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My name is Collin Morrow, I am 19 years old, and I identify as European American, primarily Irish. Growing up white in New Cumberland, PA, I never experienced any racial prejudice or injustice directly. I was able to be out with my friends past dark and not have to worry about having the police called on us or townees harassing us. I did live in a very diverse community and went to diverse schools, however. Through this, I saw how many different races and cultures were affected by racism. A lot of the time, it wasn’t direct racism towards these cultures and races but rather systematic instances. For example, growing up in a large school district such as the West Shore School District, I noticed early on that my white friends and I lived in predominantly white neighborhoods, while my friends of different races lived downtown in the urban New Cumberland area. This obviously was not the case with everyone, but looking back now, it is a striking resemblance to the article we read this year, “Black Studies, Multiculturalism, and the Future of American Education”, by Manning Marable. This article examines the systematic racism and legal barriers in place that led to the example I presented.  I saw myself at a young age fighting these paradigms by including all of those friends in everything we did in my area. Today, I think I would reverse it and try to involve myself in their lives and their areas more, so I could understand and learn more about what their life was like.

Marable, Manning. "Black Studies, Multiculturalism, and the Future of American Education." The Turbulent Voyage: Readings in African American Studies, edited by Floyd W. Hayes, 3rd ed., Collegiate Press, 2000, pp. 24–33.​

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Racial Segregation and Concentrated Poverty: The History of Housing in Black America

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Looking at Cross’ Nigrescence Model, I believe I am currently at Immersion-Emersion, which is defined as “when individuals immerse themselves in the signs and symbols of black culture and emerge with a more sophisticated understanding of black identity”. I think that I was in this stage before the class and am still in it, however, I feel I’m close to internalization. I think part of the reason I was stuck in the Immersion stage is that my whole life, I grew up with many African American friends, so I viewed them as family, being in the same situation since we grew up in similar households and in the same area. I think after learning about colorblindness and “not seeing color,” it opened my eyes. I was taught to love my friends and everyone based on the content of their character, not their skin color. But, as we talked about, this isn’t always good, as you are ignoring culture, struggles, and injustices. Going forward, I will continue to judge people based on their character and not their color, but I will also actively work to understand racism and black culture, denouncing white silence and colorblindness.

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Why Color Blindness Will NOT End Racism | Decoded | MTV News

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Like I talked about in the last prompt, I believe that I came in at Immersion and am still in Immersion, but very close to internalization. Before the class, I found comfort in believing that my African American friends and I were all the same, but as we had class discussions and dug deeper into systemic racism and everything that racism entails, I became ready to learn and change. One instance that stuck out to me was when Alice Randall came in and talked about the racism her daughter faced in school and while trying to get an apartment. She talked about how the landlords said her daughter could not rent an apartment once they found out she was black. This made the idea of systematic racism and subtle prejudice very clear to me. Another example was when doing interviews for our project. When interviewing my black teammates, I heard about the stereotypes they faced while growing up playing sports. Growing up, I did not think about these things because I believed we were all the same. At that point, I became very interested in learning more black perspectives, and I am currently doing everything I can to learn and understand more about being black in America.

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Over the course of the semester, we have examined many readings, films, videos, and presentations. This media was very beneficial, and the one that resonated with me the most was “The Role of Sport in the Black Community”, by Othello Harris. This article examines how sports have historically offered African Americans visibility and a path to upward mobility, but also reinforce limiting narratives that equate Black success primarily with athletic achievement. This article influenced my development the most, particularly because I am a football player here at Gettysburg and have played my whole life. In the article, Harris says, “The athletic prowess of young black males is a precious commodity to the black community”. Not only does this reinforce the fact that black males are now commodified in America, but demonstrates why many black males believe sports is the only option they have. For example, when playing high school football on a predominantly black team, I have heard and witnessed many black teammates express how they believe that football is the only way they will find success in the future. My conclusion is that many black athletes think this way because of the racist systems in place that put African Americans at a disadvantage, and these systems need to be broken.

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Course Engagement- Understanding Black Identity

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Course Engagement- Understanding Black Identity

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Another article that influenced me was “Why I Hate Abercrombie and Fitch”, by Dwight McBride. This article delves into how the brand Abercrombie and Fitch, like other brands, represents a symbol of racial and sexual exclusion in consumer culture. McBride argues that the brand markets a very specific group of American youth, one that is largely upper-class, athletic, and heterosexual. After watching the various brand videos in class, I could tell this claim was true. When thinking about how this relates to my developing racial identity, I found that I was oblivious to this and other companies’ marketing only toward a certain demographic, often white. To me, this represents how white is the “norm” in America, and the companies think that people of other races couldn’t participate in the activities Abercrombie and Fitch displays. This made me realize the subtle racism even in the clothing industry, and how we all need to educate ourselves for changes to be made.

McBride, Dwight A. “Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch.” Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch: Essays on Race and Sexuality, NYU Press, 2005, pp. 65–76.

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Abercrombie and Fitch Christmas advertising (2004)

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The last article that influenced my racial identity development was “Fly-Girls, Bitches and Hoes: Notes of a Hip-Hop Feminist”, by Joan Morgan. In this article Joan Morgan critiques how women are often categorized in hip-hop lyrics and videos as either “fly girls,” who are desirable and stylish but ultimately ornamental, or as “bitches” and “hoes,” who are demeaned, sexualized, and disrespected. Morgan explores how these labels limit Black women’s identities and contribute to harmful stereotypes. With this, we also watched many music videos of black female artists like Megan The Stallion, Sexyy Red, and Nicki Minaj. In the videos, we saw very sexualized content, which raised the question: Is it empowering for women or degrading? After having a class discussion, my conclusion was that the reason for this hypersexuality was that as a society, we commodified it. We made that content necessary by making it one of the top sellers in the industry. This influenced my racial identity development by helping me realize that black feminism has been commodified in America, when it is supposed to be an empowerment

Morgan, Joan. “From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos.” When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down, Simon & Schuster, 1999, pp. 61–78.​

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I’m not entirely comfortable with where I am in my racial identity development, but I recognize that discomfort is a necessary part of growth. I’ve spent much of my life in the immersion phase, surrounding myself with people and ideas that affirm my racial background and seeking to understand the historical and cultural roots of my identity. While this has been empowering, I’m aware that I still have work to do in reaching a place of internalization, where I can confidently navigate multiracial spaces without defensiveness or the need for constant validation. I want to develop a deeper understanding of how to build authentic solidarity with others across racial lines and better recognize the ways systemic racism operates beyond personal experiences. Future growth for me involves continuing to read, engage in open conversations, reflect critically, and remain open to being challenged. I hope to become more comfortable in my identity not by arriving at a final answer, but by committing to an ongoing process of self-examination and learning.

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Morgan, Joan. “From Fly-Girls to Bitches and Hos.” When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down, Simon & Schuster, 1999, pp. 61–78.​

McBride, Dwight A. “Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch.” Why I Hate Abercrombie & Fitch: Essays on Race and Sexuality, NYU Press, 2005, pp. 65–76.

Marable, Manning. "Black Studies, Multiculturalism, and the Future of American Education." The Turbulent Voyage: Readings in African American Studies, edited by Floyd W. Hayes, 3rd ed., Collegiate Press, 2000, pp. 24–33.​

Harris, Orthello. “The Role of Sport in the Black Community.” African Americans and Sport: Contemporary Themes, edited by Gary A. Sailes, Transaction Publishers, 1998, pp. 71–88.