I’m blond, not your racist cohort
Kara Cox,
Charlottesville, VA.
I constantly get people making racist comments about others to me. They see blond hair and blue eyes and assume I feel the same way they do.
Quit Looking for Possible Racist Meanings
Patricia Lee,
Cortez, CO
Being Asian, I sometimes wonder if what a White person said barely veiled an intentional race-related insult. However, I outwardly ignore these suspicions and give that person the benefit of the doubt, if it is a stranger.
While there is no such thing as truly colorblind (except in the medical sense), I do believe some people just have skin that is TOO THIN, and I do not mean that in any medical sense.
This realization hit me from one specific encounter that I probably will never forget. I was washing my hands in a public bathroom when two Black women were also in there. One of them emerged from the stall and proclaimed, “Mission accomplished.” I instantly chimed in, “Hey that’s exactly what my husband and I say when our dogs poop or pee!”
Those women said not one word but instead glared at me with hatred. In a kneejerk example of having Too Thin Skin, they assumed I was comparing my dogs to Black people. Gimme me a frickin’ break! I should have followed up with “AND sometimes we say it to each other when we come out of a bathroom, too!”
But their looks were so baleful that I didn’t engage at all. If someone wants to hate based on an innocent comment, that’s their problem. I have better things to do.
Urban living has made me racist
Kenna Hensen
Philadelphia, PA
I’m so ashamed to say I have racist thoughts. I grew up in a small suburban town believing that no matter your ethnicity, racist remarks where never appropriate. I moved into a large urban city 5 years ago and found my thoughts and feelings on racism being altered by my experience with people in my neighborhood.
I live in an area with a high immigrant population of Asian/ Vietnamese / Hispanic families. I also live down the street for a low income housing project that has a high majority of African American families. The Asian and Hispanic populations are very hard working individuals, opening stores, restaurants and businesses. They put me to shame with their work ethic, often working weekends and holidays. I always see my Asian/ Hispanic neighbors working their houses, playing in the park with their children, or sending time with their families, after they have worked all week and into the weekend. We always greet each other with simple words and friendly gestures.
When I walk past the housing project, I am heckled by my neighbors who yell sexual and offensive comments, fail to respect quite hours in the evening and often let their children wander around late into the night. I feel voices that I’ve heard say racist and offensive comments creep into my head and I bite my tongue to hold back a lot of words I feel inside.
But why? Why has the negativity of Racism crept into my head? I have very good friends who are African American, Ive been in mixed relationships, I even have an “adopted” aunt who I loved. I see their children as my own I would never disrespect an individual of this race, but I am struggling to understand the overall values of this ethnicity and the reason that I feel the way I do. What is happening in our culture and why has the majority of this ethnic group ended up becoming the so displaced in our society?
Everybody is racist in their own way
Felipe F.
Waco, TX
People are racist without even knowing it. Most of the time it’s unintentional. The most common one I tend to see is when people don’t like to date outside of their race. Not that theirs anything wrong with that but when I ask the question, people usually say it’s because of their skin color.
Because of my badge, I’m racist?
Justin Walker,
Bennington, VT.
As a police officer I quite often get the “you only stopped me because I’m black” or some variant of that excuse. Well I work the nightshift and it is impossible for me to to who I’m pulling over until I get to the car. Until I get to the car window I don’t know who they are, black, white, purple, pink or yellow. All I know is I’ve stopped this car for going 75 in a 55 mph zone. I know this is a simple interaction and there are many other potential situations that occur, but this is what I feel is a misconception among many people. I can speak for many other officers when I say we are simply trying to do a job. Believe it or not, we are not all bad people.
Dad said: who was your n***** . . . yesterday?
Ben Ament,
Ocala, FL
Dad claimed to not be racist. Sadly, comments like this were not unusual for him. Perhaps worse, my siblings defended him.
Speaking Spanish? Your stealing my culture.
Jordan Huff,
Athens, TX
p>I am white, but I speak Spanish almost fluently. I love Mexican food, and entertainment primarily produced for Latinos, being that I understand it. But when I decided to name my pet turtles after ingredients commonly used in Latino cooking I got called racist, and told I was trying to become a Mexican. I never knew knowing another language made you racist. Trinity Valley Community College.
Scared to say the wrong thing
Grace Fry,
Whitesville, NY
p>As a white person I grew up not having to worry about getting pulled over or judged or treated differently just because of the color of my skin. As a white person growing up in a town without much diversity, I haven’t really talked to many people whose different race. As a white person I never know if I’m saying the wrong thing, or the offensive thing. As a white person I’m scared to say the wrong thing because I don’t want to come off as racist because I’m not, I’m just a person who doesn’t know what is ok and what isn’t ok to say because I haven’t been taught.
Proud Not ashamed to be white
Kenny Readnour,
Cordova, KY
Where I’m from whites are NOT racist but are getting very tired of the majority of the (people of color) being just if not more racist than the KKK which I Hate ! If the VERY racist people of color would blame individuals that has done or said the horrific racist acts instead of blaming a ENTIRE innocent race for what evil individuals have done, the racist creation would slow greatly. Me personally I’ve seen many many whites take up for many races in need but all the other races combined I might have seen 5 people of color take up for a white person. So I hate to say it but people of color are bully forcing whites to hate the people that hate them for ZERO reasons. The devil is winning ! All is and should be equal, hate is winning in every race. That’s a shame…ME I will love all in every race and I absolutely love my WHITE self. Hate any race and being a follower of popular hate SHAME ON YOU ! YOU ALL NEED JESUS !
I’m a recovering racist, still learning.
Marnie Singer,
Fremont, CA.
I used to think I wasn’t racist; but when I joined Transcendence Gospel Choir and was accepted and loved, I realized how much I still had to learn, how much I still had to UN-learn.
My voice is always hidden away.
Brandy Roberts,
Cottonport, LA.
I am a loving mom of 2 beautiful kids. I am proud to be white, and I can not voice that to a single person, lest I be judged a racist. I have love pure and strong in my heart. I can not for the life of me understand why all whites are forced to apologize for being white. Why do all the other race’s get to throw shade and we are just suppose to take it and never speak up. I voted for Trump because I want change. We need unity. I am tired of having my voice taken from me. Truthfully I feel threatened by the black race. Not all but definitely a majority. I wish them the best in all they do. I have no hate for them. To me, they are unknown, and some are frightening. They are so strong in their beliefs and voice them constantly. If I voiced any of my proudness to be white, I would like some racist be yacht. And get jumped by a few. Just wish we could take pride in ourselves. There are so many organizations for black pride. We only had 1, the KKK, and seriously no white person wants to sign up for that.
I wish the voice would stop.
Al,
Atlanta, GA.
I was born 51 years ago. I grew up with a father who would definitely be considered racist today, but was probably just typical blue collar in those days – kind of an Archie Bunker figure. I heard the N word at least a dozen times a week. Fast forward to my adult years. I hate racism. I have black friends, my kids have black friends, they are all welcome in my home and I really don’t think about their race at all. I have gotten past it, except for one thing. When a black person cuts me off on the street, or does something rude, I hear my dad’s voice saying the N word. And I hate it and I hate myself for it. Does it make me racist? I wish the voice would stop.
Don’t whisper. I can still hear you.
Sabrina Fuentes,
Apple Valley, CA.
Some people are racist and some people are not. It is a fact, but some individuals believe that if they stay quiet about the matter they are doing no wrong, but it is on the contrary. We are all one race, HUMAN. It is about time we remember that.
Better to offend than not discuss
Joe Mallahan
Seattle, WA
As a white man raised in the United States, I have, by no choice of my own, indelible racist perspectives ingrained in me. While my logic and my civic values reject this racism, it doesn’t change the fact that my brain clicks to a different place when I’m interacting with an African American person. But to discuss this fact is offensive to Whites and African Americans alike. It’s very easy to stay quiet about race. Thanks, Michele, for coming to Seattle and speaking at the MLK celebration at Mount Zion Baptist Church.
I look like those I despise
Stewart Curtrright,
Overland Park, KS
Prior to Jan 6th 2021, I was aware that occasionally my presence and appearance caused some people of color to be anxious. Post Jan 6th 2021 I have noticed that my presence definitely creates some anxiety for people of color, from Walgreens to Walmart, folks try not to make eye contact and if they are working the cash register they don’t say much if anything at all. It hurts my soul to know that just my appearance and presence causes people of color to be anxious. The incident that sticks in my mind the most was with an Uber driver. Im naturally curious about people but when I began to ask the young man about his country of origin based on his accent, and what faith tradition he was part of, he became extremely nervous to the point of his arms trembling on the steering wheel (which wasn’t safe for either of us). It troubles me, as someone who cares deeply for humanity, that now my very presence is enough to generate anxiety in some people groups.
