The Race Card Project
By Michele Norris
Randy Nelson,
Gilbert, AZ.
At the end of a failed marriage, I explained my love of gospel music (my first record purchase was Bobby Blues Bland when I was 7 years old) to our marriage counselor. She “made” me go to a black church as part of my recovery. That led me to be open to the possibility to dating a black women. I met Rose on Match.com and we have been gloriously married for 12 years!
Zachary P,
Davenport, IA
I picked “A White Guy Living In America” because it sums up how I see myself and my experience with race. Being white has mostly meant I’ve been treated well and had some advantages. But there have been times when people assumed I was racist just because of my skin color, which was frustrating since it wasn’t true. I was raised in a white Christian family that emphasized respect and kindness. I also learned about different cultures early on in school, which helped me understand and appreciate people from all backgrounds. I believe it’s important to be proud of who you are, but also to stay open to learning about others’ experiences.
Charles A. Calahan,
West Lafayette, IN
Each of us needs time to develop across differences across our life span.
Zachary,
Mounte Pleasant, IA
Not really. I guess what can I say? It’s pretty cracked being white and a guy. I feel like just by saying that I might make people upset. I hate how white men have become the bad guy in society because I don’t really feel like I’ve done anything wrong cause I can’t change my skin color to something less oppressive and I wouldn’t if I could because I feel like that would be the opposite of taking pride in my race. I’m not proud of what my race represents sometimes as far as stereotypes and what white folks have done in the past to other races, but I think that every race has this issue. I think the story of the good samaritan is something everyone should abide by.
Gary D Patterson
Gastonia, NC
Here comes the stupid husband, boyfriend, tradesman, etc. in a commercial. He is almost always white. Why?
John Reiff,
Pelham, MA
Like most White folks, I was oblivious to my White privilege for a large part of my life, even though I believed racism was wrong. For the past 20 years I’ve been exploring the beliefs, attitudes, feelings and behaviors woven into my White identity, working to undo them in me and to find ways to act against racism in the systems I’m part of.
Durand,
Stone Mountain, GA.
Rights are completely equal in theory. But ill-advised in practice.
Secondary essay: White guy. Crowded theater. Anybody scared?
Danielle Silver
Forest Park, OH
A white guy I liked told me this. I am white( German, Irish, Penn. Dutch), Hispanic, Native American. I used to get asked where I was from in school. I said, “I’m an American.” My ancestors have been here for generations. My full brother has never been asked where he is from.
David Mercando,
Norcross, GA
This October my wife and I celebrate our 31st anniversary. We are a mixed race couple. I am white and my wife is Filipino. We noticed right away that we were not treated as equal to other young couples in Princeton, NJ in the 1990’s. It slowly changed but is still very present.
Our children attended private school in Princeton and Pennington, NJ between 2009 – 2016. My daughter has darker skin than I do but has more traditional white features while my son is as white as I am but has more Asian features. So when my wife would pick up my daughter from school, my daughter’s classmates would ask her, “who is the Chinese woman that picks you up from school?” It was the reverse for me. Although it was with my son. His classmates would ask him who is the white man that picks you up from school.
We actually think it as being quite funny. These students are from affluent backgrounds in Princeton, NJ and do not realize that the simple observation could be making quite a racist statement.
Some day 100’s of years from now we’ll be the human race.
Dan Rice,
Ames, IA.
As a 55 year old white guy in higher eduction I have been part of dozens of diversity awarness workshops. I teach and present on many subjects concerning diversity issues. After 2 dozen year of such activitiy I finally simply portray and live the fact we are all different – with different qualities, attributes, beliefs, colors, sizes, ages, etc… I have given up with lables and any more I don’t even try to sterotype or prejudge anything other than want is presented to me. The old “Don’t Assume – makes an ASS out of U and ME” has rung true way too many times for me that I just don’t assume anymore – especially when it comes to race, gender, or religion.. I simply look at us all as humans and grow relationships or dismiss them from there. I don’t think I am privilaged to think this way – just practical and honest.
William Jones,
Reisterstown, MD.
It’s Vitiligo. Yes, it’s what Michael Jackson had. It basically means the cells that make skin color stop doing that. All though you can’t see it as well in lighter complexions, anyone from any race can develop it, and at the age of about 30, I became one of the 1% of humans who do. What’s funny is that, as a bi-racial person, I’ve spent a lot of time dealing with race issues, from both sides, and wondering exactly where I fit. Now that I have white spots that will slowly but eventually completely cover my whole body, the idea of the color of a person has taken on a whole new meaning… and a much smaller one I think. When people ask about the spots, I explain. When people ask how I feel about it, I simply tell them that I spent the first half of my life as a really attractive black guy, and I plan to spend the second have as a really attractive white guy.
Andy Anglin,
Cleveland, OH.
Not really.
Just that black men would sooner spit on a black woman and step on her throat if it meant getting near a white girl.
They hate white men but they are obsessed with white girls and place all of them on a pedestal.
Bradley Hogan,
College Park, MD.
I’m learning to recognize privilege and want to do what I can to even the playing field
Thomas Paine,
Santa Barbara, CA.
I don’t begrudge being white because I know the advantages it has afforded me. It just sucks being associated with racist rednecks and boring as hell WASPS. The grass is always greener I suppose.
White Dude,
White Area, USA.
Well, to be honest, I’m not “proud” of being white. I’m not ashamed, I’m not proud. I don’t hang my head or puff out my chest. It’s not a huge part of me, to be honest. It doesn’t make me. So, I understand when people are proud of their race or heritage. But my family immigrated so long ago to America that by now I’m mostly just an American white straight male with nothing to be proud of other than my humor and my knowledge.
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