Brandon McGee, South Bend, IN
Teach us our history, free them.
Myron Anthony, South Bend, IN I grew up my whole life in a predominately white city. I grew up thinking that Christopher Columbus was a hero. I grew up believing that ancient pharaohs were white. I grew up believing that Africa is a dirty continent full of unhealthy people and wild animals. I believed all […]
Carried by all, heavier for some.
Heather, USA. I wanted to emphasize that race is something we all have. Humans classify each other naturally, and as such we can all identify as one or more races, and others will also try to identify us regardless of whether we want them to or not. However, different races are treated very differently. Looking […]
Context matters in a slip-up, right?
Anonymous, USA nope…
What white neighborhood has MLK high?
Karen Gold, Atlanta, GA. Collected during: Six Word Stories on Education Last fall, ProPublica and The Race Card Project teamed up with two Tuscaloosa, Ala., high schools — one integrated, one almost entirely black — to tell the story of resegregation in the South. I am a 25 year veteran teacher in metro Atlanta GA […]
Still learning, still struggling, still white
M. Barton, USA. Found on Google under the keywords “I hate being white”
America needs an anti-racism czar
Ellen McGrath Rozsa, Lakeside, VA I think we need an anti-discrimination czar at the federal level to force a national discussion in America about confronting our history of racism. I nominate Barack H. Obama. Racism permeates every level of our society and we will never really overcome this handicap if the majority of whites refuse […]
Who Is That Mean Black Man?
Kevin Creamer, Richmond, VA #URTRCP #TheRaceCardProject These words were said to me by my then three-year old daughter, who was reflecting in her mind about Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies. But my wife and I were struck by the inappropriateness of the comment on its face value, and it was then that I […]
How do you racially identify? HUMAN!
Nancy Jo Taylor, Mishawaka, IN #TRCPIUSB I am required to ask this question at my job each day. It irks me to no end. Just because some governmental types want to keep a racial accounting of the populations we serve.
Children just see people, not color
Leonora Triska, Knox, IN #TRCPIUSB When children look at someone they are not judging them on what they look like, or what color their skin is. Children are unaware of these differences, only wanting to befriend new people. To a child a person is a person and that is it, everyone should think with the […]
Skin Color Does Not Equal Worth
Angela D. Huff, Plymouth, IN #TRCPIUSB I am a white woman with two children: a white daughter, and a biracial son whose father is black (if you were to ask my son’s father, he would tell you he doesn’t like being called African-American). My children grew up in my small hometown community, attending the same […]
Small things can make BIG differences
Althea McMillian, Chesapeake, VA At the end of each day, I reflect back on the days events. I am constantly amazed at how on many days, the smallest actions (quick conversations, greetings, smiles, kind/rude acts by other etc.) seem to have the biggest impact on my day. #URTRCP #TheRaceCardProject
Everyone must learn from our past.
Mark Person, Richmond, VA My family has recently donated Nat Turner’s Bible to the New African American Museum of History and Culture and I have served as a spokesperson for the family. Rev Turner was baptized on our family property Persons Millpond in Southampton County, Virginia back in 1828. Persons United Methodist Church, est 1838, […]
Don’t Care What Color You Are!!!
Anonymous, Richmond, VA I clutch my purse because I was raised in New York where the police actually come to school assemblies teaching us how to clutch our purses in a way where we won’t get pickpocketed or mugged. I’ve been doing it since grade school and it has nothing to do with who is […]
If I could have another chance
Jean LB Creamer, Richmond, VA If I could have another chance If I could say I’m sorry I would scream it till I cried I would plead until you knew I would post it on the Bricks of the Food Lion on Forest Hill Avenue Where I unleashed a torrent of anger Borne not of […]
Why don’t we all love diversity?
Hilary Appleton, Richmond, VA I am fascinated by people–who they are, where they came from, and the story of how they got to where they are today. I’m interested in people who share my story, but I’m even more interested in those who have a completely different story. To me, commonalities are nice and even […]
Coexist, acceptance, peace. Open your heart.
Andrea Zinski, Richmond, VA Are we really that different? No, we are very much alike – on the inside. There are many levels to hate and, yes, racism is very much still a thing. The current political climate here in America and all over the world has attempted to legitimize those who still think that […]
The white community must do more.
Clare Pugsley, Charlottesville, VA I chose these six words because America in 2019 is a place filled with more open (and hidden) racism and bigotry than I ever could have imagined. I feel a responsibility as someone who has benefited from white privilege throughout my life to speak out against prejudice when I witness it. […]
Social Construct Created By Privileged People
C.D., Richmond, VA
Mind wide, self-education comes free
Edward Darden Washington, DC Every American black person, who succeeds is and was self-educated to a great extent, at least in the beginning. When children are young, the chains around their minds and bodies are able to be broken with a Will to reach farther than what is in front of them. In this way, […]
You’re more European than I am!
Ronald A. Crutcher, Cincinnati, OH This was a statement made to me by a German man here in the United States, as he queried me about why I decided to leave Germany after having lived there for almost five years. I speak fluent German and really enjoyed my life in Germany. When he asked why […]
White Stepson, Black Son, Multiracial Daughter
Keith W. McIntosh, Richmond, VA I am blessed to be married to my lovely and talented partner, Penny. We were in prior relationships which gave us sons. Our boys were 4 years old when we met and our first date was taking them to Sesame Street Live on Ice. I would often joke that our […]
Everyone, everywhere, deserves real equal opportunity.
Andrew Lovell, Mishawaka, IN I am white, but throughout my entire life, I have always believed that everyone deserves equal opportunity. This means equal opportunity in this country and everywhere in the world. Your opportunities in life should not have to do with the color of your skin and every living being deserves an equal […]
I am black AND enough
Airra Jackson, Elkhart, IN I know that I can do and be anything that I set my mind to. I am enough. I am worthy enough of teaching your children.
People need influence and role models.
Kayli Prough, Shipshewana, IN
Let’s accept and celebrate our differences
Moira Dyczko, South Bend, IN
Is systematic racism still around? Yes.
Ryan, South Bend, IN A lot of people say that systematic racism doesn’t exist anymore, such as laws and policies. However, something pretty modern, the war on drugs, from about an hour of research many can tell that in the end it was just a huge war on minorities and separating families.
Blue Eyes. Blonde Hair. White Privilege
Kait Vinnedge, Niles, MI I recognize the privilege I have had in life just based on the way that I look. I am always mindful of it and make sure to check myself when thinking objectively about politics, my views on education, etc.
Race don’t define you personality does!!!
Haley Franks, Middlebury, IN
I am not followed around stores
Katie Andrews, North Liberty, IN Because I am a white woman, I am never followed around the store or thought to be shoplifting.
Embrace all race, despise no face.
Teresia Nganga, USA. Having relocated from East Africa to the United States of America, I have been treated with so much respect. In my workplace, at school and out in the community, I have been treated just like any other person who is from a different race. This has also been a wonderful encouragement that […]
Race is just a social construct.
Tommie Billups, Michigan City, IN I believe the idea of race was to develop as a way to make one group of people feel superior to another. Outside of complexion and small physical features, we are all the same. There is truly only one race and that is the human race.
Stop saying “not all white people”
Allyssa Kempf, Mishawaka, IN White people: when someone is telling you about what race means to them – stop shutting down because you get offended and stop saying “well not all white people…” It is not our place to tell any person of color how they should feel about their experiences with racism and injustice, […]
Privilege, color, shade, law, order, politics
Ryan, South Bend, IN
Women don’t (have to) belong in the kitchen.
Julia Adams, North Liberty, IN
American is NOT a race.
Morgan Rockhill, Edwardsburg, MI I work at a doctor’s office, and there are many patients who put down that their race is “American” instead of white. It often confuses me that there are still people who see America as a white citizen country. Yes, America is predominately white, but America is also very diverse. There […]
US Resident, please leave me alone!
Michael Candiotti, Fall Church, VA.
I’m not woke, but I’m learning.
Joe Boehman, Midlothian, VA University of Richmond I grew up not having to think about my privileges. I believed that I was a product of the American Dream. My dad worked hard, earned his college degree in night school after coming home from WWII, and my mom and dad put my four siblings and I […]
It is a melting pot
Tyler J Fennessee, South Bend, IN
I love my mixed race kids!!!
Katherine Cassel, Mishawaka, IN
I don’t talk white for being black
Teacher Adelakin, Osceola, IN
I’m gay; with pride and fear.
Mark Albin, South Bend, IN I love the person I am, but I also sometimes fear that other people, that strangers, will hurt me. My sexual orientation has nothing to do with anyone else, but I know there are people in the world who make my identity their mission to resolve. People enjoy being oppressive […]
Latino? Not all are kitchen workers.
Armando Diaz, Plymouth, IN
Am I Mexican Enough?
Maria Mares, Goshen, IN I was 16. I was in a McDonald’s. I saw a Hispanic family in line. Their youngest was maybe 6 years old. It was their turn to order. The 6-year-old boy was not paying attention. His father yanked him by his arm and said “ordena” (order in Spanish.) The boy was […]
“What type of Asian are you”
Chrissie Lai, South Bend, IN ‘They all look alike’…..I’m Vietnamese. “Oh, I thought you were Hawaiian because of your complexion. Oh well, every Asian look alike” A conversation I had with a customer at my job
I have a dream…
Scott Tilghman, Richmond, VA I met Reverend Samuel Billy Kyles at the Loraine Motel National Civil Rights Museum in August 2009. My daughter and I were traveling across the country and visited the Museum. Rev. Kyles gave us a 20 mins civics lesson and first-hand account of “I have a dream”. I keep the autographed […]
Yet we all bleed the same
North Liberty, IN We’re all different on the outside. Every last one of us. That doesn’t mean we should treat anybody different than we want to be treated. It’s not our place to judge someone based on the way they look. Every day, some people use race as an excuse to think they are better […]
Whatever my challenges, race wasn’t one
Justin Flagel, Niles, MI Yes, I’ve faced plenty of challenges throughout my life. Yes, I’ve worked hard to earn things I’ve gained in life. Yes, my life hasn’t always been easy. Acknowledging my white privilege does not mean those things are untrue or that I’ve never had problems. It just means that whatever my challenges […]
Race is taught, education is key
Holden Price, Elkhart, IN I believe that race is a concept taught/learned by kids through society and our parents. If adults stop indoctrinating their children from birth that people of different colors are different from them the whole race issue would greatly decrease. Also, it is hard to be concerned about or hostile to other […]
Skin color doesn’t define my intelligence
Casandra Mosley, Mishawaka, IN
You’re Mexican? Why are you white?
Fátima Tamayo, Chicago, IL We are all mixed and looks can’t define us.
I am white, but looked past.
Kenna McDonald, South Bend, IN
I speak English too, thank you.
Karen Carmona, Fremont, IN
“You are surprisingly well spoken”
Anna Ortega, South Bend, IN A professor said this to me after giving a presentation in class. Why? Because I’m not white? Because I’m a woman? Because I’m Latina? Probably all of the above.
White woman – never a suspect: unfair!
Beth Marchant, South Bend, IN I often feel like I could commit the most grievous crime, yet I would never be suspected because I am a white woman. I grieve for people of color and others who are often accused of things that they have not even thought of doing. I teach students from middle […]
How have we not come further?
Karen Christopher, Carlisle, IN
Fight the urge to judge unfamiliarity
Lucie Horvath, South Bend, IN Given my white privilege, practicing humility is so important when it comes to educating and trying to improve myself. I am not in a position to make assumptions about other people and their experiences, but still, unlearning my instinct to judge differences is an ongoing process. In order to make […]
White women will be oppressed too
Kelli O’Hara, MISHAWAKA, IN
Racism is not defined by color
Payton Woodworth, Mishawaka, IN I believe that racism is not a difference of one color to another. I see racism in all walks of life. From how smart you are, to how rich you are. Racism is the belief that who you are is solely directed by where you come from. As someone who is […]
You’re too white to be Native.
Erica Kirk, Cassopolis, MI I am a very white-passing Native American. People are always surprised to find out that I am a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, so much so that I often feel judged because I don’t “look Indian.” I am proud of all parts of my heritage, that history has shaped […]
Love your neighbor, whoever, as yourself
Hugh T. McEein, River Forest, IL It’s simply a quote from the Bible.
Don’t teach children labeling early on.
Elaina Barber South Bend, IN I worked in a kindergarten classroom my senior year of high school and those kids didn’t care about the color of everyone else’s skin or even how they talked. The only way they knew any different was if their parents had told them something.
Race: too much for six words.
Barbara White, South Bend, IN Race is deep and multilayered. Race is long-standing. Race is the DNA of USA. Race is insidious, outright, and unrecognizable to most folks who aren’t looking for it. Race is dehumanizing. Race is power, control, and money. Race is privilege and entitlement. Race is exploitation and colonization. Race is assumptions […]
We must solve structural racism, now
Sebastian Martinez, Berrien Springs, MI IUSB
A child has love for everyone.
Daphne G., South Bend, IN. Children don’t see race – why should we?
White, privileged, lucky to have choices.
Vicki Bloom, South Bend, IN. President Obama once said, “America is not a place where the chance of birth or circumstance should decide our destiny.” Unfortunately, it still does.
At this moment, people are dying.
George, South Bend, IN. As we speak, there are people being caged. There may be a police officer shooting an unarmed human being, or an armed shooter taking their white supremacist manifesto and a legally obtained weapon into a crowded space. The stakes are high.
Don’t allow others to define you.
Rana Hamad, South Bend, IN.
Isn’t that the symbol Nazis used?
Eesha Verma, USA. When I was in elementary school, we had a Diversity Day kind of thing where everyone was asked to bring in something that represented a holiday or a tradition they had in their family. I celebrate Diwali, so I brought in a clay lamp called a diya that we put candles in […]
My history is beyond the classroom
Ryann Mellion, Washington DC. Why do school textbooks only talk about slavery? Black history doesn’t start or end with slavery.
“Remember kids, everybody’s equal!” – Third grade
Ethan Ableman, USA.
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 […]
People of Quality Respect Race Equality
Saheba Cuccia, New Orleans, LA. Aspen X Adopted and raised in the South, I have seen and heard of the racial barriers that some people use to divide us. The color of your skin should not determine anything such as relationships, jobs, and social standing in society.
I hate being called a “white boy”
Anonymous, USA. “White boy”, , , . What I don’t understand is why there has always had to be a race at the bottom. No one seems to be able to get the freaking idea of racial equality through the six inches between their ears. First it was Africans. Then Jews, Asians, Latinos, Middle Eastern […]
Still a threat to your security
Anonymous, USA. A fellow customer I saw shopping for the 30 minutes I was in the store walked to the front as we were leaving. He noticeably pointed his key fob towards the parking lot to ensure his door was locked.
Caring is not enough. Changing is.
Susan Whiteman, USA.
White people are not the enemy.
Anonymous, USA. White people of TODAY are not your enemy. As a white person, I have nothing to do with what happened 60-100 years ago. I see you as just another person. My main concerns are about managing my own problems, and surviving on a very low income. I am poor. I just want to […]
Dichotomy matters AND full color spectrum.
Kaniela Kelekolio, Captain Cook, HI. The legacy of slavery and, for much of history, the demographics of the USA have led to ‘white vs black’ being the central racial discussion. But as America grows more diverse and East and South Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic communities and white and black ethnic subgroups flourish, they challenge a […]
Being proper is not “acting white”
Kira Knight, USA. CBU-HIS311
Life is Beautiful Don’t Stop Living
Emma GreenWood, USA. I live by these words. I believe life is beautiful, no matter how difficult. Every day we wake up, we never know what’s in store for us. It’s exciting and wonderful to just be alive, that’s why it’s “being alive”. Being alive is amazing, and fulfilling. Before we know it, life is […]
Learning and living are not schooling.
Laura Reeder, Boston, MA. I teach teachers. I am a teacher. I am exhausted by the confusion that we perpetuate about who deserves to learn and who needs to be schooled.
Blame the Founding Fathers, not me
Anonymous, USA.
Police harassed undercover cop wearing hoodie.
V. USA I’d rather not share my name right now due to the sensitive nature of the incident. While working undercover, I decided to duck into a burger joint to get a bite. It was cold and drizzly outside. I was wearing a hoodie. I am Latino. It was about midnight. I admit that I […]
Israel’s Gay Latin Jew from USA.
Brian Isaac Rizowy, Israel. Born and raised in the USA to Jewish parents, one from Sarandi Grande, Uruguay, the other from Chicago, I am nearly 100% Polish, with a dash of Russian and Mongolian thrown in. My great grandmother hid her Asian features with swanky glasses from the 1940s and 50s, lest anyone suspect her […]
Code-switching: an asset, not a crime.
Molly Wanless Chapel Hill, NC To develop and maintain respect in my middle school English classroom, I teach that there are many “right ways” to talk and write. With technology and society being what they are today, no one owns or “rules” the conventions of our language. My students understand that their language and mine […]
No One Traces Ancestors Back (to) America
Anonymous, USA. I find funny it when people say, “I’m full American” or something along those lines because all Americans are immigrants, or of the family of immigrants. Therefore, no one is “full American.” The United States is a young country, and most people can use common technology to trace back where their family immigrated […]
Identity is fluid; context is everything.
Zoë McLaughlin, USA. Waiting in line for the Chinatown bus in New York City, a man approached me and began speaking Spanish. I squinted at him and briefly pondered my response. This was not the first time someone has expected me to speak Spanish. As soon as I began making forays out of my predominantly […]
Together we can do it better
Ben Tallcott, Houston, TX. My life has given me the experience of many cultures and races. I have learned that our differences create a wealth of creativity and knowledge. When we combine these backgrounds together and take the time to listen and learn, we see the answers to many questions. Together we can achieve more […]
We are all in this together.
Vincent Miholic, Wayne State, Detroit I’m 62, 2nd generation (Slovenian/Croatian), and having watched acquaintances, also either emigrants or recent descendants, adopt what seems to me a distinctly neurotic American, “I got mine; we’re not equal” attitude, and engage in discourse that degrades others, I don’t understand how easily altruism and spirituality is corrupted by hatreds […]
My Black kids R past 18!
Anonymous, Wayne State, Detroit As a Mother of three Black kids, one a Black son, I worry and worried and worry some more about their survival. More so in today’s current political climate. The worry has softened from a steadfast sense of Fear. That truth I live with is the norm for SO many mothers […]
Benefit and burden with being biracial
Ryann Williams, Trinity University In a lot of ways, having two parents of different racial/ethnic backgrounds allows a unique insight into both cultures. It can be extremely enlightening to see how both sides can be so different and yet so similar at the exact same time. However, there is always this feeling as if I […]
Divide in America demands one listen
When I entered high school, I quickly learned terms like white privilege, white fragility, and microaggressions, which challenged my identity. While I understood I benefited from white privilege, I did not like the label. Still, the racism embedded in our institutions and the frustrated feelings of my friends motivates me to want to be part […]
Our global motivations are innately similar.
Tiffany Wysocki, Middletown, NJ. Monmouth University As I travel the world, I have found one truth: we are all innately equal in our drives and desires. We are driven by love and survival. We want the best for our families. We want to feel loved and have the opportunity to love. That’s it. That is […]
Forced me to see broader humanity.
Douglas Moore, Sharon, VT. Raised white, male, Midwestern and Republican the movement broke open so many of the absolutes in my life.
Of both worlds belong to neither
Tiffany M. Lyons, Rockaway Beach, NY. Syracuse University ’16 I am biracial and my experiences with race are constantly informed by internal tug of war about what side I belong to. I’ve finally accepted my place in the grey and the view is sometimes trying but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Equity is nice. Justice is better!
EduTechDiva, Wayne State, Detroit, MI Equality is not good enough. Equity is what most are striving for now, but justice is what’s necessary and way too many folks are afraid of what this actually means. It might mean that those who’ve had the institutionally established ‘upper hand’ for a while now, experience the injustices that […]
No, I’m not racist for existing
Anonymous, USA I’ve heard so many arguments now saying that all white people are racist for existing in a world that favors white people. Let’s get this straightened out. There are two types of racism. Institutional, and individual. No this is not “whitesplaining” it is just the terms from my sociology class. Institutional racism refers […]
When money talks, people are silenced
Anonymous, USA
Don’t waste your time on college
Patricia L. Gadsden, Central, PA. As an African American female in the 1960’s, I was discouraged from attending college. It was explained to me that I wasn’t college material. I’m not sure what they really meant since I graduated with straight A’s from high school.
People are trained to be stupid.
William Halley St. Jo, TX
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