University of Arkansas at Little Rock

19 Comments Add your own

• 1. Denise Modelevsky  |  February 17th, 2009 at 3:27 pm

  My most meaningful encounter outside the classroom with a person of another race is when I went to the Little Rock Mosque for my social diversity class. I enjoyed learning how another group of people worship their God. The people made me feel welcome and were willing to explain what was going on for me to understand. I think it is important for all of us to experience different cultures to better understand how others feel and how to better work with each other so that we all can experience a more fullfilling life. By greater understanding of each other we can all learn better ways to communicate and work together for the good of everyone.

• 2. Kimberly Wolfe  |  February 18th, 2009 at 1:50 pm

  I would have to say the first one that comes to mind is when Hurrican Katrina hit a few years back. My daughter and I were at McDonald’s and there was a Afican American family there. The man was there with a phone book making some calls. I overheard him tell the person on the other line that he was looking for a place (or places) for his family due to relocation from Katrina. I approached the man and apologized for over-hearing his conversation but I would like to help if I could. Our church was part of the Baptist Convention Relief and they had given us a list of people in our church to call for help. I put him in contact with them and they were able to find him residence for his whole family. There was himself, his wife, his son and their children. I knew that we also had a clothes closet that was open and let him know they would have clothes to fit all of his family. We exhcanged phone numbers and while our children played, we talked for what seemed liked hours. He was a wonderful man and very humble. We kept in touch for awhile until he returned to his home in Louisana. I think of him often and pray for them still. He touched my life and vice versa. So many times, people do not want to approach others to lend help in fear of rejection. This used to be me - But I would like to think this experience really made a difference in how I look at others.

• 3. Naijejah Lewis  |  February 19th, 2009 at 7:40 pm

  My most meaningful encounter was when I was in junior high school. I was really afraid because I was starting at a new school and didn’t know very many people. Everyday after lunch all the students would congregate outside until after the lunch period was over. The first few days I didn’t even go outside because I didn’t want to sit alone. After a while I decided to take that chance and go out there in spite of my fears. Of course I sat alone for a few minutes. Then a group of caucasian girls came over and started to talk to me. Sure enough the girls and I became close friends and, over time, we developed a strong friendship. We’re all still friends today.

• 4. David Akers  |  February 19th, 2009 at 8:02 pm

  I’ve had so many ‘meaningful’ experiences and interactions with people from all over the world.

  A common theme that I have come across, is that most of us have similar hopes and dreams for our lives. Whether from Jeddah SA, Hinatuan PH, or Benton AR, humanity outweights cultural differences.

  Though I do not subscribe to Christian doctrine, a good plan for multi-cultural success is adhearance to the ‘golden rule’. It’s served me well over the years.

• 5. Toshua Shelton  |  February 20th, 2009 at 7:25 pm

  My most meaningful memory came when I was ten years old. At this time, my parents were recently divorced. Because of the divorce, my mother could no longer afford housing so we lived in our car. On our way to a friends’ house, the floor board of our car/home caught on fire. We pulled over, got out the car, and crossed the street to get away from the smoking car. A caucasian lady pulled up in her pick up truck and asked if she could help. My mother explained what happened and she offered us a ride. Just as we pulled off in the pick up truck, the car errupted in a fire. She took us to the friends’ house and we thanked her. We never exchanged contact information nor have we seen her since she helped us. All these years have passed by and every now-and-then I think of her and wondered, would she have stopped if she was a strong racist? If I had the opportunity I would thank her again and let her know she affected my life in positive way.

  So many times we focus on the color of someones skin to define or confirm differences but if everyone had the attitude that the stranger that day had, many of us would appreciate that one difference and not allow it to separate us or hinder our acts of kindness.

• 6. Salathiel Quiamco  |  February 22nd, 2009 at 6:58 pm

  I went to a private school from elementary to middle school. The school was mostly populated by caucasians. Coming from the country of the philippines where race wasn’t really an issue, I socialized with my classmates and saw no color.

  It wasn’t until 4th grade where an african american entered my class. She never socialized with anyone and it seemed that she hated being in the school. One day, I decided to walk over to her by the swings at recess and ask what her name was. She replied, not with her name, but turned her head toward me and said, “how can you go to school with all these white people”?

  I never understood what she meant by “white people”. I ignored her statement and dragged her to meet all my friends. At first, she was hesitant, but after a while, we all became good friends. If I had not dragged her to meet my friends, she would not have gotten to know them. She changed her perspective and viewed them as friends, not just colors or race. We all still keep in contact.

  What if I had viewed everyone as race/color and not a person back then? I don’t think I would have made it through in the U.S. all these years where the the asian race is a minority.

• 7. Sherry Caldwell  |  February 23rd, 2009 at 1:14 pm

  My most meaningful encounter with a person of another race was in the early 80’s when my grandmother passed. I was young but I remember sitting in the lobby of the hospital with my cousin when an elderly African American man came and sat down by us and began to talk. When I think about that time the thing that stood out to me most was even though he was no different than me I still remember seeing him as an African American man and not just a man. His race defined who he was to me. It’s only now that I am able to look at the situation and realize how I let his race play a roll in determining who he was to me. This experience was positive for me it allowed me an opportunity to learn from what I had done wrong and hopefully keep from making similar mistakes in the future. It also has been a good example for me when talking to my daughter about race and how people no matter what racial background should all are treated the same because we are all the same.

• 8. Catherine Crisp  |  February 24th, 2009 at 9:42 pm

  My most meaningful encounter with a person of another race was in May 1984. Cheryl and I were both students at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and were assisting with new student orientation. From the first moment we met, I knew we would be friends. Since that day, our friendship has continued for almost 25 years and we refer to each other as “my best friend from college.” Cheryl is my closest friend and my most trusted confidante. She is not my partner and not my family in the traditional sense but she is family in all the ways that I consider important. There is nothing I would not do for her and I know she feels the same. We can talk several times in a week or go several weeks without talking but we are always there for each other. Race is not our only difference. Our friendship transcends differences in race, sexual orientation, income, and family history and the many miles between the Midwest/mid south and east coast. These differences enhance both our lives and are the glue that hold us together as we delight in celebrating our differences, both our demographic differences and our many personality differences. Equally as important, our friendship with each other has lead to friendships with others of diverse races, sexual orientations, and family histories. We are the other’s sounding board and while we acknowledge that neither of us speak for our race or sexual orientation, we offer the other a safe and secure friend with whom to explore diversity issues. My friendship with Cheryl blesses my life in ways that no other friendship has. I am eternally grateful for that life changing moment in May 1984 and all the moments since then.

• 9. Judy G Williams  |  February 25th, 2009 at 4:49 pm

  Last year I attended UALR Day at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in downtown Little Rock, an annual opportunity extended to Dr. Joel Anderson to speak to the congregation about UALR and the value of a university education. It was the first time since high school that I had visited an African American Church. At that time, my choral director had invited the Muskogee High choir to sing at his home church in Tulsa, Okla.

  On that Sunday at Mt. Pleasant, I can’t remember the last time I had had such a warm reception by people I didn’t know in a church. A tiny, well-dressed elderly lady who invited me to sit next to her in the velvet-padded pew reached over to pat and squeeze my hand several times during the service to reassure me that I was welcome.

  It was a touch that has stayed with me - and one that I need to pass on.

• 10. Jennifer Erwin  |  March 2nd, 2009 at 8:53 pm

  I grew up in an extremely shelter town. To the kids in my school, there was no black or white, we just were. When I started practicing with the high school basketball team in the spring of my ninth grade year I met my best friend, Tahanna. Her mom was from California and her dad was from Hawaii. He was extremely dark and when him and his family moved to Arkansas, he was afraid that people would treat him differently thinking he was black. I never thought anyone in my world today would be worry about something like that.

  When they first moved to White Hall, there was a house that they wanted to rent but the landlady would not rent to them because she thought they were a bi-racial family. I never thought someone would deny to rent to someone because they thought a family was bi-racial. To this day, Tahanna’s family is still one of the parents I know I can go to if I need anything, and I see nothing wrong with their family. But apparently someone else sees something wrong with it. I thought in our society we were pass this judging people on the color of their skin.

• 11. Amber Garrett  |  March 3rd, 2009 at 6:01 pm

  My most meaningful encounter was last summer. I went to Eagle Butte in South Dakota on a mission trip. It was mostly all whites and Indians there.Our goal was to minister the word to young Indian children using basketball. All the people who were there were so nice. They invited me in with open arms and kept in touch with me after i left. I look forward to going back this summer and being apart of the VBS again.

• 12. Trisha Willis  |  March 12th, 2009 at 9:07 am

  I lived in California for a couple of years after my high school graduation. Up until that moment I had only been around a few minority groups. My high school was all white with one Hispanic family and one Asia family and my church was all white. At that time I did not have any contact with African Americans. I was raised to be separate from those of different race. When I moved to California all of that changed. My husband was in the Marines and was gone most of the time, so I got a job working at Wal-Mart. While working at Wal-Mart, I got to know my first African American woman. Her name was Harriett. She was a few years older than I, married, and had twin girls. We became good friends and even wrote back and forth a couple of years after I moved back to Arkansas. Our lives got busier and we lost touch, but I still think about her sometimes and wonder how she is doing. I remember thinking about all the things I had been told growing up and not understanding why it was so important that I keep separate from such a special person. I’m glad I got the opportunity to know Harriet and will never forget the lessons I learned from her. That moment on my beliefs changed and I knew that keeping separate was not a belief I would pass down my children. I never want them to miss out on knowing someone just because of skin color like I almost did.

• 13. Katrina Shivers  |  March 16th, 2009 at 5:16 pm

  I have been dating the same guy for a few years. I consider his family the same as my own. His sister has two children with an African American man. They happen to be the most precious children in the whole world. I never think of them as any different as my own nieces and nephews. My relationship with them has not only been a meaningful experience with someone outside of my race, it has been one of the most meaningful in my life.

• 14. Jaimie Wright  |  March 16th, 2009 at 5:37 pm

  My experiences with other races have only been positive and productive. One experience, though, sticks out more than the others. While living on the east coast, I was introduced to many different things that i had not experienced growing up in Arkansas. The most drastic difference was the exposure of different hispanic people and their culture. The importance they place on their native country, its history, and the people as a whole, moved me. I never thought of cuban american, dominican american, and mexican americans, as individula group, but as hispanics- americans. As my time on the east coast passed, i learned that every ethnic group makes up america and their individulity is vital to the american culture.

• 15. Chelsea Kiani  |  March 17th, 2009 at 9:47 pm

  After reading some of the other comments made by other students it was hard for me to think of an exact moment where I have had my most meaningful encounter with another race. This is only simply because my whole life has seemed to be one meaningful encounter after another. Since I was in elementary school to high school I was always “thrown in the mix” if you will, with those of a different race. I went to an elementary school which was strongly predominantly African-American, with the exception of me and maybe two other people in the entire school. I absolutely loved my elementary school, because I always felt like I belonged. I started out at an early age on into my college years with no concept of whether someone was of another race than me or not, I just simply saw them for the person they were, not their color. All through my life I have been surrounded by those of all kinds of races whether it be African-American, Asian, Persian, White, or others.

  You ask the question “what is your most meaningful encounter with another race”, but my whole life and the different expericences with other races have proven to be a continous meaningful encounter one after another. I am half Persian and half white, so maybe I owe my view on race to the fact that I am neither one or the other, but I am diverse myself. I see diversity in races as a positive opportunity for all of us to learn about something new. When I look at different people I do not see their race I just simply see differences among different people. So, I guess what I am trying to say is my most meaningful encounter of another race as been my entire life experience as a whole!

• 16. LaVerne Tolliver  |  March 20th, 2009 at 10:59 am

  This question makes me recall several moments in my life when some wonderful people were at the right place and the right time. When I was in a predominantly White junior high school, it was those moments that kept me going. I recall a time when a girl was passing around candy to her friends. She gave me a piece. For some, that would be nothing to remember. For me at that time, it meant everything!

• 17. Lara Ianov  |  March 29th, 2009 at 9:42 pm

  My most meaningful encounter with a member from another race was in 2007 during the commemoration of 50 years of integration in Little Rock Central High School.

  Before and after the celebration I communicated with with many students from another race, and I saw in them how much this celebration meant. I saw how important this victory means for many members in AR.

  This made me better understand the culture and history from America. I am from Brazil, and the way we see race is very different from how Americans see it. So this encounters in 2007, made me truly understand the feelings and the challenges that many African Americans had to overcome

• 18. Barbara McCrory  |  April 6th, 2009 at 12:59 pm

  I have two very different experiences that have been very meaningful to me. The first is my upbringing in general.  My parents are both from the Chicago area and moved to Arkansas along with most of my Dad’s family shortly before I was born. They ended up in a small, predominantly white town (meaning I went to school with 4 black students and 0 of any other ethnicity). My parents made a point to introduce me to as many people as possible…black, white, hispanic, asian…and to make sure I saw them treating of these people the same as every other. My parents didn’t have white friends, black friends, hispanic friends, etc.; they just had friends. Growing up with parents that saw past race made it much easier for me to see past it as well. I have never had a negative experience with anyone strictly based on their race or mine.

  The second experience is very different. I was in college, about 20-21 years old, and working at a local 24-hour fast food restaurant. Being a college student I worked a lot of evening and night shifts. The night shifts on the weekends were unforgettable. I witnessed fights, drug deals, drive-by shootings, arrests, fleeing suspects, and police officers shooting at fleeing suspects. I even had to testify in a court case. As I have said, my parents did a great job of teaching me not to judge based on the color of a person’s skin, but my eyes were suddenly opened to why so many sterotypes exist. The events I mentioned primarily involved black men. We began to take different security measures… uniformed police officers at the restaurant, drive-thru only during certain hours, etc…when we knew that this “group” would be coming to the restaurant. Eventually, it became a non-24-hr restaurant. Many people complained that these decisions we made out of racism…were they or was it truly for security of employees? I wondered too, but eventually decided that it was about safety, not race. The same decision would have been made regardless of skin color, but the stereotype of black men causing trouble wasn’t lessened in this experience.

• 19. Corey Thomas  |  April 8th, 2009 at 7:37 am

  I make it a point to have meaningful encounters with people everyday. I can’t pick just one. It’s all about character and integrity with me.

  My higher concern is why we continue to allow ourselves to be conditioned to talk about “race” when we really mean “ethnicity.” There is but one race and that is the human race. There are several ethnicities.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Subscribe to the comments via RSS Feed