David,HammersteinII: You’ve Got to be Taught.
Luc Charwin
Salem, OR
It may be trite and unoriginal to use someone else’s words. However, the lyrics of that song brought this topic into focus for me. In grade school a friend’s father did not allow David and I to share the experience of a week-long school camping trip. David was one of several friends of mine who had darker complexions than “Pale Face” me. I never understood that possible discrimination. I have tried not to respond in kind. I hope I’ve been more successful than not.
Race is a misunderstanding of Biology
Coco Smith
Salem, OR
A phenotype is not a race. There is only one human race. What people are calling race, is actually ethnicity. That is a cultural binding construct. It is that diversity that makes the world an interesting place. Without it, none of us would be here.
Race should not define me, right?
Ivy,
Salem, OR.
It’s sad, because I thought for the longest time that race doesn’t matter. At least in my household it doesn’t. I was brought up by white parents who taught me that our skin colors didn’t define us. Our family was a family no matter our racial differences. Yet, when I stepped outside my door, my classmates would say, “You’re Asian, that’s why you get good grades”, “You’re smart because it’s in your blood”. So then, race does matter in our society still… since clearly people see my race first before they see “me”, and I wish that wasn’t the case. Race shouldn’t define how we treat each other.
I apologize for being born black.
Alicia Nichols,
Salem, OR.
Racism is real. Face it. Heal.
Julia Pichler,
Salem, OR.
Picture Source: http://turnlol.com/images/2012/10/touhou-flandre-scarlet-bad-apple-fresh-hd-wallpaper-400×250.jpg
I thought slavery ended decades ago.
Alexa Ogno
Salem, MA
In the 1980’s, I went to a Catholic prep school that was full of privileged white kids. My good friend, Duchess Harris, was one of the few students of color. There was a single African American teacher. One of the student government fundraising activities was a “Slave Auction” in which fellow students could buy another student and have them do whatever they wanted for a day. Duchess was rightfully outraged at this and ran for student government her first year there. These words were part of her campaign speech. She went on to lead the student government at UPenn and is now a professor of American Studies at Macalester College in Minnesota. She continues to speak out about racial injustice, and has written extensively about women of color in politics. You can find out more about her current work at http://www.duchessharris.com/#about
Kendra, 2: taught to exclaim “n*****”
Rebecca Zeissler
Salem, IL
I was Kendra’s teenaged babysitter. One day, before he left for work, Kendra’s father gleefully showed me the new “trick” he was teaching his daughter. He turned on the TV and waited for a black person to appear on screen. When this happened, he pointed to the person and asked Kendra, “What is that?” to which she replied “N*****!” They both laughed with delight.
