Margret Treiber, Naples, FL. Let me preface this with the fact that I don’t openly despise the holiday season. I have nothing against the passing Christmas Carol or jazzed up tree. In fact, I do enjoy “the season” somewhat. I grew up in a very secular environment. For the first several years of elementary school, […]
LaPortia Barrows, Daytona Beach, FL. My parents fought for not just my equality but my children’s children’s equality. Why is that I still have to explain to my children that some people are not going to like them just because of the color of their skin? Why do I have to shield my children from […]
Mr. Louis W. Hill, Homestead, FL. So my ancestors were brought here and was sold, beaten, raped, and much more and to this day the ancestors of the people who did that is still at it and has been joined by others who’s ancestors never knew my ancestors. Yet for years, we have been acting […]
Jamie Lee Myers Jacksonville, FL Many people seem to identify who they are by their race. We also all seem to have a tendency toward making assumptions based on how people look. I am fair with naturally red hair that is currently blonde. Most think I am Irish and that is in my family tree, […]
Sheila Khakpour, Jacksonville, FL. Now a days everyone is so quick to judge each other. It simply just takes one look. It can be based on your skin color, how you look, or even your name. People are so quick on judging other individuals, no one actually tries to get to know each other anymore. […]
Leroy Watts, Orlando, FL.
Edward M Moriarty, Clearwater, FL. A profound change to my thinking of right and wrong, when a FRIEND was removed from a picture of my friends and myself that appeared in my hometown newspaper in 1959 rural Maryland.
Patrick Vandergriff, Lakeland, FL.
Luz Sierra Djss, Orlando, FL.
Hannah, FL.
Kerri Love, Longwood, FL.
Emily LaLonde, FL.
Lisa Dawson Andrzejczyk, Palm Coast, FL. I am black.. I never thought of myself as anything else. I am light-skinned for certain, clearly aware that few if any of my African ancestors exited a slave ship looking like me; but ever since I was a little girl people felt if was someone appropriate to ask […]
Lauren Gilbertsen, Lakeland, FL.
Warner Squire, Bartow, FL. I’m convinced that much of our society and standards are based on perpetuating manufactured truths in order to manipulate people who have become way too busy to do their own research in SO many areas; not only do they have little time and resources, but they are taught from a young […]
Alyssa Yates, Orlando, FL. I was going to say something about how it pis*** me off that some people assume that my life has been easy just because I’m white (in some 6 word format), but then I thought about how bigoted I am against rich people. I’m not even a hateful person, and it’s […]
Daria, Sanford, FL.
N’Quiisha Edwin, Miami, FL.
Crissie Acosta Miami, FL Born of Cuban immigrants there is a sense of loss of my heritage, culture and traditions. My parents came to this country when they were children themselves carrying little to nothing but the clothes on their backs and even less of their culture and traditions. They were raised in an era […]
Steven N. Pembroke Pines, FL I am Hispanic, born and raised in New York. I served in the Marine Corps from 1988 to 1992 and was stationed in Jacksonville, NC. I was on my way to Fayetteville to visit some friends and got lost on the way. I stopped at some convenience store to ask […]
Jorge Valladares Orlando, FL My parents came to this country as undocumented immigrants from Honduras, Central America. Their three children provide public service of some kind – I work with students with disabilities at a public college; my sister is a high school Spanish teacher and my brother is a former post-9/11 US Marine and […]
Chloe Servin, Miami, FL. I’ve gotten that phrase countless times. Pupils, teachers, when I meet new people. I currently am pale with slight color, but when I was younger I’d go outside every day and I was active, so I had a much darker color, plus I’d also go to the pool almost daily. One […]
Metris Batts-Coley, Miami, FL. I wish we could talk about race openly so we can learn from each other.
M C Antone, Ft Lauderdale, FL. In 1969 I told my parents that I would rather dance with the black kids at a high school dance. My father stated he did not want anyone calling his daughter a “n*****” lover. I retorted “I am and I’m proud of it” Then he struck me. I can […]
Shelby Mentor, Ormond Beach, FL. You have to be aware, of not just yout well being but of the others around you.
Melanie St. Petersburg, FL
Abbey Daykin, Lakeland, FL. We are all people no matter the color or race, and the way we treated you makes me ashamed to say I’m proud to be white, ‘Cause I’m not.
Caitlin Salovich, Kissimmee, FL.
Hannah Torres, Pompano Beach, FL.
Jade Pritchett, Port St. Lucie, FL. Growing up, I never understood how I was supposed to chose a bubble, check a box, pick one race. I am multiracial, and proud of it. Teachers would tell me to choose the one that I “feel”. Does that mean that I can’t feel them all? When I grew […]
Jeffrey Miller, Tampa, FL. Our rich history, our artifacts, our language, even our names were taken from us.
Johanna Riddle, New Smyrna Beach, FL. I’ve always known that I was descended from slave owning families. This is something I shared with my students as we began to explore the history of slavery in the United States. I’ve always believed that we must be willing to take an honest look at history, and at […]
Lisa VonTress Las, Sunrise, FL. As a child growing up in the DC suburbs, I had no idea about what was going on. I had Annie, who was with my family 6 years before I was born until I was 13 when my father moved us. I came back to her later as she worked […]
Christina Antonia Santos, Palm Bay, FL.
Danika Thiele, Florida Southern College, FL.
Olivia Sliwa, Brandon, FL. I am a freshman in college and grew up in a loving, supportive family. Myself and both of my parents are white, but the always instilled in me to treat others as I would want to be treated and to never judge anyone simply because they had a different skin tone […]
Samantha C., Jacksonville, FL.
John P. Moultrie, Ormond Beach, FL. It’s taken sometime to get to this point, but we are finally together. Sixteen years ago, we met and at that moment, I knew she was the one for me. But that was not the case for her. Years later, through heartache and divorce for both of us, we […]
Sara Dawit, Lake Mary, FL. I am bombarded with questions on my racial and ethnic ambiguity almost everyday of my life. Thankfully, I’m able to simplify my ethnicity to East African and Turkish so I’m not stuck repeatedly listing all those East African countries (unless I’m asked to of course, but that, in my experience, […]
Carl DuPont, Coral Gables, FL. How many times have I heard this? One million. One many times has it prevented me from being hurt? Zero.
Brenden Gartner, Tampa, FL. Being Cuban is not a bad thing. Embrace your Race because that is what makes you who you are. Its a big chunk of your identity. Who cares what people think about your race? That’s who you are. If your embarrassed about your race then you will never figure out who […]
Lisa Lendved, Winter Park, FL.
Don Williams, Jacksonville, FL. People have a tendency to use the wrong words, the wrong tone to others and when questioned they pass the buck, they refuse to accept what came out of their mouths, its easier to blame the other person for your short comings.
Laura Abercrombie, Mulberry, FL. I am a 27 year old biracial (mother black, father Russian and Romanian Jewish descent) woman. I was born and raised in NY, transplanted to rural Fl when I was a teen. I am also one of Jehovah’s witnesses. Basically, I’m very used to being on the fringes, the “token”, the […]
Jennifer Bohannon, Jacksonville, FL.
Kevin Ramos, Lakeland, FL. Why does everyone think I’m Mexican?
Anderson Brown, Jacksonville, FL.
Cherrice Robinson, FL. I am a black girl. That is my race, not a description of who I am as a person and it’s definitely not a label. Just simply my race. I am proud of my race but the sooner we realize our race is just our race and nothing more, the sooner we […]
Roberto Solis, Homestead, FL.
Christopher Wydler, Miami, FL. People always ask me does it bother you that more than 90 percent of the university you attend contain African Americans? My response is simply I see people for who they are not because the skin of their color.
Brooke Piburn Lakeland, FL
Paolo Parent Hollywood, FL Not hung on race, but very well aware of what’s going on in the world.
Michael Jones Winterhaven, FL
Sandra Ebl Ft. Myers, FL
Jessica Danielle Jensen Tampa, FL I am the product of two people who only saw “who” there were, not “what” they were. Because of their bond, they produced four daughters (including me) who I believe are very beautiful. Mixed-race children represent the beauty that comes from open hearts and open minds. And, they have GREAT […]
Alia Laurence Orlando, FL When I was 18, we found out that we were not simply Cherokee and various shades of European pale. (My father always considered being part Cherokee his ‘greatest shame’.) We found out we were also part African. Specifically, African-American of Malagasy descent. Not that this should’ve come as a great surprise […]
Marianne Akkerhuis Navarre, FL White genes don’t dominate; they’re recessive!
Lois Mendez Catlin Carrabelle, FL
Courtenay M. Miami, FL I live in a city where racism is alive and well. Many say “You’re in Miami, there is no racism”, or “People don’t treat people like that anymore,” and the most used response I hear is “Maybe it was a misunderstanding.” If someone mistreats you, how can you debate with them […]
Scott Kirlin Larson Leesburg, FL
Joan Goldbach Winter Park, FL When I was in high school, the classrooms were integrated. The cafeteria, though, was segregated – by choice, not school mandate. Please tell me that this isn’t the case anymore.
R Morey Maplewood, NJ
Nelson Lakeland, FL
Eddie Smith, Lakeland, FL. At least our children seem to understand this. We must allow them to value this reality and stop passing our ignorance on to them.
Joyce Jordan Fort Myers, FL This incident occurred when I was 7 years old. I never forgot it and remember watching her get back on the bus. It changed forever how I feel about race. To me Jessie was a friend. I never even noticed that her skin was different than mine.
Gayle H Swift Palm City, FL It is essential that we become color-respectful instead of color blind. As we value all colors of the human rainbow, we are all elevated in mutual respect.
Champagne Girten Miami, FL
Raiza Doral, FL
Dr. Kitty Oliver, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
Donovan Holder, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. In South Florida, I am a chameleon. Mother is white, Dad is Jamaican. But my skin is the exact same color as my Latino friends, my Indian friends, my light skinned Black friends, and my Muslim friends. I am all of them, yet none of them. This is why my […]
Marsha Leibson: entry of for a 4th grade student Miami, FL Submitted for a student who just encountered the term. His class is working on the Civil War.
Tyler Patterson Tampa, FL
Marsha Leibson: entry of for a 5th grade student Miami, FL This is a fifth grade student’s work. His name is Alex. He has a good understanding of what he thinks racism is.
Pete Kersey Vero Beach, FL To clarify…it doesn’t matter if you are talking about mixed marriages, mixed blood lines or pure stock of any race….all are human and should be treated with equal high levels of human kindness and dignity.
Kay Perrin, PhD Tampa, FL In 1983, we adopted a black 8-week old baby boy in Tampa, Florida. At the time, we had a biological boy, age 3 years. I would frequently take my older son to preschool and then run errands with my newly adopted black son. Twice, complete strangers would walk by me […]
Chené Olgar Tallahassee, FL
Amanda Jones Melbourne, FL
John Orlando, FL People need to strive for MLK Jr’s ideal instead of pushing race all the time.
Kelsey Spriggs Boca Raton, FL Everyone is put under a stereotype. However, people don’t understand that saying I am dumb because I am blonde is also putting me under a stereotype. My hair color doesn’t affect my intelligence. I can laugh at blonde jokes too, but my blonde hair does not define me.
Linda Bailey Vero Beach, FL
Christopher Saldaña Seattle, WA While I was helping my ex’s father move from California (my home state, from which I have since moved), he took a break to talk to some neighbors. He then decided to say the new state he was moving to was better because it “didn’t have as many Mexicans”. While I […]
Diane Berrian Viola Port Saint Lucie, FL Great project!
Jason FL
Nadine ZeBelle Orlando, FL I feel guilt for things I have never done, that my child will never do or say. Even as our generations move together I see people looking at me with anger, saying I have “privilege”. Believe me, my life is anything but.
Jennifer Davis St. Augustine, FL I am a white mother of two bi-racial children. It is hard when society identifies them as black when they are an equal part white. But more than that, they are Milo as much as they are Jen, they are outspoken as much as they are unsure, they are me […]
Jake Farnum Homestead, FL
Nona Orlando, FL Tired of being asked, “What are you?”
Aaron Reich Boca Raton, FL I am white and Jewish and I sometimes get insulted by others for being Jewish. The insults are mostly meant to be taken as jokes, but sometimes they are too far. I’d rather if they weren’t said.
Micheal Bowen Lake Hamilton, FL No matter what I do or what I accomplish it will only be what’s expected. No one wants to talk to the white man that is doing well, only the black man or the female have a story worth hearing.
Jill T. Furutani Orlando, FL I am a 3rd generation Japanese American. I used to reply that Yes, I tried very hard to lose my New Jersey accent. And why are all Asian women mistakenly called Kim?
Deborah Llamas Plantation, FL
Mary Garris Lakeland, FL This was the response when I asked my son if his new friend in Kindergarten was a little black boy. He didn’t even know what I meant. When I tried to explain – he declared that he wasn’t white, he was pink. Prejudice is taught, not inherent in us.
Grace Terrfy, Tampa, FL. People are hung up on color but our lifeline is our blood and that’s where we are all the same color. “White” is the color of paper so none of us is white. At best it would be a cream color. If so anti Black why spend hours in the sun […]
Nicole Tampa, FL The chains are made of air, light, invisible, yet ever present and omnipotent.
Rhonda Wiggins Ormond Beach, FL
Elvira Randall Lakeland, FL
McKenna Carlson Lakeland, FL
Laney Anderson Lakeland, FL What I mean by this, is it’s your choice to be happy or not. Even if times are rough, you can still choose to be happy. Life isn’t perfect, there will always be hard times but it’s up to you to still put a smile on your face. You have to […]
Soleil Baker Lakeland, FL Its ridiculous that people still view minorities, or anyone for that matter, to be less than themselves. Everyone is human, we all deserve respect. Hatred doesn’t solve anything; it won’t make the problem disappear. If anything, you’ll be feeding the fire.
Austin Howard Lakeland, FL I recently found I have a black grandfather on my mother’s side, making me 1/4 black.
Rachel Crooks Tallahassee, FL As a woman with a Mexican mother (“Mexican” to signify “mixed race,” although my mother has been identified by some as being Native American or Filipino or ‘Asian’) and a Jamaican father (his ethnicity is never questioned, though his nationality is reduced to ‘African American’), I grew up in a strange […]
Rob Jones Ocean Ridge, FL I remember as a 6 year old in down town Tampa in 1953, having seen colored drinking fountains and bathrooms for the first time, that it was not right.
Christine Ortega Gaurkee Saint Petersburg, FL Being Hispanic in this country sometimes puts you into many different worlds without even realizing it.
R. Spence Miami, FL
Beverly Bright Gainesville, FL I’ve read a few of these cards & replies it seems to me no one gets this at all.
Flora Anderson Bradenton, FL
Carolyn Fitzpatrick Sarasota, FL He picked me to dance in 8th grade, because he thought I was a good dancer. I was flattered and thrilled. Mother didn’t see it that way. She said: “you were the only white girl dancing with a colored boy.” She didn’t get it that we were just happy children having […]
Ana Molero-Pullin Lake Worth, FL I am originally from Venezuela. My husband is African-American. He always says he doesn’t know where he is from. Before we got married, he showed me an article that was called something like “how is like to be married with a black man in America” and I told him I […]
Rondrea Danielle Mathis Tampa, FL
Judith Rudd Canada
Jason Meneely Gainesville, FL Celebrate diversity. If we were all the same life would be boring indeed. I find my life greatly enriched by knowing and understanding people who are different than me. The only thing I wish we all had in common was an open mind -for that is where fear transforms into opportunity.
Frank Gutcher Titusville, FL
Jenn Jacksonville, FL I believe southern white males are America’s most discriminated against in reality. (I am not a white male.) For example, at my job they are openly promoting people because they are women, black or hispanic. I see many talented white guys get passed up for promotions because management needs the “statistics saying […]
Ollie Daniels Pembroke Pines, FL I am a sixty-nine year old black college professor with all white hair. From time-to-time I am stopped by police officers and questioned. It’s never about speeding, but rather it’s about, “Is this car yours?” I drive, what I call, a rather “high-end” car and I believe that they think […]
Michael Naples, FL This is a fascinating and worthwhile project. Keep it up!
Roberta Leichnitz Montevallo, AL The events in Florida have brought back so many memories of the things that would happen to my son and his friends in San Antonio when he was in high school. Stopped for “driving while Mexican” in the “wrong” neighborhood, among others. The icing on the cake was when he was […]
Cestau Clark Louisville, KY It was against the law for my parents to be married in 1966. I was born in 1967. Florida was unkind to us then. But somehow, I still believe people are generally good. Race was a card I had to deal with everyday. Everyone wanted to know what I was…Well, I’m […]
Diama Gabriel Miami, FL I’m in between waters. I’m not African American for the black Americans, and I’m not a Latina for the Latino community. I’m a proud black Puertorrican woman who moved to USA 13 years ago. Upon my arrival to the States, I lived in a mainly African American community in Miami but […]
Sara Hofmann St. Petersburg, FL I used to work with kids in the foster care system, which required a lot of effort and hours. When new acquaintances asked me what I did for a living, I told them, and after a few more questions I would occasionally get this question or something like it. (I’m […]
Mira Tanna Orlando, FL My father is from India, my mother from the Netherlands, and I am married to a man from Nigeria. I look white to most people, and my children look black to most people. When I pick my kids up from school or camp, I get curious stares and kids ask me […]
Mark Labadie Pensacola, FL
Sarah Hathaway Hiller Carbon LLC Tampa, FL
Patrick Nolan Jacksonville Beach, FL As an educator having taught in urban school districts for more than twenty-seven years I have had the pleasure of teaching students from numerous cultural and ethnic backgrounds: We’re all one race–Human–and the variety we present is astonishing and awesome. My students have taught me that external factors have nothing […]
Elizabeth Norris Taylor Fernandina Beach, FL I have lived my entire life with people coming up to me and asking, “what are you?” For a while in college, I had some very clever comebacks… now days I simply shrug and say, “American, and you?” I have had people come up to me and speak Spanish […]
Mark Downing Safety Harbor, FL
Jacob Stuart, FL If its ok to take pride in your race, why is taking pride in being white racist? I’m proud of who I am and if I have to respect your race, you have to respect mine.
Kelly Ft. Myers, FL Bull Connor’s actions in Birmingham in 1963 presented virulent white southern racism to our nation and to the entire world. Rather than describe his actions, you may see them firsthand on YouTube: http://youtu.be/j9kT1yO4MGg
Bobesh Silhavy Naples, FL Before God we are all equally wise – and equally foolish.
Danielle Branciforte Tallahassee, FL I am now 61 and have had a severe hearing loss since the age of 12, requiring me to wear two hearing aids. Throughout the years it has been a constant struggle to fit in. I am not deaf, so have been regretted by that community; and because I look and […]
Julie Satterley Ft. Lauderdale, FL When my father said this to me at while I was in grade school, I was truly shocked. He was a well educated, mild mannered person, but I would never have called him racist. He had the patience that I would only wish for when raising my son and he […]
Thomas Tuohy Jacksonville, FL
Carina Tillan Hallandale, FL My rebuttal to that is usually “Then what am I supposed to look like?” You’d be surprised how often people realize they don’t have (or don’t want to give) an answer to that. And heaven forbid they learn I speak Spanish, almost as if it’s a greater accomplishment for me because […]
Sheldon, Coral Springs, FL. There are two types of law – one for whites and one for BLACKS. The Civil Rights Movement accomplished a great many things except campaign for the repeal of the DREDD SCOTT DECISION which still permeates in our current system of law. So long as Taney’s decision stands, anyone labeled as […]
Manuel Lluberas Jacksonville, FL Africa is not a country or a culture. It is a continent with almost fifty countries, several hundred tribes and as many languages; and that is only the “black part”. North of the Sahara, Africa is Arab. South of the Calahari is Africaner. Other “identity-labeled groups” use Italian-American, Irish-American, etc., even […]
David Painter Winter Springs, FL I had a black southern Mammy in 1963 (who I adored), graduated from private, elite, lily-white high school in 1981, and welcomed my first niece, who’s mother is black, into the world in 1991. I have benefited from white privilege throughout my life, but most frequently black people bestowed the […]
Anonymous Miami, FL
M. Griffin Tampa, FL As a public high school teacher I hear this word thrown around often and generally it is applied to brown skinned students. The exception is when your white and you’re “acting” like one of the brown-skinned students. I use the term “brown skinned” because many of the white students equate brown […]
Rosna Delucca Pompano Beach, FL Growing up on a small island, I was colorblind. I didn’t know that one day the color of my skin will make me feel uncomfortable in America.
Stacey Little Fleming Island, FL
Renu Zaretsky Safety Harbor, FL
David Huang Orlando, FL The story behind this statement goes like this, I was with a group of my friends, which consisted of mostly Asian-Americans and one Caucasian, and we had gone out to the panhandle of Florida for a crabbing trip. After crabbing we made our way to a campsite closeby we saw online. […]
Nancy Motley Fogg Winter Garden, FL
Sara Tallahassee, FL
Colleen O’Sullivan-Velez FL
Essa Batarseh Orlando, FL
VeeVee Jacksonville, FL There are times when people are honestly surprised that I am a successful African American woman. Due to my race, people have asked me really ridiculously inappropriate questions: “Was it hard to get out of the ghetto?” Me: I don’t know. I didn’t grow up in the ghetto. “Did you get into […]
Miguel Toral Ocala, Fl I am a Latino with a mom from Nebraska and a father from Ecuador. I was born in Washington,D.C., but when I was 6 months went to live with my grandparents in Ecuador ,since my dad had been in an accident and my grandfather offered to help out while he recovered. […]
Essa Batarseh Orlando, FL
Tom Gemmer Naples, FL
Owen Gemmer Naples, FL
Dave Brown Vero Beach, FL I heard about the Race Card Project on NPR last Tuesday night. The topic of the Zimmerman shooting in Sanford was brought up for discussion. I’m not sure of the exact number but I think I read that there were seventeen shootings in Sanford in January of 2013. There is […]
Robert Williamson Margate, FL I was a white boy born in southwest Florida but left there at 5, came back at 11 in 1970. Had a black friend up north, had no real awareness of race until I came back south. My mother grew up in southeast Florida, she witnessed lynchings and all the racial […]
C.A. Rolls Tampa, FL
Mark Joseph Runge St. Petersburg, FL I am a white guy married to a Blacktina woman. Sure, as I white and male person I have a leg up as compared to others, like my wife if she gets pulled over in Arizona. But as a just-over-poor person I don’t have much power. Race is just […]
Aggie Hernandez Miami, FL
Rambo Pinellas, FL
Chelsea C. St. Petersburg, NC
Amelia Barnard Gainesville, FL
Bodie James Bradenton, FL
Carole Poindexter Jacksonville, FL
Steve Everett Tallahassee, FL
Maria Jacksonville, FL
Alexandra Colley Pensacola, FL I’m a white female & my boyfriend is black. Neither of us would like the other to walk in our neighborhoods alone, but if we walk in them together we have no issues.
Toni Wilcox Tampa, FL As I age I become less and less optimistic that we, as a nation, will ever be able to leave racism in the past or to heal thoroughly. In my more morose moments I think that maybe we will, but then we’ll just find other basis for hate.
Bill Ramos Jensen Beach, FL I am Puerto Rican and can tell you that racism is not just a black and white problem. We need to see this issue through a more all-encompassing view. I am, as my mother described me, a “butterscotch” Puerto Rican. Not black as my grandfather nor as alabaster as my […]
Peter Podesta Fernandina Beach, FL Submitted via: NPR’s Talk of the Nation
Christopher VonBehren Pensicola, FL Yep, it’s still there!
Tami Jacksonville, FL Submitted via: NPR’s Talk of the Nation (I am an African American woman who was born and raised in the South).
Leslie Owen Pensacola, FL Submitted via: NPR’s Talk of the Nation
Laura Orlando, FL Trying to raise my child to respect differences not fear them.
Jackie Sanford, FL
Neal Willis NAPLES, FL Trayvon had a brother.
River Brigham Miami, FL
Henry W Crestview, FL
Math Professor Ft. Lauderdale, FL
J Paula A. White Fernandina Beach, FL
