Microaggressions

When I young, I grew up open minded, and I was told that God loved everybody no matter what skin color we were.  At my last school I had friends of different races and got along with them fine. But then my family moved to another town and I had to change schools.  The first day of my new school, I saw that I was the only black person in the room which it never bothered me. I think it bother the ones who were already there. Once I sat down in the very back these three white girls were staring at me and some was really angry to see me become a part of their world. ''Just what we need is another black girl in our school, said one girl!” The girls did not even know me and they were calling me racist. She than kept asking me things like'' How many black kids were in your school. I was so shocked that I did not know what to say! All I said that I was not racist and that to me everybody was the same in God's eyes. I felt like Ruby Bridges; being the only black girl in the class.

One day one girl felt sorry for me and began talking to me and she even risked her life by becoming friends with me. I must say that these girls were evil and cruel. I thought the only way to make these girls back off of me was for me to stand up to them and let them know that we are all the same, regardless of our skin color. The story goes way beyond this but I just want to share this part with you because even though what the girls did to me and all the name calling, I have forgiven them all because  that is the Godly thing to do. 

Perspectives on Diversity and Culture

I have chosen three individuals a co-worker, a friend and a family member.

My co-worker and I have worked together for five years this month and we have a great working relationship.  Our cultures are different in that she is Caucasian and I being African American.

Culture:  “I think culture is difference in the way people live and believe”.

Diversity: “I think they are very similar and it’s the difference in beliefs and perhaps faith”.

 The friend I choose to ask these questions I feel is very similar to me in her beliefs and we share very similar culture characteristics. This friend is also a preschool teacher at Head Start.

Culture: “Culture can be anything from the difference in how individuals live and their beliefs”.

Diversity:  “Diversity is differences in individuals, race language, spiritual beliefs and life style”.

My Family member:

This family member I choose is a African American female who is married to an Caucasian man.  I choose this family member because I thought her definition would be very interesting since she has a very successful culturally diverse marriage.

Culture:  “Culture is what a person believes in and holds close to their heart”.  “It also includes their spiritual beliefs, mannerisms, food, dress and so much more”.

Diversity: “Diversity involves the difference in people which includes the same items I mentioned in culture’s definition”.

Which aspects of culture and diversity that I have studied in this course are included in the answers I received—and what are some examples?

All of the answers I received had creditability; an individual’s spiritual beliefs can be part of their culture or diversity. For example, individuals with the same skin color can still have difference in culture/diversity, meaning that some individual with the same skin color can have different spiritual beliefs.

Which aspects have been omitted—and what are some examples of such omission?

I don’t think any aspects were omitted in the definitions I received.

In what ways has thinking about other people’s definitions of culture and diversity influenced my own thinking about these topics?

Having my own definition given it made me think that there are so many aspects to an individual’s culture and it’s not all about the person’s skin tone or language that sets individuals apart in culturally diverse aspects.

My Family Culture

I’ve been through a major catastrophic storm in Gulfport, Ms in 2005, hurricane Katrina. Through this storm, the majority of everybody around town lost quite a bit of stuff and some had to relocate to other states. But if I had a choice of choosing three items to take with me, those three items will be my family, my two dogs and of cell phone with the Bible download on it. I could not stand to leave these three things behind.

I will explain to others that the reason I am taking my family is because they mean the world to me and I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving them behind. Then there is my cell phone with the Bible on it for me to read on a daily basis. But most of all in order to get through this ordeal me and my family must have faith in God and be able to read the bible for strength!  .

 This would be so terrible if I could only take one item with me! I just honestly can’t say what I would do in that situation until I had to live through it, but I suppose I would have to take my cell phone with the Bible because this would be a total nightmare as it already is, but the thought of me not having the Bible for strength, me and my faimily would have a hard time surviving.

 My insight was gained through thinking how difficult it must be for other nationalities to come over to the US and make a new home for their family and considering the US to be the land of well being and prosperity.