OK, Now Back To Me

I went into this project with a very bad idea of what it would be like to be Black and adopted by White people. I basically thought they lived a life of privilege and could care less about other Black people. I thought they had a very stereotypical view of other Black people and would never take the time to try to challenge themselves to change.

I understand now that while some of these things may be true to an extent, it is not the fault of the individual. There are many environmental factors that influence how the individual becomes that way. Having read the experiences of people who live this voice gives me a much better understanding of the factors that contribute to their development. For many of them, college is not the first time they have encountered issues of race. Some times it is has been a lifelong struggle over which they have had no control. No one asks to be deprived of their culture. No one wants to deal with issues of identity at such a pivotal time as entering college. It just adds on to the pressure to adapt to the collge environment. I don't think we should shun someone because they are different or do not fit our definition of what it is to be Black, white, gay, lesbian. Identity development is not an exclusive experience. We all go through it in one way or another. There may be factors we have no clue about that make that person the way they are. At some point in life, we all are victims of circumstance and should not be so quick to harshly judge others.