Katie Bowles
Linfield, PA
I grew up in a conservative white Catholic/Christian family that tends to be very narrow-minded, especially in the older generations. I never thought whom I went to my senior prom with was such a huge deal, that was until my family found out my date was black. My mom wasn’t outwardly angry, just curious since she grew up in a predominately white neighborhood and worked in a primarily white company. My grandfather made sure to tell me several times in the weeks leading up to prom to “be safe around young men; you never know what could happen.” The sad part was, I’ve had several boyfriend prior yet this was the first time he’d mentioned anything.
A week or so before prom, we ran into my date at the mall. I introduced my mom to him and she finally realized that his skin color didn’t make him any less of a gentleman than any other guy and that she had nothing to worry about.
I never realized how skin color can change someone’s opinion of someone else. I grew up with kids of all races, and worked with people from all corners of the world. The only thing I worry about is how kind you are, regardless of your race.
