Pauline Devlin Ann Arbor, MI Understanding Race Project- University of Michigan This is in reference to my friends and I. I do not believe any of us would consider ourselves racist, so I feel bad when I hear people casually perpetuating stereotypes.
Dear Ebenezer Baptist: I still cringe
Elizabeth Rodriguiz, Ypsilanti, MI. In the early 2000s I tagged along with my husband to his professional society meeting in Atlanta. While he went to lectures, I explored the city. I took the Metro to the stop nearest Ebenezer Baptist Church and walked through the neighborhood to get there. At the church, I actually asked […]
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 […]
Dad was racist. I fought him.
William G Doyle Jr., Castle Rock, CO. From the time I could remember my father expressed his racism against African Americans. I fought him because of it throughout my life. Usually it exposed itself the most after we would go to church and listen to beautiful sermons about God’s love for all people and then […]
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 […]
“Racist” label usually means “I disagree.”
Dan Ouellette, Wayne State The term “racist” is too often used to express disagreement with someone else. Rather than consider the benign logic behind someone’s viewpoint, it’s just easier to label them a “racist”. It’s the lazy-Susan tool intended to end a discussion, not foster it. There’s a mixed message out there if we’re willing […]
People are racist within families.
Olga Johnson, Wayne State, Detroit, MI Race is becoming more difficult to distinguish according to google, due to intermarriages, travel and better communications between humans on earth.
Colorblindness is Racist…
KKC, Wayne State, Detroit, MI The problem is not color, it is the way we treat people of other colors. When your white, you are seen as the “norm” so when you say you don’t see color you are taking away what makes them different and special to make them more “acceptable” white
So many racists look like me
Robert Goffeney, Pittsburgh, PA At first, I thought it would be difficult to come up with six words to encapsulate my experience of race as a middle-aged, middle class suburban white man. Immediately after that thought, my six words bubbled up out of – somewhere. People will never cross the street to avoid passing me […]
It’s sneaky, we’re all subtly racist
Michael Atkinson, Herriman, UT The more I’ve learned about racism, the more I’ve realized that even if we consider ourselves kind-hearted, stalwart non-racist, there’s subtleties encoded and enculturated into our thinking and language that’s astonishingly invisible to us. We must fight this by caring enough to learn learn learn.
Fine nose for a Black woman.
Kareen, Vershire, VT. Friends: Who think they are not racist by saying that.
Teach them young to be one
Jessica Clark, Chesapeake, VA. We are not born racist.
White People Tears Are My Lipton’s
Alex Miller, New York, NY. White people. Some of you, not all… please notice that I said SOME…some of you have been wondering, for a while, “Why am I always called a racist?” “Why do blacks blame me for slavery? My family never owned slaves!” And that sort of gives me pause because: What, did […]
Is the word “Haole” racist?
Joel, Honolulu, HI I live in Hawaii and I’ve always gone back and forth about the word “haole”. I tend to use it but I wonder if it’s considered offensive. Perhaps it depends on the context and why you’re saying the word. I’ve used the word to describe a person; “So and so is hapa-haole” […]
1999: Born Into a Racist World
Jahred Cleveland, Leander, TX
Not aplogizing for my white skin
Jillian Kurekova, USA. I am a 21 year old white female living in the ghetto. I have always been the outcast. I grew up in foster homes with black foster mothers and siblings, I have lived in all-black neighborhoods and went to all-black schools. I have never felt out of place surrounded by black people […]
Does being ‘white’ make me racist?
Tara, Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Don’t assume a persons position simply because of what their ancestors choices were. CBU HIS311
You may not know you’re racist.
Taylor Hirano, Irvine, CA. Growing up in a mostly Caucasian community, many of my fellow peers didn’t know they were racist against me. It could come from backhanded compliments like “You’re so pretty for an Asian”, to minor comments such as “My sisters boyfriend is Asian, you probably know him”. Whenever I said anything they […]
Time to STOP shaming WHITE PRIDE!
Rikki, Gallatin, TN. I’m SERIOUSLY really sick of every other ethnic group in the country being able to stand up and say I’m proud to be ___ yet a white person stands up and says the same thing and IMMEDIATELY we’re deemed racist. It’s about time us white people show the rest of the world […]
White: Still apologizing for Fathers’ sins
Dave Ihde, Minneapolis, MN. Don’t consider myself a racist, but feel like I get lumped in with all of perpetrators of past/present wrongs. I agree it was wrong; let’s try to move on.
Heart isn’t racist false accusations anger
Kevin Antonelli, Vienna, NJ. I remember the riots of the 1960’s yet at the time as a young child didn’t know the reason behind them or what was going on in the world. I was raised by an Archie Bunker and lived in a W.A.S.P. town with one black family. I was a racist but […]
Human nature doesn’t change; people do!
Rolando R. Gutierrez, Allen, TX. I am not a racist. I am a humanist. We all have the same faults including the minority defense of the racist card. The majority does not call it racist. It is called law and order. We all exercise it when in the majority. Here is another six words: Reason, […]
My skin is not your accessory.
Michelle K. Chicago, IL Racist men who are interested in me solely for their “yellow fever”: my skin is not your accessory. Racist people who want to befriend me solely because they “loooove” my culture: my skin is not your accessory. Racist people who think being Asian is all about KPop and “kawaii”: my skin […]
Difference doesn’t mean wrong, but unique
Angela Han, Korea. There are people who still are racist. I faced them when I was in America, the land of freedom. Because we all look different, that doesn’t mean that we are all wrong. We are just same human with unique aspects, likewise our fingerprint.
Latin America has light-skinned racists too.
Patricia Linderman, Mexico. I’m the spouse of a US diplomat, and we have lived in four Latin American countries for a total of 11 years. We have sometimes seen strong discrimination and heard ugly remarks against people in these societies with darker skin color. It is definitely not just a U.S. and European problem. Besides […]
How to know if I’m racist?
Diana Varney Salt Lake City, UT
I’m racist but fight the tendency.
Mark Donaldson, Edgewater, CO. I’m white, grew up in rural PA in a mostly white school. I live in CO now and work in tech industry where you’re probably either white or Indian. I know I’m racist but try hard to fight against that tendency. I want to be better than I know I am.
I always wanted to be black
Angela, Manchester, NH. Since I was a small child, I have thought black people were more beautiful, more brave, more…everything than whites. I am white and grew up in a very white state. I always felt other than everyone else, and thought that being black must be wonderful. I didn’t realize until I was older […]
Racist beliefs given up for love
Rebecca Hammons, Eugene, OR.
I feel powerless to intact change
Kate McFerrin, Oak Park, IL. I recognize we need to change; the US is, without question, systemically racist. However, as one individual, I don’t feel like I have great power to change much. It’s hard to feel hopeful.
Is the scrutinizing of ideas racist?
Joey Klein, Lakeland, FL. Why is it that if one disagrees with the claims of a feminist, or an SJW, that the one disagreeing is sexist, or racist? The claim that women make less money than men in the US because of systemic patriarchy can be used as an example. I’m not entirely bought into […]
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 […]
This is my non racist family
Teresa Figueroa, Stafford, VA.
“Ethnicity Doesn’t Affect A Kind Heart”
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 […]
Thanksgiving: Called out my racist brother
Annabel Knight, Austin, TX. We were talking about SS Disability, and he said “No, it’s not hard at all to get on disability–all you have to do is be a fat Mexican.” So wrong, I just couldn’t be silent. My husband backed me up, most of the rest of the table squirmed uncomfortably. Why is […]
I am Southern, not a racist.
Wren, Kennet, MO.
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.
Liberals can easily be racist, too
Vincent Zaal, Minneapolis, MN. We come from a very liberal area and are staunch liberals ourselves and yet in people’s attempts to “not be racist” they’re being extremely racist. Humans are different, get over it! Try thinking about “race” in the French adjective placement: “that human is black” rather “than that is a black human.” […]
Fighting against being stereotyped.
Nichole Wesson, Long Beach, CA. I grew up what I believed to be middle-class in Dallas. I attended private, Catholic schools from kindergarten through 12-grade high school graduation. My high school class was 1/3 African-American, 1/3 white, 1/3 Mexican/Hispanic/Latino. I have done well in my career and recently returned to school to get my B.A. […]
The Racist Salesman
Sam Smith, Stafford, TX. Ya I figured that would catch people off guard. I’ve been a salesperson now for about 10 years in Houston. Love the city and the culture, made a pretty good career out of it too. I’ve sold cars and motorcycles for a living. One thing I will readily acknowledge is I’m […]
Blacks are more racist than whites
Anonymous, Jackson, MS. Dissatisfied with black racism. But we never want to talk about it, and when blacks are tyrannically racist against white people, we just act like it’s no big deal. Black people today were not slaves, and no one I repeat NO ONE is stopping them from succeeding except themselves…but they want to […]
My racist relatives don’t define me
Olivia Chovanes, Philadelphia, PA.
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.
I try not to be racist
Brittney Smith, Washington, DC. But since I’ve moved here I can’t help but notice that many of the stereotypes of black males are true. I’ve been chased down the street by black males, groped by black males and sexually assaulted by a black male in the street. Since then I’ve been scared of black males. […]
“I’m Black, I can’t be racist”
Amy Kilfoyle, Spokane, WA.
I don’t know if I understand
Zach Perrin, Cincinnati, OH. I don’t think I’m racist, in my day to day life I interact with black people a lot actually and have never once had a problem. I also know that we have systematic problems, stemming from slavery, Jim Crow, etc. that still need to be dealt with. But are these the […]
My Gorgeous Mulatto Daughter Is European
Ehron, Belgium. My daughter was born in the United States to a black mother, but a dual citizen and I raised her with the eurorequirement to the mentality to live and present in Europe, so I always refer to her as European, not American. When she walks the streets of Belgium and speaks French, people […]
Thought it didn’t matter. It does.
Avery, Chicopee, MA. I’m white, but many of my friends growing up were children of color. I always thought that we were treated the same because nobody was overtly racist. Then I started educating myself and learned about concepts like dog-whistling and microaggressions. I was stunned to realize that I had been totally wrong the […]
You’re just as racist as them
Kelsey Milinkovich, Akron, OH. People always say I am just ass racist as “everyone else”. They think that I won’t have friends of another race as I and that I will not associate myself with them. One of my best friends just happens to be of another race as I. I don’t judge people based […]
The difference between realism and racism.
Danny Denzler, Wichita Falls, TX. There’s a difference between being realistic and being racist. Police profiling isn’t racist. Look at the facts. Who commits the most crime even while being less than a 1/4 of the population? Personally, I know that not all blacks are bad, just like all whites aren’t good. I will say […]
People can unintentionally do racist things.
Rushil Shah, Louisville, KY.
“You’re Not Chinese; You are Filipino!”
As a 12 year old, I had encountered in many times where people say very messed up things including something racist. Since I’m a brother of younger sisters including my older sister, I also have my own responsibility to teach my siblings about the things happening in the world like terrorism, pollution and other stuff […]
“White” is not a skin tone
R.E.A.L. Talk, High Tech Middle Media Arts, 7th Grade Trailblazer It has always confused me when people call others “white”, or “black”, because no one’s skin is “black”, or “white”. Besides, no one names their kids the color of their skin, so why do we call them that? In the past I have made myself […]
Straight white male? Must be racist.
R.E.A.L. Talk, High Tech Middle Media Arts, 7th Grade Trailblazer Even if I haven’t really been discriminated against by groups of people thinking they are superior to other groups of people, I feel that as a white person I am being mis-represented by white supremacy groups and neo-nazis. I feel that certain groups of people […]
Racism against whites doesn’t exist, right?
Keira Glover, England. I was sat on the train yesterday reading Tolkiens ‘Lord of the Rings’ when a black woman sat down next to me, she kept leaning over my shoulder so I assumed she was a fan and that she was reading along, I even slowed my pace to give her more time to […]
I don’t care about blacks anymore.
Paul Rojas, Tulsa, OK. I’m going to come out and say it…the same thing thousands, probably millions of people in this country are feeling, at this point. I don’t care about black people’s problems anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I care very much for the black people I known personally. I care about them as […]
I look white & I’m not racist.
Lynn, Great Falls, SC. I tend to look white; especially when not in the sun. I’m actually a mix of: European (German, Irish, & British), Native American (Seminole, Cherokee, & Muskogee Creek), Black (African -sub-sahara regions- and Melanesian), and Middle Eastern (Syrian, Turkish, Indian (India) & Iranian)…….Somehow I ended up looking more European instead……I hate […]
I think I am becoming racist
A., USA. I work in an area with a lot of Hispanic or Latino immigrants from different places. I have not had many good experiences with them. For awhile I just tried to excuse their behavior as not knowing or understanding the cultural differences but it’s getting harder. Before I continue, yes I know there […]
I’m white, but I’m not racist
Sydney Gahwyler, College Park, MD.
Being Caucasian Doesn’t Make Me Racist
Luke Pomranke, Petoskey, MI. I feel that I always need to be careful about what I say so that I am not accused of being racist. At times, I will make the exact same comment as someone from a different race but I will be accused of being racist while the other person will not […]
I am a consciously recovering racist.
Roxanne Darling, Haiku, HI. It’s my personal belief that it’s incredibly challenging to not be racist, regardless of one’s race. Not wanting to be, think, or act racist is not the same as not being racist. So I hereby present myself as a work in progress, as I unplug decades (centuries?) of neurological programming that […]
I’m white, but I’m not racist.
Ashley Seidl, Lakeland, FL.
Trouble is, maybe I’m a racist.
Matthew Hartter, Seattle, WA. The feeling of uselessness leads to a desire for superiority.
White & Proud Not = KKK nor Racist
Heather Mast, Houston, TX. I’m tired of not being able to express my own opinion for fear of being labeled a hate monger or racist! Im sorry for injustice done but I did not victimize anyone. Many are too fearful to “do anything” to help one another of a different race because then, in turn, […]
White doesn’t make me a racist.
Dee Oh, TX. Why isn’t it racist for other people to say that because I’m white, I’m a racist? I am attacked solely because of my skin color from black people. Only from black people. Why isn’t that racist? I add to a conversation that statistically, more blacks are killed by other blacks than by […]
Will racists be in Heaven? – Revelation 5:9
Rev. Paul Nulton, Vernon, NJ. I grew up in a very racist family and church. My grandfather subscribed to magazines like “The Cross and The Sword” – John Birch society rants about how African-Americans, Jews, Hispanics (all foreigners) were less human than white folk. I remember the minister ranting about Dr. Martin Luther King in […]
No, sorry, you ARE a racist
Nicole Valenzi, New Smyrna Beach, FL. My experience with race only started really when I entered public school. Until then, I can count on one hand the number of non-white people I interacted with. My mother told me part of the reason she took us out of our sheltered private school was because I pointed […]
Being White Does Not Equal Racist
Caitie Rudd, Burlingotn, NC. Elon University
Hello, I am a Racist
Max Moreno, TX. Hello, my name is Max and I am a racist. I have known this for along time. I no longer want to live in the shadows of this part of me. Today, I am here to say to my family and all my friends that I am a racist. I am not […]
Sometimes angry, sometimes hopeful. Always vigilant
Carl Williams, Chicago, IL. Though I love my city Chicago, racial issues persist. The “Blacklash” of President Obama’s election is real, palpable. At my age, 52, I’ve never felt like I must so vigorously defend myself for just being who I’ve always been, a Black man. I can no longer talk about race without being […]
American American American no prefix American
Travis Rems, Venice, FL. Never considered myself a racist….but as I get older, I wonder…or is the world just changing?
Don’t assume I’m racist like you.
Nicole Moriarty, Tallahassee, FL. I’m white and I’ve been living in the south for about 5 years and this crazy thing continually happens to me: white people see the color of my skin and assume, wrongly, that I harbor the same ignorance and racism that they do. Don’t get me wrong, I’m aware of my […]
Trying to exist in racist word
Cheryl L. Jones, Kansas City, MO.
Act equal and you are equal.
Clay Terry, Cincinnati, OH. I just want to put it out there that I have a multitude of African American friends, not all black people are ignorant. However, most of them are. I did not grow up racist nor are my parents racist. I developed my way of thinking from observing the black community around […]
I am WHITE. I’m NOT RACIST.
Heather Simms, Suffolk, VA. Something that has bothered me throughout the years is the immediate perception because I am a middle class white individual that I automatically have some sort of racism integrated into my DNA. I respect and love everyone regardless of color, ethnicity or appearance. Racism is a concern in our society but […]
The silent majority stands with Trump
Jaime F Galdamez, Madera, CA. This reads a certain way, but in “dog whistle” political speak it reads, to me anyways, like so…. We, the white people, who are outright or overtly or subconsciously or unconsciously racist and/or partial to racist sentiments, etc… We who are full of white resentment and anger towards blacks, Browns, […]
I’m Proud To Be Irish/Italian American
Sean, CT. I’m not proud to be white, because there’s so many different kinds of white and I’m not proud of my skin color, I’m proud of my culture. Sunday dinners. Seafood. Irish bread. That’s what I identify with, not the color of my skin. And to call me racist for that is complete shi*.
Institutions are racist, but individuals change.
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.
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 […]
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 father is racist, I’m NOT
Matt Schoch, Viroqua, WI. I’ve always felt guilt and shame having grown up in a racist household. Even as an adult I’ve felt awkward around people of a different race, as if I’ve done something wrong. My hope is that my race card will help me shed the guilt and shame of being taught to […]
Not all white men are racist
Ken McWilliams, Conway, SC.
I’m white, opinions make me racist
Hayley Franklin, Virginia Beach, VA.
Why should I have to die?
Antwan Lester, Baltimore, MD. Other people say racist things all the time some people tell me to die, but i don’t cry or reply I just walk away and stay positive because this life is mine not his and people do all the wrong things without thinking about the kids who could be in danger […]
Father, Husband, Teacher, Pastor, Caucasian Racist?
Brad Crump, Floral Park, NY. As a Presbyterian Pastor I serve a diverse congregation (Guyanese, Jamaican, Black, White). As a teacher I work for a Middle School in Springfield Gardens (97% non white). While I spend every day serving the diverse cornucopia of NYC I am seen by many as the problem, the privilege, the […]
I don’t… but I really do.
Brittany Price, USA. Being raised in such a racist environment makes it hard to be an adult in a totally different mind set. As far as I have come, I still judge people based on their race, including white people such as myself. It’s pathetic that still, in 2015, individuals are treated a certain way […]
I’m Not Racist, Stop Saying That
Charles, Brandywine, MD. I am 49 years with no White Friends. I have never invited a White person to my home. I work with White people all day every day, I have served beside White people in the military, and I play softball with 95% White people every weekend and holiday, but I have never […]
I’m not racist, my friend’s black
Nick Wheatley, Louisville, KY. I have heard so many people make racist comments and then use this as an excuse for not being racist. Racism isn’t about who you’re friends with. Racism is about making a race feel inferior to your own.
I am White, Proud, Not Racist
Scott Waldman, Aurora, CO.
I am white but not racist.
Stephanie DeRoose, Baltimore, MD. During a service trip to Washington DC, I encountered many nice and talkative people while I walked the streets. I made a comment to another volunteer and her response was, “It’s because they’re black isn’t it?” I had never experienced such rude commentary and didn’t know what to say. My comment […]
Racism is deplorable / racist is epithet
Lucian Hand, Bozeman, MT. To those of us who deplore racism, “racist” is a deeply offensive epithet – use such powerful words with discretion.
Can African-American people be racist?
Patricia Hogan, Missoua, MT.
Why am I always the racist?
Amber Francisco, Rittman, OH.
Black People Can Be Racist Too
Michael, Dallas, TX. I went to an all black school where I was 1 of 20 or less white kids. I was beat up, chased home every day, picked on and called white trash. I was bullied to the point of finally dropped out, and decided to get a GED.
Southern heritage doesn’t mean I’m racist.
Gunner Goshen, UT Just because I have confederate flags and my family comes from the south does not mean I am a racist.
I’m a Redneck. Not a Racist.
Anonymous, Spokane, WA.
I have never enslaved anyone’s ancestors
Paul, Colorado Springs, CO. I am not the enemy. I am a 40-year old white, middle-class male- the prime demographic; according to some. It hurts me when people assume that I’m bigoted, racist, sexist or homophobic. To many racial and gender-based groups; I am looked at as the enemy. Neither I, nor my family has […]
Not racist, proud to be white
Rusty Loiselle, Huntsville, AL. I don’t have a problem with anyone of any color. Color is not something we had a choice in. I have a problem with ignorance, thugs, people who are morally bankrupt and think the world owes them a living. I have a problem with people who think that they should receive […]
I am white, I’m not racist
Jaden Grigg, 8th Grade Holland New Tech High School, Holland, MI. Because I am white, people believe I’m racist. But that’s not the case. In the news, it shows how white people (and police) are killing people who are not their race (mainly African-Americans). With all of this in the news, they automatically think that […]
Please don’t tell me that you’re colorblind.
B., Ann Arbor, MI. Understanding Race Project – University of Michigan It’s just another way of saying you’re racist. (What does it say about you, that you have to deliberately ignore an intrinsic part of my identity in order to see me as a human being?)
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