I can be whoever I want to be
That’s fine with me.

If it’s not who you want me to be,
Then what is it that you see.

My color is not important
Look inside of me.

Can you find something?
Is there anything that makes you happy with me?

Should I change where I come from?
Or change my accent?

Maybe I should change my clothes
Since you think I look like an accident.

Discussion Questions

The author mentions several ‘markers’ we use to assign race and/or ethnicity to people (clothes, accent, etc.) What are some other markers?

Have you ever incorrectly assumed someone’s chosen racial identity? Has your own been misperceived?

My school emphasizes diversity a lot. We talk about it a lot. But I sometimes wonder if it’s bullsh*t. The general sentiment here is that we are not racist, we are not sexist, we are not homophobic, and we are so much more accepting and open-minded and tolerant than anyone else.

I hate the word tolerant because it implies there is something to tolerate.

When people say that as if it’s a compliment I know they don’t mean it like that but I still want to throw up. And I wonder if secretly people are only putting up with me.

I’m from South Korea and so are many other kids here. I remember freshman year people were surprised at a cute group of dark haired boys and girls. They even wrote an article about “The Koreans” in the school newspaper.

Some people used to say, “Why are so many Korean kids here?” because they didn’t realize they were being horrible. “Well, I don’t know, I would say,” and secretly scream, well it’s not my fault, it’s not our fault. They accepted me and so I came; I came to school where teachers don’t hit you or one entrance exam into college decides your future.

I bet they still say it, though, just not in front of me.

I think here if you’re American and you fit into the borders of what’s considered the norm – and those aren’t just about race – you have, automatically, a certain degree of respect. You are an individual. You are Allison or Daniel or Eliza or Jack.

But I think for me, I have to earn it. I gotta take hard classes and get good grades and make art and write for the newspaper and play sports and be in plays and be on student council and do community service and do very well on standardized tests.

Then, I won’t be just “the Korean kid.” I’ll be something else,at least while I’m doing something. I do so much for this school and so do my dear Korean friends. We do different things. When people say “you guys are all so-” even if it’s in good context I want to yell at them.. And then, I hate myself for saying things like “we are-”.

Sometimes someone tells me not to reinforce the Asian stereotype. Maybe I shouldn’t talk about home so much. Do people sigh when I start “Well in Korea we-”? I can’t be feminine because again I reinforce that geisha stereotype. I need to speak up in class and speak lovely English without an accent, and loudly, because Asians shouldn’t be quiet and obedient!

I know no matter how many years I live here I will never be like everyone else. Something will always be a little off and I’m very proud of that. I just wish everyone else knew that.

Discussion Questions

Sometimes someone tells the author “not to reinforce the Asian stereotype.” Why might someone suggest this?  Is it helpful advice?

“These stories break the silence and I am grateful that so many young people had the courage to share their truth.’”

- Steve Clem,  Executive Director of the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) from his introduction to Speak Up! Click here to read the full introduction.

Thanks for visiting.  The Speak Up! Anthology is a tremendous resource for educators and administrators who are looking to broach the challenging subject of race with their classrooms or school.  Why?

1. The power of story is undeniable.  Stories have captivated us from before we could read a word, from before we knew about protagonists and denouements and allegory.  The Speak Up! Anthology is an entire book of stories – personal stories, of real experiences from real students.  These stories are engaging, powerful, and transformative.
2. These stories are written by teens.  They are accessible to teens.  They actually happened.  Unfortunately, as educators, we often find ourselves relying on someone’s conception of what teens are thinking or feeling.  Speak Up! cuts quickly to the core of teen experience around this difficult subject.
3. This project was visioned, crafted, and carried out by teens.  Not only is it transformative in practice, it also serves as a beacon to other teens – you CAN make a difference.  You CAN take action.  You CAN transform the climate of your school in positive ways.

Speak Up! is already designed for easy use in a classroom or other educational setting. Not only does the anthology provide an easy way to break down the complex topic of race and racism, it also includes dozens of activities and critical questions that build on the stories, and a Strategies/Resources section full of different ways for teens to connect and take action. We also offer a network of seasoned professionals who are utilizing Speak Up! in their classrooms.

“I am excited to use this book in class this spring!” Heather Angell, St. John’s Prep

Below you will find lesson plans and other curriculum ideas from other teachers. And if you are using Speak Up! in your school, or have new ideas on how to use it, please get in touch and let us know!

Since my inception this brown complexion
Seemed more like curse than blessin
Felt like confessin wit no guilt
Cause of the place race built
If you got a black face than its guilt by association
Goin from elation to deflation
Treated like fuck them we can replace them
Beat them even mace them
And they say this is a great nation?
They used to think we only 3/5 gods creation
Am I the only one to find this odd?
We’re not even a whole person but still 90 percent of little Brad’s ipod
Cause he loves the struggle and how we depict it
He can’t handle the whole truth so we give him a snippet
Of what we went through gotta go through jus to get to
What u got cause your hairs blonde and your eyes blue
I got all this anger built up cause I finally see the truth
That I gotta be 5 times better than you
So I don’t get looked passed at an interview
Or be placed under you
So we look to sports rappin or trappin
As our only avenue to get a view of Park Avenue
Where to get my 40 acres and a mule
I gotta entertain sum fool jus to get a back yard wit a pool
U sittin cool while I break my back jus to relax
Don’t worry I know the truth even though society wants to skip facts
Forget wat u say wat u think of blacks
Ima keep my head held high cause I refuse to fall through the cracks
But why does society think so little of me
Instead of seeing me in a class that’s AP
It would rather see me in a jumpsuit in juvie
And because I don’t like to wear a collard shirt wit khakis
I’ll rather wear a fitted cap wit Nikes
Does that make me different than yall
Why am I only recognized as the typical Negro that only dances and plays ball
I’ve been tryna speak out but people don’t listen when I call
So I’m forced to take it in my own hands and try to make the prejudice fall

Discussion Questions

What are some examples of race-based prejudice exhibited in this piece?  Who is responsible for creating these prejudices?  Who is responsible for keeping them in place”

What are some strategies you can think of to ‘make the prejudice fall’?

Stories from Speak Up!

Below you will find one of the stories from the Speak Up! Anthology, along with two discussion questions. We ask you to keep a few things in mind when reading and responding. First, the authors and schools in our book are anonymous.  We do this because we want to share stories which are relevant at many different schools.  For this reason, we ask that you not include your school name in your response.  We are not trying to shame or blame individual schools, but we hope that schools will take the opportunity to improve their campus climate based on this feedback.  If you include a school name, and the school asks us to remove the comment, we will.

Since the debate on this site is mostly anonymous, we ask that you be respectful and thoughtful in your responses and replies.  Comments which seem aimed to hurt feelings or shut down dialogue will be removed.  Since we’ve just published Speak Up!, there aren’t that many comments yet – be sure to leave a comment. Finally, don’t just read and respond, also be sure to check out our actions page and share what you intend to DO about the racism at your school!