Inside Archives - The Race Card Project

I carry my home inside me.

August 20, 2024August 20, 2024 Hmong, Home, Inside, Kao Kalia Yang, Minneapolis, MN, Steve Baker

Steve Baker
Minneapolis, MN

Inspired by Hmong American writer Kao Kalia Yang.

The outside doesn’t tell a story

May 15, 2024 Aidan, CA, Inside, Lake Forest, name, obsticles, outside

Aidan,
Lake Forest, CA

We look at people and decide so many things about them before even hearing their names. Listen to people’s stories and learn about their lives and how they were raised before assuming who they are. Each person has lived through their own struggles and passed different obstacles in life and you learn none of this from physical features.

You are your own person inside

April 25, 2024 assume, Barnegat, David Helfrich, Inside, NJ, physical, society

David Helfrich,
Barnegat, NJ

Your physical looks don’t define the person you are inside, but society doesn’t see it that way. Society sees your outside and makes assumptions. That must change if we want fairness of any kind. I my own person inside and my looks shouldn’t determine who I am.

Everyone is the same on the inside

November 9, 2023 Alexis Lane, Durham, Inside, NH, same, The University System of New Hampshire

Alexis Lane,
Durham, NH

Although we may not all look the same, we are the same on the inside. We should celebrate our differences and learn about each others cultures.

My skin is not my culture.

March 27, 2023March 27, 2023 1920's, African American, Asian, assume, body, Centennial, check the box, CO, cultire, culture, experience, German Lutheran, human, identity, Inside, offensive, Rachel Brinson, skin

Rachel Brinson,
Centennial, CO.

People always want to put me in a box and assume what I find offensive, what I find familiar, and how I choose to see myself and others. No one chooses to see human first, identity second. I will forever be explaining that the body given to me is arbitrary, and I exist inside of it. I am adopted and was raised as a German Lutheran. I grew up around many Asian cultures but never experienced African American culture until I was well into my 20’s. Biologically, I have an African father and a white mother, but my birth parents do not define me; my family does.

We, human beings, are like apples

February 19, 2023 apple, https://theracecardproject.com/it-will-be-up-to-women/, human, Inside, Kayla G, MO, outside, saint Louis

Kayla G,
Saint Louis, MO

The majority of us, if not all, do not choose an apple by the color of its skin, but for what is on the inside–for apples it’s taste, for humans it’s personality.

I feel more hispanic than white

October 24, 2022October 24, 2022 Andrew Ward, birth, Chambesburg, Hispanic, Inside, PA, white

Andrew Ward,
Chambesburg, PA.

I am white by birth, but I feel like I am a completely different nationality/race on the inside. Like I was supposed to be a different race.

See me for who I am

March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 Black Student Union, Haslett, High School, Inside, inspired, Jonah Gerry, MI, see me

Jonah Gerry,
Haslett, MI.

My name is Jonathan Gerry and I organized my Black Student Union at my high school. This quote was inspired because we have all been discriminated against. And it’s what’s on the inside that matters.

Different on outside, like on inside

September 16, 2021 Cleveland, different, GA, Inside, Leah Alexander, outside

Leah Alexander,
Cleveland, GA

I believe we were all made by a Creator that loves each and everyone of us very much, but He loved us enough to make everyone different and unique. By doing this, we are able to find unity and community with each other, not based on like appearances, but because of our character and our values.

Outside I’m Black, inside I’m multitudes

March 5, 2021 america, Black, Bronx, classified, human, immigrant, Inside, Irish Scottish, Julie Bayley, Maroon, multitudes, NY, outside, Spanish, Taíno

Julie Bayley,
Bronx, NY

p>I am so tired of being “classified“. As with most people of darker hue on this side of the diaspora, I am not simply black I am a first-generation American born of immigrants who came here from the Caribbean that gumbo contains Maroon, Spanish, Irish Scottish, and Taino. I will never forget being 10 years old and having a census taker sitting in our dining room becoming frustrated with my mother because each time she was asked to identify the race she said “human”. This was in 1970 that lesson has never left me. However, I’ve had to live in America as if that lesson never existed

“Beauty Inside Shines through the Outside”

October 28, 2020October 28, 2020 1950's, 1960's, African American, beauty, black dad, CA, Catholic School, CBU HIS311, Inside, interracial families, irish, isolation, Matthew Powers, Mexican, outside, Riverside, shine, single mom, whit ekids, white mom

Matthew Powers,
Riverside, CA.

“Growing up Irish and being raised by a single mom in the 50’s and 60’s in Omaha I saw racial tension and acts all around the city, but I can’t say I understood anything about it until my younger sister and I were transferred to a different school because mom couldn’t afford the tuition at the Catholic school we were attending. The elementary school we were moved to was an all African-American school and we were the only “white” kids there, we took a lot of abuse and faced the fact that our skin color wouldn’t allow us to fit in or be accepted. We were the target of a lot of being beat on, racial slurs, isolation, and being chased home daily but eventually we did make a few close friends and things settled down. I can’t say we ever fit in but we survived and built a few relationships. It was one of the best things that could have happened to me from an understanding point of view as I saw and felt from the other side what being defined by a color or race felt like, it didn’t matter who I was inside. My family reflects that lesson we learned, my seven children’s mother had a white mother and African-American father, my children are mixed and they are proud of it, and have spouses and boyfriends and girlfriends from other races and it’s a beautiful community. My sister married a Mexican man and had three boys. Through the experience I learned that true beauty, goodness, and humanity comes from the inside, and shines through the outside regardless of what color or race that outside is and we taught the kids to see all people in the same way, individually from the inside out.” CBU HIS 311

I am everything, we all are.

February 28, 2020February 28, 2020 all, CA, concept, Danielle Garcia, everything, Inside, same, San Jose

Danielle Garcia,
San Jose, CA.

Race is a concept, we’re all the same inside.

I’m only White on the outside.

January 4, 2020January 5, 2021 Clara Krumin, Inside, outside, Seattle, WA, white

Clara Krumin,
Seattle, WA.

I’m in the inside not ouside

January 3, 2019January 3, 2019 College, education, Inside, Johnny B., military, mixed, multi-racial, northeast, outside, peace, USA

Johnny B.,
USA.

Growing up in thee northeast US, in a multi-racial mixed racial attitude combined with military and college education has afforded me a peaceful coexistence.

Race is not the issue, people.

November 19, 2018 costime, Detroit, Inside, intolerant, mask, MI, Michigan, r\, Race, taught, teach, USA, Wayne State, Yvette Davis

Yvette Davis,
Wayne State,
Detroit, MI

I believe race is not the issue. I believe the issue is the person true feelings inside. People are taught to be intolerant. Race is just the mask people wear.

Not just a little white girl

October 23, 2018 blonde, crowd, helpless, Inside, little, Nicolette Vogelman, outside, PA, stereotype, West Chester, White girl

Nicolette Vogelman,
West Chester, PA

Most people see me as a quiet, little blonde girl. Honestly, I’ve heard people refer to me as a little white girl. In large crowds, I have heard people say “there she is, the little white girl.” I hate being referred to that. Yes I am small and your typical little white girl but I have way much more going for me than to be called a little white girl. Being called that, is embarrassing. I feel helpless. From the outside, I may just be a little ole white girl but the inside is much much more.