I wish I could tell you that growing up in a black neighborhood and being a minority myself led me to think in a healthy way about race and racism. But it didn’t. I wish I could tell you fostering three black girls for almost a year changed my view on race and racism....
Race & Trauma Several years ago my wife and I went through a painful and traumatizing experience in our ministry, and it took me a long time to begin to bounce back. For years afterwards I struggled with depression. In fact, it took me about 3 years, I’d say, even...
I was born in El Salvador to an American father and a Salvadoran mother. I grew up aware of racial differences from a very young age because I recognized race affected how people treated my family and me. People would assume that my sister and I are not fully related...
I don’t remember all the specifics about my first experience When I Recognized Race, but I remember the effect that it had on my young soul. I was a first-grader in a majority white elementary school, and my experience happened during Black History Month. Now, I don’t...
I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. In 1996, when I was four years old, my family moved to an immigrant community north of Chicago that is nicknamed “Little Mexico.” Immediately after coming to America I learned that my family was treated differently not just because...
If She Can’t Use Your Comb… The phone rang. One of my parents answered it and said, “Chrys, it’s for you.” Elly, a white girl from school, was on the line. After we shyly exchanged a handful of words, we both said our goodbyes and hung up. My 9-year-old face was...
