- I know that race and ethnicity are not solely defined by one’s genetic heritage;
- I refuse to confine my choices in love or loyalty to a single race;
- I make efforts to increase my knowledge of U.S. racial history;
- I know that race and ethnicity can be used as political, economic, and social tools of oppression.
- They are my relatives, friends, and mentors;
- They are people who have crossed color lines to fight discrimination;
- They are people who identified as multiracial before this choice was recognized;
- They are people who have exposed and explained the suppression of multiraciality.
- I recognize that oppression thrives on fear and ignorance;
- I seek to recognize my prejudices and change them;
- I know that it is neither helpful nor productive to argue over who is more oppressed;
- I recognize that my life interconnects with all other lives.
I will make a difference!
Copyright 2004, Maria P. P. Root