How Does Race Affect Me

As a child, race did not affect me. This statement seems like a bold fallacy, but surprisingly, with a careful explanation of how race came to be, it can be shown why race does not affect young people. As previously stated, race is a socially constructed idea and term. This said, before society could teach me this idea, I was unaffected by this idea. My interactions with others were not racially prejudiced by an underlying assumption of the hierarchy of race. As I entered elementary school and began learning skills such as reading and writing, factors of race and prejudice began taking hold in my young mind. I began making choices based on the racial group I belonged to. Because of my desire to fit in, I participated in activities specifically for my race and began to exclude

Cultural stereotypes and habits have been passed from the society before me to the society that I am a part of with minor alterations. These stereotypes, both seen and unseen have set the framework for my development of self and identity. Without these influencers, it is safe to assert that I would be a drastically different human being than I currently am. Beyond the genetics and biological identity that I express, I have been shaped, molded and remolded by the prevailing theories and beliefs of the cultural at large. As Christians, it is necessary to be aware of the things that influence us. Many unseen factors have been at work in my life as I’ve grown. It is important that we attempt to increase the positive influences that cultural stereotypes and habits can pass on to us, while attempting to eradicate those influences that promote gender, racial and class inequality. As the author and poet Maya Angelou said, “Everything influences each of us, and because of that I try to make sure that my experiences are