The Race Card Project
By Michele Norris
Lauren Michaels,
Poolesville, MD
As a white individual, I have learned to identify my privilege in order to recognize what I have, and use that privilege for good. If our society only allows certain voices to be heard, I will make my voice heard and speak up for those who can’t.
John Howard Faultersack,
San Antonio, TX.
Everyone is prejudiced, but racists do it on purpose, and I’ve never understood why.
Kit Carlson,
East Lansing, MI.
Sean Patrick Nicholl,
Storrs, CT.
Heard it plenty of times… I mention that my first name is after my grandfathers; John… y Juan. That stops them for a second. John, Juan, and Sean are all the same name in various languages. A great grandfather of mine adds Jean to the list. They think I’m joking. And I say, “Mi abeulo se llama Juan Bautista Galan-Cruz III, y es de Madrid. Mi madre vivia en Puerto Rico como una nina.” The last names in my Spanish heritage include Cruz, Galan, Velasquez, Formoso, Marcano… we all look white. Even my mother’s cousin who can barely speak English has blonde hair and blue eyes. Don’t tell me I’m not Spanish.
Northern Irish, Irish, Canadian, French, Bohemian Czech, Castilian Spanish, Puerto Rican … lastly American.
Megan,
KY.
Where to start. I have no clue. I guess I’ll start with some background about myself. I am a person full of love and I give it to anyone it doesn’t matter to me race, income, your past, how you treat me – what have you. If I ever get to the point of being your friend will get to know YOU for YOU (even if I don’t I am still nice – it makes people sick sometimes lol) and some how in this world hate seems to resonates from the hearts of people around the world. I try to remain very optimistic and happy at all cost and look to uplift others.
TO REALLY START: I had a friend post a status about history – slavery, someone I went to school with when we were younger and had no issue (hope to still not have any), but the gist of the comments in the status as to what his girlfriend was saying is that because I am “white” (which I guess to they eye that’s what I am) I am a horrible person because “my people” created the issue. That’s fine because honestly we are entitled to our opinion. I am one AGAIN not to look at the past I WORRY about the now. To proceed, by looking at me you wouldn’t know I have Native American in my blood. The first to really be oppressed/ European-ized, the whole Thanksgiving thing.
I don’t pay close attention to history TO KEEP SCORE. I educate myself (I guess the basics really – I don’t like fights, arguments or war like things – even though I do respect sacrifices made by anyone) to know what not to let happen again. ANYWAYS it confused me why this girl would say that? She doesn’t know me (I am a person who plays “devils” advocate as they call it – but a more angelic view & way. I can usually see both sides/ views AND am very empathetic), still I was like “God [bringing in my beliefs (which I also do NOT judge) to try an prove a point], wants us to love one another. We are brothers and sisters. Society likes to separate us, the MEDIA likes to separate us, but really we are all the same – just a different hue, different hearts, and different lives. We need to come together to get away from the negativity to make a positive change.” In which she proceeded to say, “we are not sisters don’t you dare compare me to you. Media doesn’t separate us, that’s a lie” and just other things insulting my intelligence. I just could not believe what I was reading. How this view of hers to me was so closed off. That she was hurting inside by the past that I personally did not create. I so badly wanted to help her see my view and to get her away from that hateful view.
This is 2016 not the 1900’s. I’m not saying to ignore history I am saying to hold on to it in a different view. It doesn’t need to fuel hate, or separate us. It is to educate us and to keep it from repeating it. One of my history teachers ALWAYS said History is needed in this world. Things are bound to repeat itself. It’s up to us to learn the history and make sure it doesn’t happen again. I just don’t like being looked at for my so called “ancestors” (IF, BIG BIG BIG BIG IF the people who caused where even remotely involved those hateful events) which again I have Native American in my blood and I know I am MIXED with many other things. I just don’t know my genealogy and don’t care too (If I had to guess wanna think Italian. I talk with my hands a lot. Haha.). Because I am an individual of now – not my family’s “ancestors”. To me I DON’T see the “past” which isn’t even MY PAST per say. Mine began in 1995, hello. I see the people as to how I know them, in the now.
TO ME (it’s okay if your view is different I still respect you tremendously) God is Love and I try my best to make him happy through my work. I let Gods love show through me. In which I wish others could see better, could the the beauty and the love I have to offer. BUT I am not everyone else and you can never get people to see the way you do, but how you treat them and everyone else can give them a glimpse.
I hope I did not offend anyone like the way I did that young lady, but if I do I apologize. But this is where I stand and it’s okay for people to have a different view than you. IT IS GOING TO BE OKAY!
Stay loving, humble and kind. Always, ALWAYS forgive.
Much love everyone!
Shannon Muller,
Plant City, FL
Hillsborough Community College
Rafael,
Lake Forest, CA
People will never understand the hardships and stress racism brings on people.
Jennifer Ghymn,
Wyomissing, PA.
The individual filters of race, ethnicity, society and family impact the way we interact and engage with the world to shape a personal cultural identity. I believe people should follow their curiosity, be open to new concepts and challenge themselves by looking at things from a different perspective. Race is a contentious topic that’s not going away but it should be embraced as a relevant and necessary topic. Understanding who you are as an individual and owning your identity is starting to recognize the importance of who you are and the importance of how different everyone else is.
Jennessa Cairo,
Los Angeles, CA.
I believe it’s important to know who we are, and to learn and respect our cultures all over the globe. But growing up I never saw race, I just saw people as equals. Sometimes I just don’t understand why is matters to people.
Skyler,
Vancouver, WA
Autistic, raised Islamic, and traveled the world. Still learning to be humble and understand the privilege I was born with, and will never “know enough”
Dawud Moore,
Flushing, NY.
Thrown off rooftops in Syria, blatantly insulted and threatened in New York, suspicious sneers, and parents moving their children away from us. Who tries to understand? Few indeed.
Lauren Vorbeck,
Leawood, KS
I choose to believe that when people understand the differences, they are less afraid to reach out to someone new. Our job as society members is to educate each other on the differences so that no one is afraid to reach out to another. Can we be different? Certainly! Should we fear each other because of these differences? I hope not.
Kit Robison,
Doral, FL.
I am most comfortable when the primary language is other than English. People assume I understand when they hear a lack of accent and see my skin but no your cultural logic did not compute in my head.
Ray Alonzo,
St. Louis, MO
I am 70, white, and a retired educator of college and high school-age students. During my years in the classroom, (1982-2014), I watched amazing fluidity in attitudes, beliefs and actions with my students. They taught me so very much.
When I first approached my college podium, “Shaft” “Blackula” and other black exploitation films were all the rage. Afros had pretty much been abandoned for dreadlocks and “fades” with my black students, my white students had begun accepting any length of hair for anyone, and for a long time, I didn’t have Latino or Chinese students. I mean, they were in my classroom but I saw them as “white”, just a part of the two cultures I recognized at the time. What a dope.
So now, I understand some things. All people are different. People that look the same may have different cultures. Some cultures have had great trouble even being recognized.
And most chilling of all, I realize that if I were a black high school student today, I would be angry ~ ALL the time. Over the years I made many well-intentioned but misguided attempts to demonstrate my inclusiveness. I’m sorry. I don’t believe understanding is ever something you “get”. It’s a life long process and you’re only as good as your last interaction with anyone who isn’t you.
My students knew I cared for each of them as individuals. There were many I couldn’t reach, but I tried. I wish I knew then what I know now. I’m still learning everyday and sometimes I can see both sides of a confrontation. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that you try not to judge, but when you must, do so slowly.
Thanks for listening.
Kristina,
Zion, IL.
I’m multiracial, which caused an identity crisis in my teens. I was never enough of one race or the other to really fit in with anyone. So, I decided to just be myself. I can love all my ethnicities, and the people who were meant to love me understand that.
Lexi Sieloff,
Shelby, MI
I think that many times people categorize too much and try to think they know everything, which is not always the case. Just because it is not you specifically, a person has no idea what someone else has gone through, which can often lead to other offensive comments.
Rebecca Robrahn,
Holland, MI.
No matter how much I try to learn and read and participate in conversations, I’m told I can’t understand, will never understand, that my privilege blinds me. I know I can never truly feel the experience of living in America as a black, Asian or Latina woman, but I *AM* trying. I *DO* care. I may have one of the whitest white girl names around (Becky), but I’m curious about others experiences and I want to know more.
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