Hi, My Name is Amy and I am “Olive”

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Abstract

ificance of race and the impact it can have on one’s life.I’m not sure what happened to provoke the following conversation but one of my elementary school teachers kindly told me that if anyone asked about my skin color to tell them that I was “Olive”.At the time I was thinking about the olives you eat but no, I presume she was talking about the olive as in “the color” and I did not understand why it mattered so much.As I got older, I began to experience racism firsthand …“Hey, little girl! What color are you?” or“Hey, little girl! Is yo Momma white and yo Daddy Black or yo Daddy Black and yo Momma white?or how about this one?“What are you!?”When I began to experience all of these questions before an individual would ask what my name was is when I realized that my teacher’s advice

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was a way to avoid the discomfort and discrimination that comes with being labeled as “Other, Spanish, or Puerto Rican”, and I also believe these questions were stemmed based upon my curly hair.It wasn’t until I moved to a more diversified area later on that I started to recognize people embracing beauty in differences and the importance of embracing unique cultures again, but it still needs work.Racism is a pervasive issue that continues to plague our society, but it doesn’t have to be this way.We can choose to embrace each other, celebrate our differences, and learn from one another.Especially now, as we experience this new Renaissance era we are in. Embracing each other and our differences will be super key if we want to positively shape our future as a humanity.I intend on taking a more unified approach, I hope we all do. 💓</article></body>

Overcoming Differences and Racism (2024)

After reading a story shared by Rachel Thomas about Racism in our Country(2023) I instantly reflected on a time in my life when my teacher told me I was “Olive”.

As a young girl growing up in the North, I never thought much about the color of my skin. It wasn’t until I moved to the South from the bustling city of New York, that I realized the significance of race and the impact it can have on one’s life.

I’m not sure what happened to provoke the following conversation but one of my elementary school teachers kindly told me that if anyone asked about my skin color to tell them that I was “Olive”.

At the time I was thinking about the olives you eat but no, I presume she was talking about the olive as in “the color” and I did not understand why it mattered so much.

As I got older, I began to experience racism firsthand …

“Hey, little girl! What color are you?” or

“Hey, little girl! Is yo Momma white and yo Daddy Black or yo Daddy Black and yo Momma white?

or how about this one?

“What are you!?”

When I began to experience all of these questions before an individual would ask what my name was is when I realized that my teacher’s advice was a way to avoid the discomfort and discrimination that comes with being labeled as “Other, Spanish, or Puerto Rican”, and I also believe these questions were stemmed based upon my curly hair.

It wasn’t until I moved to a more diversified area later on that I started to recognize people embracing beauty in differences and the importance of embracing unique cultures again, but it still needs work.

Racism is a pervasive issue that continues to plague our society, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

We can choose to embrace each other, celebrate our differences, and learn from one another.

Especially now, as we experience this new Renaissance era we are in. Embracing each other and our differences will be super key if we want to positively shape our future as a humanity.

I intend on taking a more unified approach, I hope we all do. 💓