Lakewood Archives - The Race Card Project

He needed help. I gave it.

August 15, 2024 accident, black man, car accident, CO, DWB, first experience, G. Wilkins, help, Lakewood, road trip, South, whit ewoman

G. Wilkins,
Lakewood, CO

At 5’2” I was a petite young White female who adored road trips, had driven mostly alone through all of the 50 United States. Oh yes, I’ve had many adventures. Many people helped me along the way when I had car trouble.

In my 40’s, (around 1985) I made a road trip into the “Great American South”. I can’t remember why but this trip my goal was up the East Coast. I dropped a friend somewhere in Louisiana and kept going along the Gulf of Mexico, turning north onto I-95 when I met the Atlantic Ocean. My immediate destination became Washington DC. Heading north into South Carolina, I recall foot thick trees snapped by a recent hurricane which might help date this event.

Though I kept a cooler in the passenger-seat footwell, I took an exit to try to find a better lunch. There had been recent heavy rain. The slick exit ramp curved, hiding everything but the trees lining it. Suddenly I came across a car flipped entirely on its roof and a man about my age standing just looking at it. I stopped, and asked him, “Are you okay?” He gave me a dazed look. “Is that your car? Is anyone else in it?” I asked. “I need to get to a phone” he replied. (This was before the days of cell phones.) “Are you hurt? Is anyone else?” No answer. “Get in,” I said. “We’ll find a phone.” I told him to put the cooler in the backseat. He started to climb into the backseat. I said, “No, put the cooler in the backseat and ride up front with me.” He did and gave me directions to a small strip mall not far off the highway exit. He asked to be dropped off there. I did, but was still anxious about leaving him, concerned he might have had head trauma,. “Are you going to be able to contact someone?” He assured me he would. I reluctantly left him behind and continued my search for lunch. My trip home to Colorado was uneventful. But I still wonder if I shouldn’t have left him alone until his friend showed up. Why? He was Black. Ho hum. That shouldn’t make a difference should it?

Yes, I swear, I am Vietnamese.

February 28, 2024February 28, 2024 but you don't look, CA, Lakewood, Mariana Arneaud, Vietnamese

Mariana Arneaud,
Lakewood, CA.

Why do I need to “prove” it? Since I don’t LOOK Vietnamese, I shouldn’t say that I am?

You might hurt the man’s feelings

December 18, 2023 1950's, Buick, dad, different, Early 50's, father, hurt feelings, Lakewood, lesson, negro, NJ, Paul J. Mercer, pointing, school

Paul J. Mercer,
Lakewood, NJ

These words were from my father in the very early 50s. My Dad and I were watching the world go by waiting for Mom while parked outside the store she was in. We did not yet have a TV, I had not gone to school yet and I had no idea that anyone looked different than those people I saw at home or family get-togethers. Suddenly, my little hand rose to point at a man walking down the sidewalk by our ’49 Buick. A large hand gently pushed mine down as Pop offered these words. Using the accepted term at the time he said, “don’t point, you might hurt the man’s feelings.” He went on to say that the man was a negro and a brief history of where Negros came from. He left the lesson on slavery for a day when his 4-year-old was a tad older. A great lesson that provided many rewarding relationships with people of all ethnicities as I grew older.

Your race does not define you.

April 28, 2023April 28, 2023 CA, define, Lakewood, Lauren Machado, Race

Lauren Machado,
Lakewood, CA

She wishes for American eyes.

October 24, 2022October 24, 2022 American, ethnic, ethnicity, eyes, Lakewood, multi, Rose McKenney, tradition, WA

Rose McKenney
Lakewood, WA

I’m glad we’re finally acknowledging the number of multi-ethnic people in the US. Sadly people my age (50s) have been asked to choose one; yet I know several multi-ethnic people around my age. They lost a lot because they or their parents felt the need to choose one tradition or ethnicity.

If we ignore it, it’ll leave.

November 14, 2016November 14, 2016 character, CO, equal, ignore, Lakewood, middle school

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.

Dirty dago: my mother at 6.

February 25, 2014March 4, 2015 dago, dirty, Grandma, grandmother, italian, Keira Dodd, Lakewood, mother, OH

Keira Dodd
Lakewood, OH

My Italian grandmother came here in 1956 on the Andrea Doria, and my mother only knew one sentence of English (“I have to pee”) when she first went to school. She got called names and ostracized for her “otherness.” I remember that when I think of how different immigrant cultures are treated now. Each new “race” that immigrates is feared and denigrated when they first arrive. However, the ones who have whiter skin tend to blend in better than the others, which is why only a few generations later, I’m considered to be fully American. and no one asks where my family is from. This process isn’t fair to the other immigrant populations who aren’t able to “assimilate” so easily… and it’s a shame that “assimilation” is the goal, when all cultures have things to offer the great melting pot experiment that is America.