Charlie, USA. I brought my car in for an oil change (in the predominantly black area I live in) and they told me that it’d be an hour before they could get to it. ‘No big deal,’ I though, ‘There’s a shopping center across the street.’ As I made my way down the sidewalk, a […]
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 […]
Uncomfortable around non-Asians, don’t know why
Pamela, USA I grew up in a predominantly Asian neighborhood in Southern California. It was a hard transition living in places where Asians were the minority…non-Asians were just so foreign. But I’m doing exactly what I’m fighting against: making others the Other. My brain has learned to fight these Othering thoughts, but I can’t always […]
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.
Colorblind but others may not be.
Catherine, USA I was raised to treat others with respect, no matter their appearance, but it’s difficult to when my identity is destroyed because so many fear “whites” as a result of the few bad ones within the race.
Becoming increasingly aware of my whiteness.
Olivia, USA
“Stick out on both sides….safe?”
Belinda, USA The reason I chose the first 6 words “Stick out on both sides…safe?” I have family in Minnesota, where my sisters and I stick out by being brown. My family in Minnesota are all white in small towns. I have been looked at differently: one time on a trip with my grandma from […]
Disappointed in myself and my country
Miranda Nogaki, Burien, WA. I’m sad and shamed it took me so long to see the racism in myself and my country. It’s so much a part of my thought processes, my brain now feels wrong. I’m eager to do the hard work of learning to listen, how to drop my agenda and expectations of […]
You probably think I look Jewish.
Eric Kelderman, USA. For much of my life, people assumed I was Jewish. After I met my biological parents, I found out they were right — and wrong.
Sometimes the problem isn’t you.
Jared Washington, USA There is a constant walking on eggshells around African American coworkers. It seems like every time there is a conflict, it’s turned into a personal and racial matter. Thus builds a wall that reason can’t always be expected to scale. At some point, you have to accept criticism within reducing it to […]
I do not smell like curry
Anusha Ghildyal, USA I used to get this comment often when I was in elementary school. I would be surprised to hear this comment because it was never something I associated with myself and my identity. Now, I wonder why people would involve my Indian food to serve as a stereotype for my race and […]
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 […]
Strength is black on both sides
Sedrick Ivey, USA It’s a harsh truth but we do live in a white man’s world. To thrive and succeed in life it often feels as though those who don’t fit that archetype have to sacrifice what makes them different to conform to the will of this majority. In my case being black means doing […]
There’s no finish line to color
Omar, USA Race has two meanings, and both can haunt us. The color of our skin, hair, eyes, etc.. or the delirious desire to be the fastest, the strongest, to win the race. They’ve always been intertwined. Well, as we know now, those division lines of color, or those finish lines of race-tracks are very […]
Independent determination perseverance honest unfair alone
Sharaya S., Wayne State, Detroit, MI Growing up in foster care and different states, people treat you different in the South vs. the North. It’s never fully accepting but feels like home, even when the hatred can be felt from complete strangers.
This country is such a beautiful place
Kelly Mulvany, Chandler, AZ This country is beautiful BECAUSE we are not all white. The variety of cultures and beautiful people ARE what makes America great and I would not like to see that whitewashed. If that means giving up privileges than so be it- after all, have so many people already proved it’s doable?
My Japanese half, GI dad unknown.
Katherine Suszczewicz USA When you don’t know, your imagination will choose to make something up. Over and over again.
I am white. So?
Alan S. Doctor, Cambria, CA. I was born in San Francisco on 15 Sep 1930. Dad was Scotch/English and Mom was Polish with a dash of German. Both 1st generation born in USA. My neighborhood friends were Hispanic, Oriental, white and refugee Jews from Germany. In high school I liked to walk home through the […]
But, you don’t look white.
Anonymous, USA Growing up I received comments on my olive skin tone. I grew up within a white family and culture. Many curious people often ask where are you from? I reply Florida to only receive “yeah but like where is your family from?” Having previous knowledge and the help of a DNA test I’m […]
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 […]
Poverty and racism leave children “behind.”
Susan F. Bohrer Merced, CA I started a tutorial program and later worked as a social work intern in a middle school where 70% of the students lived in poverty; 80% belonged to minority populations. From the teachers I learned that college was for other kids, and from the students I learned that it didn’t […]
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 […]
Important to confront your own prejudice.
Ilene Bice, USA I’ve been guilty of so much ignorance in my life. I never considered my own prejudices until I learned to stop talking and start listening.
Asian Americans, we the ultimate invisibles
The Invisible, USA While the media strive to be politically correct about every other race and ethnic group in America, somehow Asians, esp. Chinese Americans, seem to be the forgotten (and often bullied and ridiculed) race. In a country where people are “outraged” just about everything, nobody (outside of the Asian community) says anything about […]
“Protect” sister from favorite childhood movies.
Emmy Corey, Harrisburg, PA. I’m a white Alabama native from an all-white town with a black sister who is 17 years younger than I. I love passing down the things that I enjoyed at her age- dolls, movies, books. For the most part, she likes receiving them too. The problem is that before she came […]
We can always change the channel.
Audrey Lee Cho, USA. My parents immigrated to America in 1973, with my older brother Lee Wan Young and my sister, Lee Shin. I was named Audrey when I came along a couple years later, and our little brother Tom was born in 1978. My mother tells me they carefully watched American television, sitcoms and […]
Crudely Awakened from a Deep Sleep
Elizabeth, USA. In the novel Invisible Man, a black man in 1930s America struggles to find his identity. He starts out as hopeful and naive, believing that his hard work, determination, and intelligence will lead to eventual success and happiness. He does not realize, until the end of the novel, that the white characters and […]
Peace is every color – stop making it all “black”
P.T. Huedlach, USA Tired old white man here, you know, the guy responsible for all the world’s evils? It’s a new day – so get over it. Get a job, pay your taxes, make better choices, don’t blame others for your mistakes, but most of all stop being the thing you hate most – Black […]
Black people seemingly hate other minorities
Carrie, USA This is not every black person, but it’s a large number. And they don’t get criticized for it. This large subset never cares about anyone else, and in fact, is hostile at any mention of other racial issues getting brought up. Is resentful of anyone. Would rather fight than be constructive. Black people […]
You aren’t Hispanic if you don’t…
Jimena, USA Hispanics have certain foods and customs that we are supposed to like and do. If someone doesn’t like a certain type of food, people won’t consider you as a “true” Hispanic. -Birmingham High School
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.
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.
I try to be an ally
Phelps Hawley, USA
Im white, get confused as Mexican
Anonymous, USA
Love and kindness equals love forever
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
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 […]
Light Bright, Pass for White
Treysea, Tacoma, WA. I grew up in San Diego, CA in a predominantly blue-collar, working class, relatively ethnically and racially mixed community. Most of my friends and classmates growing up came from two-parent families – however strained or toxic the home, although there were plenty of kids that were also in foster homes or lived […]
Love your neighbor, whoever, as yourself
Hugh T. McEein, River Forest, IL It’s simply a quote from the Bible.
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.
Turban, Assumptions, Fear, Perpetually Foreign, Inferiority
Simran Jeet Singh, New York, NY. Trinity University My visible Sikh and South Asian identity have shaped my experiences with racial and cultural identities. Upon seeing me, people mark me as different and make various assumptions about me. Associations assume (but are not limited to): foreign, violent, conservative, uneducated, terrorist, victim, uncivilized, and dogmatic.
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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.
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
People use pigment to write stories.
Corazon Johnston New Orleans, LA Aspen X Beyond the fact that ink is pigment we use to write on paper, skin color creates circumstances of people’s lives. Some try to use other’s pigment count, like body count, the darker, the more criminal. Others who are the victims of such persecution make the best story or […]
Constantly trying to confront my privilege.
Hanna Birkhead,Syracuse, NY
First in college last to mother
Lesley Pena,Syracuse, NY
Blackness is more than six words!
Sylvia Langford, Syracuse, NY Trying to capture the spectrum of my people in six words was daunting; such variety of perspectives, abilities, strengths, weaknesses, ambitions, opportunities, disappointments, challenges, joys, looks and shades, but most of us have been impacted by negative judgments.
There is no “them,” just “us”
Greg Munno,Syracuse, NY
Observing how people from abroad/US integrate
Connie, Syracuse, NY Social and economic class speaks for itself. In my observation most people from abroad and/or here in the US act like they are imperial to other ethnicity. So they come to America with that attitude. For the most part this is a learned perception and is the real truth it our world […]
Biologically baseless with immesurable social impact
Ta-Nehisi Coates writes in his book Between the World in Me that “racism is the father of race.” I teach that to my students every semester. Racism created race, not the other way around. The categorization of people according to a perceived racial difference was one of the worst mistake every to be called scientific, […]
Being “colorblind” is not the answer.
L. A. Elliott, Rockwall, TX. Submission collected from Pro Publica: Segregation Now Series Every person has a story, a culture, a past and especially a future. If you ignore person’s race in an attempt to be colorblind and inclusive, you’re actually taking away their story, their culture, their past and especially their future. Instead, build […]
Eeny. Meeny. Miney. Moe. Catch a…
Auguste Budhram, USA. Anyone who has ever been in the minority remembers the first time a word knocked the wind out of them. As a child, my first time came packaged in a rhyme known by everyone– making the blow feel conspiratorial and that much worse. The rhyme is part of every 10 year- old’s […]
We have to get it together.
NIK BANNISTER Houston, TX Louisiana epitomizes how race and education interfere with opportunity, cultural identity and upward mobility.
History is now still running strong
Jen, Beverly, MA.
South Texas Born, Melting Pot Raised
Jerheme Urban, Trinity University I am very proud of the fact that I was born in south Texas, a location steeped with history and tradition. It is also an area that is a melting pot of race, culture, and economic diversity- with a heavy blue collar, agrarian influence. After traveling/working across the country, I have […]
Why Can’t I Like Rap Music
Anonymous, USA. Ever since a young age, I have been super passionate about hip-hop and rap music, but have received constant criticism, weird looks and other disapproving messages from some people who claim “there is no way you can like rap”. Although it’s a minute issue compared to other stories, it still makes me feel […]
I see my intellect surprises you.
As a young African American male, I have learned, through very personal experiences, that many do not expect me to be as wise or as knowledgeable as I am. My knowledge and opinions on complex issues as well as my level of articulation often catch people off guard. I am often expected to act and […]
YOU define yourself; NOT your color.
Angie Ward, USA.
White immigrant = not an immigrant.
Linda M Larsen, Hudson, WI. Hungarian+British +Canadian = American. I’m an immigrant, a ‘legal alien’ from Canada, with Hungarian and British parents, living in the USA. I’m supremely aware of the fact that no one sees me as ‘immigrant’ because I’m white. I moved from a very visibly multi-racial large Canadian city to small-town, lily-white […]
I knew one side of racism.
Joyce Goodluck, East Lansing, MI. On Location, MSU. Before coming to MSU I knew one side of racism from media. Whites discriminating Blacks. I even once experienced that when I passed by Akers Hall and some one shouted at me from his window black and African. I was like he is a racist.But whom am […]
We are different; let’s embrace it.
Abhijeet Ghadvaje, Detroit, MI, Wayne State Rather than saying we are all the same, accept that we are different. Rather than discriminating, embrace the existence of the beautiful diversity.
Wisdom truth and beauty dwell in every human heart
Rhonda McGinnis, Wayne State “We come from every corner. We speak in every tongue. Brought here by a vision of what is soon to come. No longer will we stand for bigotry and fear. The call of peace and justice is what has brought us here. The world that we’ve been given is not so […]
My black boyfriend’s not an athlete
Elizabeth S, USA. Is he on the basketball team? Does he play football? I’m white and in an interracial relationship. Whenever someone new sees a picture of us together that’s usually the first thing they ask. No, I’m sorry just because he is tall and black doesn’t mean he can dunk or played sports in […]
I’m in the inside not ouside
Johnny B., USA. Growing up in thee northeast US, in a multi-racial mixed racial attitude combined with military and college education has afforded me a peaceful coexistence.
I, alone, am my identity.
Kianna Mist, NH.
Beauty and strength in our differences
Joan E. Beaudoin, Wayne State, Oakland MI One of my favorite public art murals is located in the Grays Ferry are of Philadelphia. Called the “Peace Wall” and created by Jane Golden and Peter Pagast it reflects my vision of the world.
Black and Beautiful with Breathtaking Strength
Sidni Sera Goodman, Wayne State, Eastpointe, MI Being black in America is more than just challenging. There are so many highs and so many lows. I dealt with one day feeling black and proud, seeing how other cultures love my culture, style, flair, music, etc., then other days, I see how my black brothers and […]
Your race, my race: human race.
Chell Robinson, Wayne State, Ypsilanti, MI I wish it could be as simple as that. But until we’re at a point where one’s ancestral origin no longer provides disadvantages or advantages to their life, I acknowledge that it’s just not that easy. I hope we get there, and soon.
Where you from? From planet earth!
Saif Ashfak, Wayne State, Warren, MI Are you an arabic or Mexican ? Lot of people can easily confuse me because of my lighter skin and fairer complex, but what I truly am is a Bengali.
Will they ever stop fearing us?
Nicole D. Riggs, Inkster, MI I believe racism is rooted in fear. In the case of Whites versus Blacks there is fear of our ability to thrive, survive and excel despite all that is done to keep us from doing so. Even with their feet on our backs we manage to rise.
Black Lives Matter, Act Like It!
Nayana Davis, Wayne State, Detroit, MI Black people should not have to keep repeating that we matter because just like white people we matter too. White people do not have to keep saying it to get their point across because they already have privilege that is given to them without them even asking for it.
“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 […]
Army-wide, we were all green.
Christine Cook, Wayne State, Ann Arbour, MI When I was in the Army, diversity was important. So was looking past color differences. At the beginning of basic training, the drill sergeant insisted we were all “green”–meaning the color of our uniform was more important than the color of our skin.
We are the human race FWUH
Dave Micheals, Wayne State, Detroit, MI
Black beat me up, I’m sorry
Mike, USA When I was a young child I lived in an area where there were no people of color. My family went to visit my grandparents and while I was playing I saw a kid who was black. I had never seen anyone that had skin color other than my own, at least not […]
Race is not the issue, people.
Yvette Davis, Wayne State, Detroit, MI I believe race is not the issue. I believe the issue is the person true feelings inside. People are taught to be intolerant. Race is just the mask people wear.
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.
We are one big human race.
Austin Crutchfield, Wayne State, Detroit, MI We may differ in skin color, but we are all low-key one and the same. Genetically we may be very different or very similar or somewhere in between. Everyone has a different fingerprint even twins though. I think once we strive to find the many ways we relate to […]
Race- term that now ruins America
Steven Jones, Wayne State, Detroit, MI Race is a word. Since its a word, it can be used in different ways. Currently, race is widely (not only) used to express differences resulting in the lack of continuity among people.
Never let anyone dull your sparkle.
Carolyn A. Johnson, Wayne State, Detroit, MI
Self segregation in classrooms baffles me!
Sandy Yarrington, Wayne State, St. Clair Shores, MI I am always amazed at how far we have come, but I am frustrated at how far we have to go. It disturbs me that in many of the classes I have taken, the black people all sit together. The white people sit together. The foreign students […]
We know where we came from
Isaac Weiss, Wayne State Yes, we’re a Middle Eastern tribe. Yes, white people can usually tell we’re not the same as them by looking. Yes, Europeans never accepted us in their countries, even when the homeland we were expelled from was still under foreign rule. And yes, a few decades ago they tried to murder […]
Listen to Black People about RACISM
Kenyel Clark, Wayne State, Detroit, MI If you are privileged, you do not feel the effects of what socially going on.So, if you want to understand racism talk people of color, listen to them and STOP talking over them.
The only reason I was arrested.
Mignon Lott, Wayne State, Detroit, MI. My boyfriend and I were out on M59 heading to an event that he was catering when I was flicked. I pulled over. The officer walked up to the car and asked did I know why he pulled me over. I said no. He said because I didn’t have […]
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
See my humanity first, race second.
Sylvia Stancil, Wayne State, MI While I will concede that these mere six words may represent an oversimplification to addressing extremely complex issues, recognizing the humanity first in anyone is a good foundation upon which to build open and honest dialogue. There is a thread of commonality that should serve to bind us provided one […]
Have Pride in your European Heritage!
Caleb Boc Steele, Wayne State, Trenton, MI I’ve seen a lot of things recently that allude to white guilt or white privilege or other things like so I’d just like to remind people to have pride in where they come from, no matter where. I think all people should have pride in their heritage and […]
Fine nose for a Black woman.
Kareen, Vershire, VT. Friends: Who think they are not racist by saying that.
Fight for God’s kingdom on Earth
Rachel, USA. We must not be complicit in oppression. Come let us follow the Lamb who has conquered sin and death to bring justice and peace.
Ongoing process of rectification and clarity
Kyle, USA.
We all want the same things.
Jim Sechelski, Wayne State, Detroit, MI.
We All Deserve Better Than This
Matthew Wisotsky, Wayne State, Detroit, MI It’s 2018. LEADERSHIP is failing us. WE are failing us. We’re still going to war oversees and in our own streets over things that we’ve already gone to war for oversees and in our own streets. The nightly news highlights our setbacks. Leaving the last 30 seconds of the […]
A lifetime to unlearn cultural biases
John Christopher, West Long Branch, NJ. Monmouth University
Damn, did you see that White girl?
Lisa Jasinsk, Trinity University In 2007, I spent a year working at The Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. One day on my way into the office, I slipped on an icy sidewalk on 125th Street, and in a comic prat fall, landed on my bottom in a filthy puddle. A group of guys gathered outside […]
I finally accepted my own origins
Mimi USA I used to want to be white or Caucasian because I thought it would be easier but I finally accepted who I was and now I embrace my heritage,I am not a dark skinned person but my last name says it all.my friend used to say I could pass as a Caucasian but I […]
Not everyone who looks white (is white)
Sandra Miller, USA There is only one race – human. I am proud of my Semitic heritage, and I check other.
We all say stupid things sometimes.
Anonymous, USA.
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 […]
Race is nothing. Culture is everything.
Donna Southwood-Smith, USA. Yes, yes, I understand that what people see, affects what they think. I get historical baggage … I am from Jamaica, travel much, and have been mistaken for a ‘local’ in about ten other countries. Why? I am certainly part of the African diaspora, but like many Jamaicans, have mixed ancestry. My […]
The great famine was a genocide.
Stetson King, USA. The British should reunite all of Ireland and apologize for their willful neglect.
We lost our culture to survive.
Brianne Hittenberger, USA. It is the end of me, and I of it. My German last name belongs to me, my disabled brother, and my female second-cousin. My brother and I do not necessarily expect that we will marry, or that our cousin will keep our name if she does. When my brother and I […]
Races can seperate a “united” nation
Eoin Gallagher, Syracue, NY. Student ’16
Belonging nowhere, I inhabit all spaces
Anthony Chicaiza, Belleville, NJ. Collection: The Race Card Project, On Location, Hood Museum of Art, Witness I’m a first-generation Latino-American stuck between cultures and expectations of masculinity and gender on both sides. Which do I present today?
Oh you’re blonde…typical white girl
Chelsea Paige. USA.
Defines us. Helps us. Hurts us
Drew Baker, East Lansing, MI.
Twitter trends hashtag white girl problems
Kaitlyn Gravatt, West Long Branch, NJ. Monmouth University Whenever I click on Twitter I see #whitegirlproblems. How is Starbucks running out of my favorite drink a white girl problem? How is my eyeliner on one eye not matching my other eye a white girl problem? It is hurtful to be put into this stereotype that […]
My name is Jamaal; I’m white.
Jamaal Allan, USA. Listen to Jamaal’s story on NPR’s Morning Edition What’s in a Name? The Poetry Question-Discovering the Relevance of Words As a white male, a majority of majorities, I can’t talk about race. I’m not qualified to. Race isn’t an issue for me, right? Life is easy; things are handed to me. […]
God has a sense of humor
Anonymous, USA.
Minorities matter and all lives matter
McKenna Martin, USA.
Wishing for a happily ever after.
Shania, USA. She is tired of all the cooking and cleaning. She just wants to be a normal girl and be free.
Stop talking like a white girl
Jasmine Baker East Lansing, MI Growing up I was placed in the gifted and talented program in my elementary school. I learned to speak what this society refers to as “proper English.” Because of that, many Black students would tease me and tell me that I’m black, stop talking like a white girl. What does […]
Latino and Gay U.S.A.
Louis E. Perego Moreno, New York, NY. All my life, I have been out of more than one box. However, after wrestling with the subject for over 20 years, I have arrived at a point in my journey where my identity is defined by belonging to three worlds: Latino, Gay and USA. Many Hispanics in […]
Indian-American but live like white
Anonymous, USA. I speak no Hindi. Live in a big suburban house. Dress and eat like a yuppie white person. What makes me Indian?
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