Nicole Brown

About Nicole
✢ Social Work student at SLCC
✢ Adopted by a very loving white
family
✢ Madly in love with her amazing
boyfriend
✢ Works as a support specialist for
individuals with disabilities

✢ Loves being African American

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Interview Goal
To better understand what it’s like to grow up as an African
American in America.
What is your
racial identity
and how did you
determine it?
Nicole’s Racial Identity

✢ Identifies as African American

✢ Children’s books

✢ Black History month

✢ Hair
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Did you feel like
you had to
change your
appearance in
order to fit in?
Nicole Growing Up

✢ Hated skin color and physical features

✢ Chemicals, wigs and extensions

✢ A boy thought my skin was dirt...

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How do you feel
about the black
card?
Black Card

✢ Unique taste in music, style, and

personality

✢ “White washed”

✢ I don’t feel like I fit in

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What is the most
challenging thing
about growing
up in a
predominantly
white
community?
Growing up in a white community

✢ Fear and stereotypes close people off

✢ As a child...

✢ Racism documented more often

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If you could say
anything to a
group of white
people, what
would you want
them to know?
If I could tell white people anything...

✢ Acknowledge and move forward

✢ Come together as a collective community

✢ Stop assigning blame

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On White Guilt...

✢ My mom

✢ Entire race

✢ Guilt, anger and sadness

✢ We are all humans working towards
something greater
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What can white
people do to
make amends to
the African
American
Community?
Making amends

✢ Acknowledgement
✢ Showing appreciation to people of color
shows acceptance

✢ Meaningful connections

✢ Standing up to racism
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Final thoughts?
Final thoughts

✢ Bullying just to fit in

✢ Love people of your same culture

✢ Normalize interracial interpersonal
relationships

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“Turn your wounds into
wisdom”
- Oprah Winfrey
Thanks!
Any questions?