Reflective Essay On Black Culture

Our class last week really had me start to think about what culture is. My own definition was very broad, and I realized that I have generally thought about culture being related to race. I always think of ‘black’ culture or ‘white’ culture, and that always directly related to how people act and react in different situations. The perception I have of myself as a cultural being has developed throughout my lifetime. Growing up, I was very shy and quiet, and somewhat still am today. I was, and often still am, asked: “what are you?” The response that first pops into my head is that I am human, an American etc. but I know that is not the response they are looking for. Since my skin is a light brown complexion and I have blue/green/hazel eyes, I am usually prompted with this question. Sometimes I give the people what they want, which is that my mother is African American and my father is Caucasian. Then that usually leads into a discussion about how usually the mom is white, and the dad is black. Too often race become a culture, which has become a popular topic surrounding ‘black culture’ today. This is how I always saw things growing up, in black and white, besides that I never knew any thing else about culture. Since I thought of culture that way, I felt like I never really belong to one. I was never ‘black’ enough to be seen as black, yet I was not ‘white’. Other African American children often bullied me because I was different, and quiet, which always rubs people the wrong way. Since I had the …show more content…
I have gone through my own struggles understanding who I am culturally, and where I fit into in society. I believe that a lot of students are misunderstood, whether because of their race, religion, or disability. My own experiences of being somewhat discriminated against and not feeling accepted have influenced how I see people of different cultures, especially relating to