Dear Project RACE Members:

This morning, while having my morning coffee, I came across a story on the front page of my city newspaper. The story was about four high school graduates who had overcome rough times to go on to graduate. This paragraph caught my eye:

"One student lost her parents in an accident; another bounced back from a devastating disease; a third had to grapple with poor grades while coming to terms with his racial identity; and a fourth watched his family fall on hard economic times."

The student who had the "race problem" was biracial. His story went on to talk about the facts that his parents had divorced, he had gone from living in a big city in the north to a small town in the south, he was painfully shy and chose not to wear the glasses he needed in order to see. Yet, the story painted the picture that all of his problems centered around the fact that he was biracial, and therefore confused. He solved his problem by choosing to identify as black, and therefore his life was good again.

I grabbed my coffee cup, sat down at my computer wrote a letter to the editor of the newspaper, explaining my disappointment with the paper for stereotyping biracial children. I explained that the beauty for most biracial children is that they can happily move between all of their races and embrace all of their heritage. Not every multiracial person has to choose to be one race.

Last year this same newspaper ran a story in their lifestyle section about a family-type issue. The drawing of the family depicted people of different races. The story was not about race or ethnicity, it was a story of general interest to all families. We thanked them for showing that not all families are made up of people of the same races, and doing it in a way that was very matter-of-fact.

Project RACE heard about a news story that was scheduled to air last week about an interracial family who was publicly making an issue out of racism against biracial children in their community. It turned out that all they had to say, in the end, was that people looked at them a lot. Is that racism? Hardly. A Project RACE member appealed to the television station to pull the story. They did and the story never ran.

Project RACE members often ask me what they can do to help the cause. This is a perfect example of what every one of us can, and must do. These guidelines may help:

• Scan your local and state-wide print publications, radio and television broadcasts.

• Send letters or make phone calls of protest immediately, before it becomes "old news."

• Check the editorial pages of newspapers and the mastheads of magazines to find the appropriate addresses. Call radio and television stations.

• Keep your letter short and to the point. Most newspapers have word limits and they will edit your letters.

• If you would like a letter sent from Project RACE, please send us an e-mail or fax to (850) 894-8540.

• Thank the media when they do positive stories about interracial families and/or multiracial children.

It is up to each and every one of us to help educate the media so our families are represented properly. Let the media know we are reading, watching and holding them accountable.

Susan Graham
Executive Director
Project RACE, Inc.