For me, it was dealing with people I tolerated and knew far in advance that when the natural ending arrived, such as college graduation, that was it. These classmates held grudges and had mean streaks. Another person was quite negative and regularly made petty, cutting statements about other people. On top of that,…

As another former lifeguard, that's right!!

Yep, me too. After graduation from law school, I worked for peanuts for a small firm as well as a city pool lifeguard with teenagers. It was rough, and I played inspirational music, especially one song about being underrated to get me through.

Thank you for clearly explaining how wealth and high socioeconomic status does NOT protect blacks in America from racial profiling. It's frustrating to regularly hear people make statements that well-off black people do not have these issues. For educated folks such as us, spending more time with white people means…

THANK YOU. Until my current partner, most of my experiences ranged from neutral to uncomfortable to painful. There's a wide range of experiences out there, and not everyone is having an amazing time, physically and emotionally, 100% of the time

The odds are that those kids will be convicted for their actions, though.

He has some level of access to white privilege through his white father, a judge.

If we truly desire change, we all have potential. Lots of poor kids deal with low expectations from the adults in their life. Many success stories of those who "made it out" had people in their lives who believed in them and provided guidance. It's strange you chose to discuss potential by using a video of and adult…

The Midwest, just like other areas of the US, is racist. My definition of racism includes not just cross-burning KKK folks, but institutional racism as well as microaggresive behavior. In general, minorities do NOT get the benefit of the doubt. They have fewer chances in life, and have more difficulty recovering from…

Based on anecdotal evidence, black children in the US seem to be aware of racism as early as toddlerhood. They observe how some people are treated differently than others and how it is usually to their detriment. These conversations need to occur early and in age-appropriate ways. Racism is pervasive like that, so…

Are you me?

hot, humid climates- people usually have broader noses

Me too! Or rather, I joined a water sport in middle school and never got a perm. The sport later led to lifeguarding and coaching jobs. However, I was always the last kid in the changing room b/c I was using the blow dryer.

Although people have more freedom to self-identify, that includes people making identity choices others disagree with.

It's interesting how the general discourse about black and latino people in the US portrays us as struggling and downtrodden, whether favorably (noble poverty) or unfavorably (overdependent on gov't resources). When interacting with others, some people subtly assume I didn't grow up with my dad and am a never married…

You know, a school calling itself a Science Academy should understand that Afro puffs are the coily version of pigtails for people whose hair grows out and down.

I think it's best for people to have these experiences exploring —mutually— as young children.

Getting your hair touched repeatedly if you aren't ok with that is a problem, regardless of the reason.

As a synchronized swimmer, she was an inspiration! RIP Esther Williams.

Yes, when it comes to black women and children in ads, they tend to look mixed (cultural identification cannot be determined in an ad) to a degree disproportionate to their numbers. In other words, there have been many mixed-with-some-African-ancestry people in American media, but they are typically used to portray…