perhaps worse, my siblings defended him.
We’ll stop traveling to Florida now.
Carolyn Anderson Allentown, PA Why would anyone want to visit any state having the “stand your ground” law?
What Are You Not Understanding Still
Shannon Muller, Plant City, FL Hillsborough Community College
Don’t make assumptions on my race.
Raquel, Tampa, FL Hillsborough Community College I’ve been called every race there is. Why not just ask me what I am?
Social hierarchy made for white people
Sarah Gilbert, Jacksonville, FL
I go out and line dance
Sehj Daley, Tampa, FL Hillsborough Community College
I will not do your homework
Alondra Maulsby, Brandon, FL I chose this because as an Asian woman, there is a stigma where we have to get straight A’s and everyone looks to us to do their work or to cheat off of. Growing up, everyone asked me to do their school work because they assumed that I would automatically say […]
Stuck between two races..fitting neither.
Margaret Hayes, Bartow, FL. I am mostly White on my mother’s side. Her family is all Southern. I do not look anything like them nor was I raised in the South so I don’t always think or act like they do. I am Native American on my father’s side. I definitely look much more like […]
100% White, 50% Hispanic.
J.P, Tampa, FL Growing up in a largely latin community of Florida, I’ve always struggled to fit in. My mother is of Spanish heritage with family coming from Spain as well as Cuba, however, my father is from eastern Europe, thus I have a non-spanish last name. This has troubled me forever because everyone looks […]
Sometimes I miss my old home.
Bethany, FL I just moved to the town where I am attending college and it hasn’t really become real to me yet that on the next break when I go home it won’t be to my childhood bedroom.
There’s no excuse for being racist
Megan Kean, Fort Myers, FL I have been accustomed to ignoring my grandparents when they state something ignorant. I’m told, “it was different back then, they’re too stubborn to change their minds”. Why should they get to say disgusting things to people who have done nothing but mind their business? It happens too often where […]
Underestimating my role in race relations
Karen Christine Hronek, Spring Hill, FL As a 73 year old white woman who grew up on Chicago’s South Side, I was oblivious to the racial injustice in my midst. As my experiences grew, however, so did my awareness. With the murder of George Floyd, my awareness exploded! My husband and I are ready to […]
I thought they would go back
Marilyn Blotcher Mitchell, Tallahassee, FL Grew up in Miami; Cuban refugees started coming when I was in elementary school. Bumper stickers said “Will the last American leaving Miami please bring the flag”. Now I wish I had learned to speak Spanish.
All have same needs, desires, fears.
Chris Todd, Big Pine Key, FL. As a nurse, working with black nurses, I realized there was a bigger gulf with regards to socioeconomic class than with race. My coworkers, regardless of race, wanted their kids to go to college, not get pregnant out of wedlock, not get in trouble with the law. But my […]
This guy named Ish can Fish
Noah Clayton, Lakeland, FL. In the past year I have started be become really fond with Bass fishing. I caught my first Bass towards the end of 2012 and ever since then I have become “hooked”. As I was watching videos on YouTube and doing a little research on techniques and places to fish I […]
Ask questions. Listen. Perception is Reality.
Josh McCumber, Palm Beach Gardens, FL Truly listening. Asking good questions. Showing understanding and empathy. Not everyone’s perception is the same.
Privilege, Stereotype’s, Socialism, Classism, Acceptability, Strife
Marvin Lucas, Deerfield Beach, FL From My experiences, perspectives, objectives, hopes, and dreams. There’s a variation with each individual, groups, and cultures. And yet My objective is to reach a pinnacle of being human which transcends beyond race. However, realistically on a society as a whole that’s almost virtually impossible because every individual come with […]
Future Doctor. Double Standard Of Excellence!
D’Lauren Oxidine, Delray Beach, FL. As a future doctor of education, one would assume that success would be highly attainable. However, because of my age, gender and race my level of success is different from my older male and female counterparts of different races. Knowing this means treating my entire doctoral experience as an unofficial […]
I Am Not An Illegal Immagrant
Kennysha Ransom, Miami, FL
All genitals matter, circumcised or uncircumsized.
Kaitlin Hahn, Miami, FL
What you reap today will bear fruit tomorrow
Adan Reyna, Miami Gardens, FL
Im not a dream chase. Im a goal Hunter.
Adan Reyna, Miami Gardens, FL Hi, my name is Adan Reyna, I’m a Latin guy who is on the hunter of his dreams. I come from Panama to study aeronautical sciences. I’m taking my major at Florida memorial university; because for me, they have one of the most complete programs in aviation are.
Race is not a race
Vero Korbenfeld, Miami, FL More often than not, minorities are running a race against each other, to see who wins the “most tragic history” ribbon. Who is more deserving of equality. In some way or another, most of us come from a history of wars, holocaust, slavery, escape, discrimination, abuse, you name it… It is […]
Things I’m sick of PoC saying
Yuki, Ft. Myers, FL. Hear me out here. I am so sick of people talking bad about me being white, like oh I’m sorry Jaiana that I was born with hardly melanin just burn me at the stake and call me a KKK member, but that’s totally fine right? Black people cant be racist! Okay […]
¡De aquí Y de allá también!
Joan M. Godoy, Miami, FL When I’m there, my intonation is too sophisticated. When I’m here, my accent is not good enough. Same happens with the way I eat, I dance, I think, I move, I am. Nor from here nor there? I choose to believe I’m beautifully rare and both from here AND there.
So, are you Mexican or Spanish?
Sofia Guerrero, Orlando, FL Everyone always assumes I’m Mexican or, because of my fairer complexion, Spanish. Often, they don’t even know where Puerto Rico is…
My skin color doesn’t define me
Jayla Whiters, Miami, FL
We’re ONE; Perception is everything.
Miranda Childe, Miami, FL I’m a 68-year-old native New Yorker transplanted to Florida after my divorce made it emotionally and financially difficult to stay in my beloved home town. My parents were retiring to Hallandale, and as an only child with no children I was now free to come and be there for them. We […]
We have so much in common.
Flo, Miami, FL
R A C E! Four letters that define us.
Julie, Miami, FL I wasn’t tuned into racial differences growing up as my community was fairly homogeneous. It wasn’t until I began to travel at the age of 20 (and eventually married someone of a different race) that my eyes were opened to just how much impact ‘race’ plays in our everyday existence.
I want to help change things.
Kathy Holmes, Riverview, FL At 60, I am embarrassed to say…I was woefully uneducated about systemic racism. Doing my best to learn and trying to do my part by teaching at a community college. I encourage my students to find their voices. And use it.
How people judge you, or not
Valerie Howell, Miami, FL
Anglo who’s unlearned “race”
John Ise, Miami, FL Something that I wrote for the Biscayne Times newspaper. It’s worth considering that perhaps the best antidote to racism to acknowledge that “race”, at its core, isn’t real. Racism indeed is real, but race is a man-made fiction. It’s further worth considering if we can transcend race while being hyper-conscious about […]
My Name Was a White Girl
Brooke Cobbin Jacksonville, FL For years, I have been pleasantly surprising people because when they read my name Brooke (Morgan) Cobbin they expect to see a white girl. When they read my essays, my emails…they think I am white. It’s funny to me because of how names are trendy. How many Madisons do you know […]
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 […]
THE WALL, BLACK, AN HONORABLE COLOR.
David DeChant, Marine Vietnam Veteran Key West, FL Michele,Greetings again. I am a member of the core group of Vietnam Veterans who built The Wall ~ National Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C.; and was at the meeting in Senator Warner’s office when General George Price, US Army Retired, ended the color controversy about “black” granite […]
She’s not my maid, I’m hers
Mara Floyd Fort Myers, FL Doris* and my mother have been best friends for over 40 years. Both teachers with their masters’ degrees, the two women from neighboring cities met at an educational conference. They were as different as could be. One was married, one was divorced. One owned a house, the other lived in […]
Only black culture holds blacks back.
David O’Neil Greenacres, FL Great project long overdue
If you’re Dominican, then you’re Haitian!
Jessica Carmona, Fort Lauderdale, FL. People always insist on the fact that because I am from the Dominican Republic I’m Haitian. No. I don’t think this is so because I don’t follow any of the Haitian customs and I’ve never even been there. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with being Haitian it’s just that […]
White, not privileged, achieved through perseverance.
Tracy Sherwood, Sarasota, FL
Race is important, Love is Necessary
Delaina Peek, Sarasota, FL. One’s culture and Race is important and defining, but Love overcomes all and we all are the voices of Love
Not you, you’re from the Caribbean
Johanne Rahaman, Miami, FL. I am half black, half Indian, from the Trinidad, with an obvious Caribbean accent, and while I enjoy adding my bit to the diversity of America, it’s also a curse, because I have often in the past heard people make derogatory comments about African-Americans in my presence. They have referred to […]
I will always just be Human!
Matthew Workman, Oviedo, FL. We are all human beings. I’m not saying to throw away what race you are but to open your mind to a greater picture. We come into this world the same way and will leave the same way.
Gay and black is truly me.
Matthew English, Lakeland, FL. Michele was at my college today for convocation. Her words spoke the truth. I will always listen.
You don’t belong, but same birthplace
Sebastian Portillo, Fort Myers, FL These 6 words are just a personal meeting to interactions I’ve had in the past with people against my race. I am of hispanic parents/ An older male told me once I did not belong in the country, and he was from Florida. What seemed funny to me was that […]
White female born in America. Blessed.
Joni Arredia, Key Largo, FL
The invisible Arab until 9/12.
Jennie Clement Riverview, FL Thank you for doing this project. I noticed how my university applications changed in the wake of 9/11; how there was all of a sudden a magical radio button for being Arab. I had previously been invisible; moderately enjoying white privilege until 9/11. I was no longer “white”; which was a […]
Are you black or Jamaican? WHAAAT??!!
Keva, Coconut Creek, FL I have been asked this question innumerable times, is there a reason I can’t be both, or why I am not considered to be both?
Checking OTHER is so liberating and fun
Maggie Martinez, WEST PALM BEACH, FL. When I get the chance to check “other ” on any form it makes me feel as if I am tearing down another little wall and letting the form creators know that I will not be put in a box. Race is fake and constructed to keep people of […]
Greek, German, American, Indian! #racial salad
Hunter Jaymz Harris, Lakeland, FL. I’m mixed with a bunch of things. Yet it’s best never to forget the people and places you come from.
Why we hafta be “Afro” Anything?
Walter T. Pearson, Jacksonville, FL. I’m a black man, of many various ethnicities, Fifth American generation, from a family of military veterans,including my children who are currently serving in the Afghanistan region wars. I have no relatives from Africa (that I know of),so I wonder WHY must anyone that is not white, have to be […]
The Truth Spoken Behind Closed Doors
Anonymous, Miami, FL. Though I was born and Raised in a suburb a few miles south of Miami, Florida. My mom and dad are from Ethiopia and Sudan respectively. As a child, I’d say about 99% of the community were “white”. During middle and high school it shifted to about 49% “white”, 49% Hispanic and […]
Thirdculture and don’t understand white culture!
Kit Robison, Doral, FL. I am most comfortable when the primary language is other than English. People assume I understand when they hear a lack of accent and see my skin but no your cultural logic did not compute in my head.
There is but ONE Race, HUMAN!
Jim Roaix, Lake Worth Beach, FL I was born in northern Maine, so far out in the woods that it took two days for tomorrow to get there, and we scheduled Summer for July 7th from 2 to 4 in the afternoon. I was exposed to all races at a very young age and always […]
It’s all about who has power!
Kenneth L. Selmore, St. Augustine, FL. As long as AA’s misuse our economic power in America we will get no respect and our children will continue to die.
“Othering speaks against diversity” — rinse, repeat.
Anonymous, Coconut Creek, FL. Never heard of the term “othering”, until the PBS special. If nothing else, it’s a great example of creating language where we can speak to each other, however small.
Race is a confusing subject man
Anonymous, Orlando, FL p>Disclaimer the person in the photo is not I but someone who looks like me. My ancestry is Berber Kabyle (North African), Turk (Eurasian aka European and west Asian) and French( Western European). I look mediterranean light olive skin, brown wavy hair, big brown almond eyes, thick eyebrows, long lashes, long head, […]
Appearing differently, yet actually the same
Dawn Clearwater, fl We are all healing these wounds- exposing it the air is the best way to heal.
“You don’t look Jamaican or Cuban”
Michael A. Caldas, Miami, FL I’m a Cuban and Jamaican descent mix. Most people when they look at me think that I am either Cape Verdean, Polynesian, or Middle Eastern. When I was at Tuskegee, on the road there, we stopped at gas station to make a rest-stop and when one of the older white […]
Now 82, lynching, at 3
Florence L. Tate Sarasota, FL When I was three years old I sat with my grandparents around the fireplace and listened to my father reading the Chicago defender about the details of my cousin’s lynching .
They need to learn English today!!
Willie Hines, Gainsville, FL That’s what some say about people from other counties and it’s how they say it.
But, you don’t look Jewish
Rose Brown, Fort Myers, FL I don’t typically tell people that I’m Jewish. In elementary school, I was the only Jew and as such I was solely responsible for singing Jewish songs during the holidays and explaining our traditions. It continued in middle school, with everyone turning around to look at me during our week […]
I Listen Because I Must Learn
Gabby, Fort Myers, FL
Latino, unlearning conditioning, better listener now.
Pedro Bermudez Miami, FL
Unlearning racism is hard.
Patrick, FL I grew up to racist parents in a particularly a diverse area. You can imagine the views I developed. Over time I have unlearned what was fed to me. I still hold a few cultural prejudices that I cannot work around as they really do go against my values. But I’m proud to […]
Overtown born rapper and football player.
George Young, Miami, FL
I am not the enemy
Melvin Morgan, Jacksonville, FL
Mom, why do they hate us?
Theresa Salomon, Parkland, FL. A few months ago, as my 7 year old son was about to seat next to a class mate, he was told that Blacks should stay on the other side. That sentence changed our lives. My son and I had many conversations about racisms, and throughout I was able to redirect, […]
Neither shaken nor stirred but mixed
Malorie Hill, Miami, FL.
We seek “evidence” affirming our beliefs.
Tony DellaCrosse, Jacksonville, FL.
You do not look white
Evan Arce, Orlando, FL My father was ginger with blue/green eyes. My mother was milk-white with black hair. My kids have brown and dirty blonde hair. DNA tests say I best match people of Italian and southern Greek descent. Some people seem to think otherwise? They always have since I was a kid. I think […]
But, sometimes I have racist thoughts.
Dale F. Klco, Hobe Sound, FL I don’t try to be or even want to be a racist. But, sometimes (much more often than you might think) those thoughts just “happen”. It’s like a reaction instead of something thoughtful.
I just want to be respected
Simone Bouyer, Riverview, FL I don’t want to be followed around the store while shopping. I don’t want to be pulled out of line at the airport. I don’t want to pay more for my house or any other purchase. I don’t want to be eyed with suspicion. I am a professional. I work hard. […]
In a way, we’re all stereotypes.
Alex, St. Petersburg, FL To look at me I fit an archetype of an overweight, white male. I feel like I’m so much more than that, but to onlookers, that’s all they see.
Being white doesn’t make me rich.
Derek Haines, Fort Walton Beach, FL.
Enter the Diner, all forks dropped
Kevin Heaven, Sunny Isles Beach, FL. Too many times I find myself as the only minority or Black person at a particular location, I get hungry too, but when I […]
I don’t always wear a suit!
Rob West, Lakeland, FL I am a leader in the industry & in the community and I am well respected. Most days, I wear a suit to work, but I wear a hoodie when I run and gym shorts when I go shopping. I should not have to worry about being followed, have the police […]
May God have mercy on us
Phil Nolan, St. Petersburg, FL I can’t help it. I know it’s viewed as stereotypical but when I’m around Muslims I am defensive, wary, I take seriously Muslims shouting “death to American, Islam will bury you and behead those who deny Allah.” It’s the same with black people. Their lack of impulse control and history […]
No white Barbies for this one.
Samantha Williams, Pensacola, FL. My father is black and my mother is Filippino. I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where the majority of my mother’s family lives, I was not as well acquainted with my father’s side of the family. My father stated that they weren’t going to make the same “mistakes” with […]
I am a product of tracking.
Hank Van Putten Jr, Casselberry, FL. Experience is a hard teacher. The exam comes first, then the lesson follows. – Vernon Jordan
Can’t always have what you want
Dilan Edward Kirkland, Apopka, FL I used to care, but after all the rioting, looting, raping, and killing, I honestly couldn’t care less about racism or social injustice any more than I do right now. my daddy always said you can’t always have what you want. Just a part of life. Only a degenerate doesn’t […]
Trust me, I’m not a stereotype.
Jazmine McKinney, Winter Garden, FL. Yes, I am black. No I am not angry. I actually smile all the time, and I get odd looks because of it. I guess I don’t act like people think black girls should act? Yes, I love Disney. I honestly don’t like rap music all that much. I love […]
I am interested in your heritage
Sarah Prieto, Miami, FL p>I was born in Miami and raised by Cuban refugees, exiles among many people just like me. I never felt completely anything, American or Cuban. When I ask people where they’re from, it is because I want to understand their immigrant, child or grandchild of the immigrant story. Our families’ traditions […]
Don’t call White men “White Boys”
Dave Perry, Tampa, FL. This is a derogatory term which belittles and demeans grown white men. I’ve heard this racial slur repeated far too often without impunity.
I was here first. Let’s share!
Alaska, PCB, FL I am Native American 100 percent! Whites stole this land, but I don’t care! We are all equal! Let’s all share this country!
Skin shading is a filtering, social grading
Patti, Panama City, FL Excellent approach to drive discussions and fresh solutions. The brevity of 6 words creates focus within versus parrot talk
DATING AS A “BLACK” MAN…
NR Jr., Tampa, FL. So as a paid volunteer in the US Armed Forces who has traveled extensively across the world. America has a “big” color issue. I spent 6 years living abroad and coming “home” is the worst thing ever… Let me give you the reader a take into my thus short life of […]
I see much. I feel everything.
Jeanie Mitchell, Atlantic Beach, FL. I’m a taxi driver. I’ve been accused of being too liberal to be a cab driver. I see so much, every day. I transport a lot of people and I hear so many stories. I fear being a white woman, carrying a white man, in this industry, more than I […]
Alert! Very Dark woman traveling alone.
Tess, Melbourne, FL. Recently I have had to face the fact that my very dark skin is indeed the first thing most people notice about me. The fact that I’m short/tall, healthy/not healthy, sad/happy, age and what not seem to follow way after my dark skin has introduced me to the world. I love to […]
Why do you do these things?
John L., Orlando, FL Just because I’m of this race and you’re of that race do you assume my actions are driven by this difference between us? I tell you no, and you think, “It must be because I’m ______ that this ______ person is doing this. He is ______ racist scum. I will tell […]
Honduras, rich culture and great potential
Diego A Rivera, Miami Gardens, FL Honduras is a beautiful country in Central America that is going through a rough patch but has so much to offer, a very rich culture and a lot of potential.
I am a mutt and proud.
Kyria Rezner, Cocoa, FL I was raised in a diverse family believing everyone is equal. When I entered the real world, it disgusted me. I was saddened over the way people learned to label themselves. “I’m Italian.” “I am German.” “My family is Irish.” The one that effected me most however was one that would […]
Finding my voice without silencing yours
Jake Moorehead, Jacksonville, FL Sometimes I feel like as a white man, it isn’t my place to speak. And I understand where that comes from. It doesn’t anger me, but sometimes it frustrates me because I do want to be an ally to people of color. I believe that judging people preemptively based on their […]
I’m not just a Black Man
Jared Blocker, Gainesville, FL. My name is Jared. And this is my attempt at trying to post a race card. I was born and raised in the US, yet I don’t see myself as just black, I also see myself as an African-American. Whenever I hear the term “black” I think of my brothers and […]
No real difference… know real difference
John Everett, Miami, FL. same difference~ it should be more about who i am than what i am, agree? see, i could survive being you but could you exist being me? i’m hated and shunned just for my skins’ hue no matter what i say it doesn’t matter what i do but you lie in […]
Fake – Race : Real- Culture, Love, Hope
Brianna Nikole Palenzuela, Sebring, FL Race is a social construct created by society. Genetically there is only one human race. But you know what is real? That wasn’t just created to point out differences? Culture – The traditions and values that you grew up with and that grows with you as you age and have […]
Living on the intersections of Afro-Latinidad
Shantelle Willock, Miami, FL
Bass Pro Shops and Guava Pastries
Victoria, Fort Myers, FL I’m half Cuban and half hillbilly American. I think the six words I chose to encapsulate my cultural identity well.
Used, abused; accused, bruised; refused, confused.
Rebecca Crea, Coral Springs, FL. We can’t change what we won’t acknowledge.
No, I am not the nanny.
Liliane Dizon, Tampa, FL. Each time I have been pregnant, people (mostly white women) have said the rudest things to me. Most recently, as my daughters were standing next to me, a woman said “You must be excited to finally have one of your own!” I asked her to clarify what she meant. She pointed […]
Pale skinned but black don’t fit.
Zanetea Reece, Fort Myers, FL. I am a bright skinned young woman, grew up in Southwest FL. We we’re not tought about our history in school. But racisim is and was learned at home. Because of that I grew up and still am a loner. No one wanted to be friend me because I didn’t […]
On money and color I thrive.
Ky Hopson-Fernandes, Tampa, FL
Computer Science CEO, you own this?
Desh Bagley, Tampa, FL. Yes. I am the owner of the science and technology center that offers Java, C++, Arduino, Robotics, and Engineering workshops for students. Yes. I do wish that more girls took classes here. No. The young guys who take classes aren’t surprised by me. Yes. It’s their parents who often ask to […]
Ashamed to be a White American
Maria, Lakeland, FL. I’m Italian, so have to identify as white. Do I stand with ‘Christian white America’? No. Race, orientation, even hair color are not things I judge people on. “Love your neighbor as yourself”, period. No If’s And’s or But’s about it.
But you’re not Italian… are you?
Leah Sherman, Tallahassee, FL My partner’s father asked me this question the first time he met me after discovering that my doctoral study focuses on Italian studies. I am a brunette with brown eyes and my partner’s family is fair with blue eyes. I should also mention this was not only the first time I […]
Don’t be prejudiced, open your mind.
Yamile Escobar, Cape Coral, FL Be prejudiced can lead you to make decisions that you can regret later on. Just, love, learn and give without exemptions.
Parents gave me Confederate flag: protection
Steve Morris, Seattle, WA. In the mid-1950s my father made a business trip from our home in Connecticut to Florida and back. He decided to make the trip by car, and to take my mother, my brother, and me along with him for a family travel experience. In the Deep South I witnessed undisguised segregation […]
I like rice; one-eighth Chinese
Marlene Resnick Sarasota, FL My Uncle Eddie was my favorite uncle. He took me to every carnival, fair and circus in town. He was Irish, my only non-Jewish relative and he was my hero. Aside from the ethnic confusion he created, he was the kind of mentor, supporter and playful companion that I wish for […]
Not invisible. Give me eye contact.
Crystal Jasey Jacksonville, FL
Confronting my whiteness is a journey.
Sheila Veatch, Saint Augustine, FL
What is the real difference here?
Harold Laski, Jacksonville, FL
A voice is a powerful weapon.
Paige Sharrow, FL.
White high school, black prom date
Charlotte Kendall, Orlando, FL. This was in New York in 1967. The sh** hit the fan at school! Family and church were there for me. I couldn’t believe the racism, from students and teachers. We learned a lot.
I’M African American. Am I African-American?
Dahomey Abanishe, Secrest, FL. As a child in Kansas, I always assumed I was African-American and not because of what I was culturally but because of how I looked. I am Truly a Nigerian American culturally. My father is Nigerian and I was raised eating pepper stew and listening to Fela. No one fried chicken […]
I’m seventy two, and race tired!
Celeste Havis, Jacksonville, FL. Science and religion alike informs us that the concept of race is an illusion. Why do we continue to hang on to this antiquated concept when it only serves to divide us? I have dedicated my life to building positive human relations and now it appears to me that we are […]
I get called Mexican a lot.
Alex Weitz, Lakeland, FL. It is because I play soccer (that’s also six words)
Look in the EYE, smile, say HI!
Deborah Williams Clearwater, FL Fear affects all of us. Bad people are out there but it’s not based on skin color. When you walk by, take a moment to look that fear in the eye. Smile and say HI! You will see that 99.9% of the time your fear was unfounded.
Daddy invited negro family to dinner.
Karen Munroe, Alachua, FL. 1962 Ohio.
Huh?! I thought you’d be white.
Leslie Cole, Lake Worth, FL.
Mistaken for Mexican at Arizona protest
Claudia Vero Beach, FL Scary but enlightening’s
Cafe con leche; side of bagel
Raquel Diaz, Miami, FL. I’ve used this protocol in workshops before and it was quite reflective to see that I identify with being Cuban (cafe con leche) American (side of bagel). I am proud of my Cuban parents leaving behind everything to give us a better future in America. I love being Cuban American!!!
My color does not define me.
Amaka Amanambu, Davie, FL. Love is what we should speak, act and show. Doesn’t ask where is my footprint.
Spanish ain’t the same as Latino
Daniela Miami, FL And yes, it is possible for me not to like baseball and be Latina at the same time!
I’m not apologizing for being white
Debi Gerbert, Ponte Vedra beach, FL. Love the project
I was not raised with predudice
Anita Cohen, Boca Raton, FL. I did not even know about prejudice until Martin Luther King was killed and I was in my best friend apt baking cookies. Her mother wailed and when I left I was surrounded by people who wanted to hurt me. Her mom took me home. I never hated anyone for […]
Just found out I’m a Jew
Larry, Orlando, FL. In closing up my elderly parents’ home, I was given some family news I did not expect from a relative I haven’t kept up with. It seems she did genealogical research and found out my grandmother’s family was deported in 1912 because they were Jewish. They came to America again a few […]
I like a mix of people.
Maureen McConnell, Inverness, FL. Since I taught in Boston public schools 30 years ago, my view of the racial landscape has forever changed. Since then, when I see an all white event or audience my subconscious asks “Where is everybody?” I like a mix of people best. That feels most comfortable.
Reject romance because of my name
Alexander Zielinski Tampa, FL
My ethnicity isn’t based off stereotypes
Alexia, Deltona, FL. My heritage, culture, ethnicity etc. does not pertain to the stereotypes that spill from the mouth of a privileged man. For I am man as well, I am not a “lazy immigrant, job stealer, mutant to society”. Pay your taxes then we can maturely discuss how reality works.
Each born with respect, then taken
Ben Davis, Saint Augustine, FL. Each person on Earth should have our respect, unless lost for good reason.
Those were rules for uncivilized times
Bobby Flam, Miami, FL Owner of Jumbo’s, the first restaurant in Miami to integrate. READ MORE on Bobby Flam and Jumbo’s: Miami Diner, Pioneer in City’s Race Relations, Serves Last Cup Jumbo’s Restaurant Closing Its Doors By FRANCES ROBLES JULY 22, 2014 MIAMI — While the line of white customers used to snake out […]
You called me “white devil slavemaster”
Joe Schechter, FL. This happened when I was in high school. It was not the only incident of its kind. It was especially galling when you consider that members of my family died in the Shoah (Holocaust). I am not white enough for some people, & far too white for others.
Is the scrutinizing of ideas racist?
Joey Klein, Lakeland, FL. Why is it that if one disagrees with the claims of a feminist, or an SJW, that the one disagreeing is sexist, or racist? The claim that women make less money than men in the US because of systemic patriarchy can be used as an example. I’m not entirely bought into […]
Smile and the world frowns back
Elizabeth Thompson, Gulf Breeze, FL. I cannot claim to know how it feels to be black. I cannot claim to know. Unless you are black, neither can you claim to know. Because we non-blacks do not know. If you can imagine though, and wonder what it would be like, to walk with the burden of […]
Slight hesitation, then an extended hand.
Jessica Ruth Robkin Port St. Lucie, FL I have faced discrimination my entire life, though the moment that brought about the above sentence occurred outside of my mother’s hospital room, while she lay dying from pancreatic cancer at the age of 57. My father and I happened to meet someone who had known my mother […]
“They” should all be like you.
Shelagh Mullings, Coral Springs, FL A white supervisor said this to me in 1965 when I was the lone “Negro” working in a white collar job for a large international corporation in San Francisco. I am a naturalized American with light skin (yellow) who was born in Jamaica, BWI. I was well-spoken, quiet (shy), and, […]
“But you’re not ‘really’ black, right?”
Danielle Petterson, Tampa, FL. I have light brown skin and I consider myself to be mixed. Most people have a simple-minded belief that “mixed” means that one parent is black while the other is white. To me, it runs so much deeper than that. I have 4 grandparents from 4 different countries: Puerto Rico, Curaçao, […]
America Bigger, delete the word N*****!
Nelson Morgan, Miramar, FL. My hue is from God. My pain is from man.
Labeled a terrorist due to ignorance
Alexander J. Nesmachnov Lakeland, FL The bombers of the Boston marathon were first mistaken as Russian. Many still believe they are, and me (being Russian) have been labeled socially dangerous by certain individuals
“Race” is Fiction, But “Racism” is Real
Walter Harris Gavin, Sarasota, FL. Walter Harris Gavin is the author of The Autobiography of Obsidian Dumar, a novel of identity and creator and producer of Race Across America: Inconvenient Truths, Uncomfortable Conversations a web series if visual essays.
We are all the same: PEOPLE!
Adam Stefanik, Orlando, FL.
A study of ethnicity in sisters
Miriam Lennmark Tampa, FL If you want to really look at how race affects us, look at sisters. Sisters with the same biological parents, same home, same everything…except the color of their skin, hair, and eyes. Our lives are so different. She looks Caucasian…I look…well, brown. Most people will tell me I look Latin, but […]
Can we all forgive and forget?
Brent Pappas, Cooper City, FL. Normally, I feel it is prudent to forgive others when they wrong us, and to remember their previous actions in order to predict how they will act next and best prepare for it. Increasingly however, I have begun to feel that perhaps it would be for the best if everyone […]
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 […]
Race doesn’t tell the whole story
Sara Branly, Jacksonville, FL. Although i’m white, i have an incredibly diverse family’ culturally, ethnically, racially, religiously, etc.; you can’t tell anything about a person by the color of their skin.
Oh, so you speak Russian, right?
Sonja Racquel Bradley, Flagler Beach, FL. When I was a child, I confess that I hated my name. Of all the ‘s’ names my parents could have picked, why this one? Why not Sabrina, or Sasha? At the very least, they could have utilized the “normal, American” way of spelling it: Sonia or Sonya. But […]
“Puro Mestizo”: Each, either. Both. Neither.
Gil L. Pettigrew, MS Miami, FL I am a university science instructor, science educator, naturalist, scientist & author based in culturally diverse South Florida who is not only proud but smug about my my multitribal, multiethnic (Creek-CherokeeXCeltic-AfricanAmerican-Latin-French) Indigenous American heritage.
Race is race. It shouldn’t hurt!
Jesila Desir, Bradenton, FL. Why should what we look like and what we come from make a difference in how we live and how people are treated?
I want to understand, let me.
Marc Strickland, Niceville, FL. I am a 63-year-old college-educated white Republican.
No longer separate but still unequal
Michael Samuels, Saint Johns, FL.
Trump may be our best friend
Tom Tito, St. Petersburg, FL. Maybe. We will know how good or bad the Trump administration is in a few months. By “We” I mean low wage families trapped in crime infested inner cities with failing schools. Trump has talked about us, will he do anything? I was shocked by the racism in the Republican […]
But she’s black….And your white?”
Sarah Taylor, Casselberry, FL.
I am not defined by Race!
Daaiyah Ellison, Lakeland, FL.
I am not defined by Race!
Daaiyah Ellison, Lakeland, FL.
“I’m not just my skin color”
Toni Henry, Sanford, FL.
Through honesty, we can all grow.
Celest, Lakeland, FL. Southeastern University, Understanding Human Diversity Class. For everyone living in today’s society; we can all grow if we are honest with our choices, words, & actions. Honesty; that time when my a group of my white friends and I changed the letters on a church sign to say, “church of the nig,” […]
I’m white, but I’m not racist.
Ashley Seidl, Lakeland, FL.
We’re all created equal but different
Ethan Lowell, Lakeland, FL.
I am black. I am Haitian.
Esterline Ducarmel, Orlando, FL.
Asian Americans are sterotyped beyond belief
Rohan Nakka, Lakeland, FL.
Why is my life worth more?
Jasmine Balsalobre, Oviedo, FL. My appearance does not determine my morals, my passions, my hobbies, my opinions, or my relationships, so how can it determine my value as a person? Why do I get to feel safe when I see a police officer while others, similar to me in all but skin color, fear for […]
No, sorry, you ARE a racist
Nicole Valenzi, New Smyrna Beach, FL. My experience with race only started really when I entered public school. Until then, I can count on one hand the number of non-white people I interacted with. My mother told me part of the reason she took us out of our sheltered private school was because I pointed […]
Half Black, Half Hispanic, All Me.
Juan Oquendo, Lakeland, FL.
Not all Asians are extremely smart.
Cora Keahl, Lakeland, FL. My mother has always held high expectations of me when it comes to grades and knowledge, I’ve always been really good when it comes to testing and keeping my grades up. And when I told people that I was Asian (Filipino), they would make remarks like, “that’s why you’re so smart” […]
I’m outspoken, now I’m a threat!
Izarya Nathan, Miami, FL. Whenever I speak out against wrongs being done I immediately become ostracized and veiwed as a threat to status quo.
Brain, muscle, and heart; not skin.
Krishna DeCarish, FL.
Drop the racism, drop the past
Donnaven Kroenert, Jacksonville, FL. The Civil War is still being fought in the South, whites are being thrown under the bus everyday, people won’t drop the past, and keep bringing up a subject that just causes more problems.
American American American no prefix American
Travis Rems, Venice, FL. Never considered myself a racist….but as I get older, I wonder…or is the world just changing?
CubanAmerican Gringi is not acceptable nickname.
Pamela Torres, West Palm Beach, FL. CubanAmerican daughter often teased for being light skin. It hurts.
Don’t assume I’m racist like you.
Nicole Moriarty, Tallahassee, FL. I’m white and I’ve been living in the south for about 5 years and this crazy thing continually happens to me: white people see the color of my skin and assume, wrongly, that I harbor the same ignorance and racism that they do. Don’t get me wrong, I’m aware of my […]
ONLY ONE FATHER, ONLY ONE FAMILY
Bonnie Howard Fort Pierce, FL
Female. Hispanic. Ph.D. Why so surprised?
Luisa M Havens Miami, FL
Fear/courage, Intimation/achievers, Beaten/winning
Yvonne Ovachi Bennett, Leesburg, FL. For every wrong there’s a right. Everything has a perfect opposite…. Hate/Love, Die/Live, Loss/Gain, No one/Everyone!!!!
Being black is exhausting task in America
Bryan Estime, West Palm, FL.
Este hombre es un negro blanco!
Isaias Ortiz Davenport, FL Este hombre es un negro blanco! This man is a white black. The first time I heard that phrase was circa 1980, a family member said while referring to one of his friends, while they were singing and playing their guitars together. I was 20 years old by then, growing up […]
Not African. Not American. Not Haitian.
Ahpaly Coradin, Pembroke Pines, FL. It is easy to forget that discrimination, ostracism and prejudice are not the exclusive currency of the white race. As much as I have been discriminated against by whites in America and abroad, I have suffered similarly from my own kind, in all my lands of origin.
You’re a pretty smart black guy!
Tac Mohamed, Miami, FL. I’ve heard it from friends, co-workers and many in between. Other variations include: You’re pretty smart for a black man. Is that a compliment?
Irish and Italian need not apply.
Paul Amellin Fern Park, FL
Irish slavery. Where are the documents?
Howard Bonds, Miami, FL. I hear many people talk about Irish slavery in the Americas. Yet, I can find no documents. No ship names. No bills of sale. No ledgers, tariffs or transactions of any type. Europeans kept very detailed documents of their shipping even way back then. So far only african slave ships are […]
My heritage is Irish, not white.
S. Aleana, Ocala, FL. I did not come from a privileged white family. My family line on all sides traces back to the early 1900’s. They were poor Irish immigrants. I have been told I do not understand how minorities feel because I am white and privileged. I have never been handed anything in life, […]
Name’s not white enough/too white
Harmony, Titusville, FL. Having been born in the 70’s, my parents gave me a pretty groovy name. I love my name! But people make a lot of assumptions about me because of it. Mostly they assume I’m going to end up being either “Overly black” or “Overly white” because of it. I’ve had people conducting […]
My race does not define me
Kristin Koby, Palm Bay, FL. I was put up for adoption before I was even born. A loving white family of 7 took me in and treated me, a mixed race infant, as their own. They soon after adopted a black child so that I could have a sibling my age to grow up with […]
White Privilege, Enjoy it, Earned it!
Douglas Wayne Thomas, Kissamee, Fl. I am not apologizing for something I have no control over. Every major contribution to mankind was done by people of my race, Society owes White people a debt of gratitude not scorn.
All else should truly be equal
Bernard Victor, Sunrise, FL. Being smart and intelligent can be the best thing for communities and society but it can also be the most dangerous thing. Please, make good
I’m ashamed to react racistly underneath.
Cheryl Bryant, Lake Mary, FL.
Marble faced ghost appears, Racism denied.
Kathy Maloney Johnson, Ormod Beach, FL. Racist rants lightly veiled stringently denied. Actual face appears in marbled swirl. “Take back our country” racism deniers. Racism deniers family of holocaust deniers. Unto the fourth generation eugenics theorists.
Fair start, common goal, level field
Brooks Fountain Tarpon Springs, FL
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