perspective Archives - The Race Card Project

Born privileged, living poor. Gained perspective.

March 4, 2025March 6, 2025 American, AR, Chicago, Elizabeth Foster, hood, Little Rock, living poor, perspective, poor, privilege, suburb

Elizabeth Foster,
Little Rock, AR.

Growing up in a mostly-white suburb of Chicago, I was isolated from cultural and socioeconomic differences. Through my privilege, I was able to travel to countries both more and less affluent than that of my upbringing. Now that I live independently & make much less money than my parents, I live in “the hood” & appreciate my life exactly as it is. I have the perspective of many walks of life, and now realize both how good, and how ignorant, I had it growing up. My wish is for others to be able to walk both sides of the fence to reach a better understanding of their fellow Americans.

Stuck in-between, but maybe that’s good

August 9, 2024August 9, 2024 Asian, CA, Emma Schechter, Half, perspective

Emma Schechter,
CA

As a half asian, half white kid, I often felt like I didn’t really belong. I didn’t quite fit
in with the white kids or the asian kids. However, as I have grown up, I have realized
that my perspective can help me relate to many people.

Prejudice is perpetuated by our silence

December 5, 2023December 5, 2023 acknowledge, College Park, communication, conflictsusceptible, conversation, Joe Niehaus, MD, merit, other side, perspective, racial divide, University of Maryland

Joe Niehaus,
College Park, MD.

Like most conflictsusceptible, resolution begins with simple communication. Both sides of the racial divide are often too willing to disregard the other perspective of the other side. We need to work to acknowledge the merits of all peoples speech- regardless of color or background. Everyone can contribute to this conversation.

Perspective is an important life skill

August 29, 2022 Alex D., CA, Irvine, perspective, skill

Alex D.,
Irvine, CA

Mixed and I love my perspective

March 3, 2022March 3, 2022 amazing, Black, confusing, experience, fit in, Jewish, Lake Oswego, love, mixed, OR, perspective, Shava, white

Shava,
Lake Oswego, OR.

At times it can be confusing. I have wondered where I fit in. But in the end…I’m so glad to have the depth of experience that being multicultural has given me. I’m black, white and I’m Jewish. It’s amazing!

I’m learning. Please don’t be offended.

January 18, 2021January 19, 2021 experinced, ID, offended, perspective, Rachel Townsend, Rexburg

Rachel Townsend,
Rexburg, ID

As a white woman, I will probably never understand completely what my brothers and sisters of different races feel and experience. But I want to listen, I want to learn and I want to see from a different perspective. I just don’t want to offend anyone by asking questions about things that I have never experienced.

From a white teenage girl’s perspective

July 3, 2020July 3, 2020 ancestor, Fortson, GA, ginger, girl, hair, homeless, N word, perspective, skin, slave, slave owners, starbucks, stereotype, teenager, unemployed, Victoria N., White girl

Victoria N.
Fortson, GA

My ancestors came to America just like many others. Just because I am white, does not mean my family “owned” “slaves”. When an African American girl says to me “you’re so lucky to have that hair” or “I would pay a lot for some of your hair”, it makes me mad. Hair or material appearances should not be what you see when you look at someone. It’s about what is on the inside, not the color of one’s hair or skin! I have strawberry-blonde hair so I get called a “ginger” from all races. According to some people, I only have “half a soul”.

Being called a ginger hurts just as much as being called the N word. I like to drink Starbucks so I’m a “Typical white girl’? That term is degrading to teenagers like me. Just because I am white, does not make me privileged. My dad only makes about $30,000 a year. My mother is unemployed and homeless! Being white does not make someone racist or privileged. Do you see colleges or scholarships for “white” people? No, but you see them for African Americans. Also, to the African American boys that get mad when a white girl says she has a preference: For MOST of us, it’s not because you have dark skin, it’s because our mind is not physically attracted to you. Stop calling us racist or our DNA makeup. Our generation only has control of the future, not the past, so get over it.

They kept asking “were they black?”

September 18, 2019September 18, 2020 Cleveland, David B. Berenson, mugged, news, OH, perspective, Race, stereotype, were they black

David B. Berenson,
Cleveland, OH.

All but one person with whom I shared the story of getting “mugged” asked of their race, and it began to pi** me off. I had to find a way to put the whole experience into perspective.

Conversations and connections change perspective

January 9, 2019January 9, 2019 awkard, CA, camp, connections, conversations, human, Mary Jo Nash, Oakland, one race the human race, OR, perspective, Portland, shy, summer, teachable moment

Mary Jo Nash,
Oakland, CA

The one connection we all have is that we are human.
I am lucky because when I was pretty young I was put in a group where I was the minority and I think in a small way that changed my perspective in life. I grew up in Portland, Oregon in a neighborhood that was mostly white. When the older kids went off to swim class one summer day, my neighbor took me with her to a school where she was doing some volunteer work. It turned out that I was the only white kid at this summer camp and all the other kids were black. I was a shy little kid at the time and any new situation made me a bit nervous. I felt awkward and out of place when I first arrived because I did not know any of the kids, however, we quickly started working together on an art project and I had a really good day. I don’t remember anyone talking to me about that experience in what one would call a “teachable moment” today, however, the experience stuck with me. I have found that some of my strongest connections happen when I take the time to get to know people who appear to be different than me on the outside. There are always connections to be found that lie beneath the surface if you take the time to start a conversation.

Listen to Black People about RACISM

November 12, 2018November 12, 2018 black people, black perspective, Detroit, Kenyel Clark, listen, MI, people of color, perspective, privilege, racism, social, USA, Wayne State

Kenyel Clark,
Wayne State,
Detroit, MI

If you are privileged, you do not feel the effects of what socially going on.So, if you want to understand racism talk people of color, listen to them and STOP talking over them.

Immigrant Latina Wife Equals Broadened Perspective!

April 12, 2018 Bill Overton, CA, equal, immigrant, latina, Palm Desert, perspective, wife

Bill Overton,
Palm Desert, CA.

Afraid to offend. Afraid of embarrassment.

March 26, 2018 afraid, embarrassment, Hampton, NH, offend, people of color, perspective, Sallie Vroom, social circle, white woman

Sallie Vroom,
Hampton, NH.

My six words reflect my perspective as a white woman who wants to expand her social circle to include more people of color but doesn’t know how to begin.

“Ethnicity Doesn’t Affect A Kind Heart”

October 26, 2017October 26, 2017 7th Grade Trailblazer, affect, education, ethnicity, heaert, High Tech Middle Media Arts, insult, kind, lies, Marcus Feldman, personality, perspective, R.E.A.L. Talk, race isn't real, Racist, real, society, Stanford University

R.E.A.L. Talk,
High Tech Middle Media Arts,
7th Grade Trailblazer

Through parts of my life people and kids that I have known claim that something is racist or to use it as a insult. I have never been the target of these insult but it bothers me every time that someone has said one. During this project when I learned about how race isn’t real I was shocked to really realize what all of those kids I know have been saying such lies. What I do know though is that the kids that have said things like that aren’t educated on what race really is. The 6 word memoir that I have created reflects on my experience. To me every race can have people with a good and great heart but also ones who don’t. This makes me believe that anyone who is racist has hardly been exposed to lots of unique and different people. Also that anyone can learn more about what they believe even if it’s wrong. I am proud at what my personality is like to this subject. I hope that soon more and more kids can have the same perspective as I am glad to have.

Race is fake but, society doesn’t think so.

It has recently been proved that biologically race isn’t a real thing, but, is socially a powerful topic, that can dramatically affect someone’s life. The largest dilemma that causes racism in the younger generations is the lack of education about this topic. According to Professor Marcus Feldman of Stanford University and his team “All humans are 99.9% identical and, of that tiny 0.1% difference, 94 % of the variation is among individuals from the same populations and only 6 % between individuals from different populations.”. This is proof that race is something that has been created and then built onto by the people who don’t take the time to truly work through their thoughts. People may say that white is a better race than the others, but that only goes skin deep… we all have the same problems. We also have the same things to be proud of within what we can learn and grow to be. This really shows how gullible people can be if they listen to others and don’t think for themselves. Race is something that was truly created because of the differences of people and then was breed into a huge social problem. Education is what can fuel a downfall of race and racism. If there are people who know what is right then there is a chance ; One that is growing; to stop the wrongness in our society.

Grateful for the grace of friends.

August 28, 2017 disability, ethnicity, friends, GA, grace, grateful, Jen Yearwood, Milledgeville, perspective, Race, religion, sexual orientation, thankful

Jen Yearwood,
Milledgeville, GA.

I am grateful to friends that provide me knowledge and perspective as it pertains to their diverse background; whether that’s race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, etc. These friends allow me to learn from them and gently nudge me when I may say something that I don’t realize could be offensive. I am thankful to each person that has provided me grace to learn and grow in my knowledge of what diversity really means.

Human diversity improves studying biological diversity.

February 7, 2017February 7, 2017 biological, biological difference, diversity, lab, On Location, perspective, produtive, research, San Antonio, Texas, the race card project, Trinity University, TX, USA

Michele Johnson,
Trinity University.

My research lab studies the evolution of lizard behavior, and we need a diversity of perspectives to do our best work. Racially diverse groups are more productive and more creative, and every one of my students brings an important perspective to our work.

I’m white, it’s not easier.

January 26, 2017January 26, 2017 easy, life, NY, perspective, Victoria Polera, white

Victoria Polera,
NY.

Being white doesn’t make my life any easier. I still have a really difficult life without putting my race into perspective. Looking at a person as an individual rather than placing an individual into a social group is mostly important. It’s unbelievably more important to look at the individual separately rather than all together.

Institutions are racist, but individuals change.

March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 change, Denton, Institutions, Nicholas Thomspon, perspective, Racist, Sociology Class, TX

Nicholas Thomspon,
Denton, TX.

We discussed racism in my freshman sociology class. “Institutions are racist” is not an original thought of mine, but I do fundamentally agree with the idea from a sociological perspective.