The Race Card Project
By Michele Norris
Samyiah Presley,
Grand Prairie, TX
I chose these six words because they reflect the experience of being judged based on my appearance—specifically my dreadlocks—rather than who I am as a person. As a lighter-complexioned Black American with locks, I face assumptions and stereotypes tied to my hairstyle, which has deeper cultural meaning. My race card highlights the tension between self-expression and societal judgment.
Renee,
Indianapolis, IN
Blaming our race only causes more tension with other races and ultimately more racism. Let’s stop blaming everything on our race and make progress towards fixing the root of our problems. Let’s take positive action in our communities and teach the world there is good in all races and cultures and to celebrate them. Let’s stop putting on a front with our attitudes that we are tough! Being hard and gang bangin of course makes people assume we are bad people. Start showing our love to the world and they will love us back.
Nicholas Howe,
Northhampton, MA.
Smith College
I attended a mixed-race suburban public high school in Connecticut, where I competed on both the swim team and the track team in the late 80’s. Only one member of the swim team was African American, and his race was the elephant in the room that nobody would talk about. As a result, while I recall no overtly racist incidents, a feeling of suspended tension always hung about his interactions with the rest of the team. By contrast, the track team was more racially balanced and issues of race were unavoidable. The conversation wasn’t always pretty, with plenty of teasing on all sides and probably a good deal of stereotyping as well. But the atmosphere was good-natured for the most part and certainly felt to me a whole lot more healthy than the nervous silence in the locker room by the pool.
Mark Loup,
Williams Bay, IL.
This is one of the reasons I’m glad I left Chicago, one of the most segregated big cities in America. The tension just seems to overwhelm intentions. I live near the resort city of Lake Geneva in Wisconsin, and while I’m sure there’s plenty of racism here, there’s less tension. I work in retail, and when black people come into the shop, they expect to be treated like everyone else, and they’re relaxed about it. I also see more mixed-race couples. It just feels like less of an issue.
Granted, I haven’t been here long, and I don’t see any businesses owned by black people, nor am I aware of black people belonging to any of the governments of the local villages and townships. Same goes for the local chambers of commerce and business associations.
But just to be able to talk to people without that suspicion and caution as a starting place feels wonderful.
Anna Russell,
Mangum, OK.
#TheRaceCard is used by government to muddy the REAL ISSUE, the class divisions. When ppl are crammed in the ghettos of the largest cities it breeds contempt. Jobs and parents are scarce. Violence reigns supreme. The majority in the inner cities are black but not all, every color is there and they all feel looked down on. It’s mistaken for racial tension but it’s the shame of the lower class. I know because I felt it my whole childhood. Sure , a number of the rich are white, don’t hold it against us all. We struggle every day too!
Nathan S
Detroit, MI
With all of the talk of racial tensions in the US today, it is important to remember that the only difference between the commonly accepted races is skin color and, sometimes, facial features. Beyond that, people are all largely the same. Studies have been made showing that the vast majority of genetic differences in humans are within racial groups, with only about 8% of differences being between groups. People are people, regardless of color. It’s time we as a society grow up and stop playing us vs. them.
Susan
Eugene, OR
After a lifetime of feeling uncomfortable around most people, white or of any race, my face now defaults to a doubtful distrustful set of creases in the presence of strangers. Sometimes I feel like telling the rare black person I see off campus that I’m awkward around everyone, but it’s also true I’m sometimes more awkward around blacks. There can be a subtle tension. In this country I’m always aware of black people seeing me as a white person, but when I visited Liberia and Kenya, I felt more comfortable; I was viewed as a foreigner but not especially a white foreigner, and also I was there to volunteer so people seemed to feel more open, relaxed, matter-of-fact around me.
Warren Winburn
Louisville, KY
The media stretches out the race issue like an elastic toy. studies have shown it is not as large as much as in the past, it is dying down it is clear to see but the more we talk about it the more it boils up and causes tension.
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