prove Archives - The Race Card Project

Had to always prove myself better.

March 5, 2025March 6, 2025 Airforce, Asbury Park, better, crew, Department of Labor, Director IT, military, Mitchell Frank Reynolds Powell, NJ, office, Pemberton, prove, retired, work

Mitchell Frank Reynolds Powell,
Pemberton, NJ

I started my work life at 17 years old, in the US Airforce and retired the first time 24 years later. My responsibilities as a crew member were awesome and called for attention to detail without error. Becoming a flight examiner was the high point of my military career. My second career was with the Department of Labor as an Executive Assistant, and I worked 17.5 years retiring as The Director of IT Asbury Park computer Center.

No longer want to prove worth

January 21, 2017January 23, 2017 battle, be better, embarrassed, ethnic group, grandmother, hope, message, Milicia, prove, represent, self-worth, USA

Milicia,
USA.

Growing up I received the message that I had to be better than Whites. I didn’t want to embarrass my ethnic group, this I must strive to be better than “them”. I worked hard to prove that I was better. I’m an adult and must say that I don’t know what all of this truly meant. While I acknowledge my grandmother’s feelings and the battle that evoked them, the hope that she carried for me led me to question my worth as a Black person. I’m challenging a lot of ideas and will tell you that I am worthy as I am in my skin and no comparison allowed.

How can whites prove their worth?

March 31, 2015March 31, 2015 accountability, bad day, community, dialogue, prove, Race, school, shape, student accountable, teacher, TheBadApple, USA, white, white teacher, worth

TheBadApple,
USA.

I have come home from a bad day at work and am looking for honest open dialogue. I am a white teacher who works with children of all races, shapes and forms. One student in particular I have worked with is struggling with issues such as lying and stealing. I have tried positive praise, finding ways to involve her int he community in our school. Well, I had to give her a consequence the other day, and the mother screamed to my supervisor that basically we are racists who are mean to her daughter. I was hurt and took it very personally, as I have never seen her as a skin color and would treat her differently. I found out the mother demanded her daughter be moved to a different teacher last year when her daughter was reprimanded for similar behaviors. How do I change the perception without compromising my ability to hold the student accountable?