Hi Tyra,
My name is Jasmine and I am a lighter skinned Black American. To some Caucasians and black Americans, I am a "white person in a black person's body," and I always ask why? They seem to say, "Because you don't act black."
I don't understand why colors are described as personality traits. Like acting black means you slur your words, or just make them up, you're loud and rude, and you have some kind of accent that no one really knows what the origin is. To act white I think the public assumes you speak properly, you are very smart, and you have money.
I've experienced all of this in growing up in school. I'm only 18 but I had an encounter last week with a "good ol' southern boy."
We were in class and I was complaining about something and a kid in my class did the "world's smallest violin playing get over it." I told him that's not what we say down in Newnan and he says, "Well, I don't know what they say in the ghetto." I just stared at him with one of those "are you really that dumb?" looks and a few people around him(all white) said "(guy's name), what the hell?" A few of them laughed it off( I think it was nervous laughter as of not knowing what to do or say) but I just said, "Just because my skin is brown doesn't mean I live in the ghetto, jerk."
The truth is you can't escape it. I do believe eventually....in 100's of years....racism will die out, but I know it will be around while I am still alive. I just have to learn to handle those people with class and then make them feel stupid. That always feels good.

What amazes me about the subject of race & the MANY submissions here truly prove the point that race remains prominent in a country so incredibly diverse. I too have an interracial child and truly have a fear of even enrolling her in school for fear of non exceptance by white or black students in a town that{ to ME} does indeed "have issues" with interracial couples. Yet my child has an adoreable playmate right next door to her and they play together as if they're one anothers shadow! If our country could possibly learn ANYthing look at our toddlers at play and recognize that racism is taught it's NOT born. I blame the media for adding to this problem as decades has passed.The incidents in Jena, being a PRIME example of what should not have been exploited for ratings.Shock jocks ( be it Caucasian or African American) are also responsible for their rude rants & behavior in hopes of keepings listeners tuned in.Even Tyra had a family of "religious" & racial zealots on her show that said whatever they could in hopes of audience reaction. It's disturbing to me the things we as Americans do on screen or the net in an effort for 15 seconds of camera time or a spot on You Tube.America seriously needs to wake up and GET A GRIP.

Dear Tyra,
I am so happy that you chose this topic as something to discuss. I am mixed. My mom is black and my dad is white. People don't really see that as an issue, but I deal with it everyday. I am really close to my black family and I am always the butt of their pointless racist jokes that they find to be funny, but they are hurtful to me. I am even friends with mostly black girls. They alsways talk about me for being too white and I can never say the word black around them. It seems like I'm too white for the black kids and too black for the white kids. Even when I was younger I used to cry because someone would call me a white girl. I wanted so bad to be black. My mom always tells me that it doesn't matter what my skin color is because my attitude and character is all that matters. I just wish other people could see me the same way my mom does.

(halla wallah) Thats one of many ways how we say hi in (Saudi Arabia) I'm Nourah Al-Said, 19. I'm half American half Saudi my life is very Confusing somtimes i com to the states every summer to see my mom's family, I am a muslim(sunni)..
what i want to say is not every muslim is the same the women on ur show coverd their hair i dont but yet i pray the same way as them and do every thing the same,and i've noticed that peple dont know the difrence between Arabs in genraland they dont know what were like as people.
The muslim realign is the most biggest in our time and still is growing!!! our realign teach's all wats kind and good for the people it doesnt say anything about killing people..
I dont think that what happend on sep 11th was right but i dont think it was wrong ether, Yes lots of incant got hurt and killed but it made America feel a little of the pain of what happening to r muslim brothers what u america dont see is that mothers r getting raipt infrontof their kids and husband, little babaies killed Shout at ,women with no weppons suffering watching their kids getting killed..
u dont see that ?????? all u see is how many of ur souljers gottin killed !!!
OPEN UR EYES

Hi tyra i am native american and i have delt with racisum all my life one day my history teacher called me an engrent red skind saveg and know i hate white people thay have killed my poeple and whin i see white people i turn my head and i know all this hate tordes a race is not good at all.Tyra i also want to tell you that the woman you hade on the show that sade she hated native americans becouse we were desgusting saviges that hurts so bad.

Dear Tyra,

Hi my name is Yesenia and I am 20 year old. I am currently in a interracial relationship which I'm keeping secret from my parents. My boyfriend and I have been together for 9 months now, since January 26, 2007. I am mexican and my boyfriend is black. I live with my parents and they are pretty much over protective of me, even at age 20. I'm having trouble telling my parents because they would not accept me and him being together because of his race. So I am forced to lie to them just to see him, which i dont like to do. I want them to know but I am scared at their reaction to it.

Tyra I just want to say thank you for doing a shows on Race. I strongly believe that its over-rated. Being a 23 "white girl" and trying to find myself and who I am in this "socitey". There's only so much a person can overcome in this day of age. Everyone is struggling with this issues on who they truly are. Sometimes I don't feel that I am white, I feel different then most. I always admire "black" skin it is so beautiful and flawless. They have a lot of inner beauty and also outter beauty and that is hard to find. Thank you for opening up the world on issues of race, people need to take a step back and realize that they are just like expect a "different color" They have the same rights, and they have the right to he respected has a human being!!! Just like YOU!!

Dear Banks,

As second generation Muslims living in America, we have long felt slighted and silenced--not identifying with radical voices often found in immigrant communities or with secular ones who aim to undermine our faith. We feel the time for America to hear where we stand on relevant issues like terrorism, women's rights, and the conflict in the Middle East is long overdue. We want Americans to know that we too are part and parcel of this country: we pay our taxes, vote, and explicitly denounce all forms of terrorism and all individuals who impose their views on others.

The most qualified and articulate person to represent our views is today's leading and most foremost American-Muslim scholar, Mr. Hamza Yusuf Hanson. For more information on Mr. Hanson and why his message of tolerance, moderation, and spirituality is effecting the hearts and minds of millions of Muslims all across the world, please visit his website at: www.zaytuna.org.

We hope that you take our request in deep consideration and give us this opportunity as truly there is no better platform than your show, which has long been dedicated to changing people's lives for the better and representing that which is good, for this important discussion to take place.

Shabana Chaudhry
Chimes, Inc. | Morgan Stanley | Operations
1 Pierrepont Plaza, 7th Floor | Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: +1 718 754-1489
Shabana.Chaudhry@morganstanley.com

show was good i am a 16 year old muslim and ive been called a terrorist since 9/11!!

hey tyra
im 13 years old and im muslim my dads from pakistan and my mom is from afghanistan. in my school they always make fun of me and i sick of it ever since 9-11 everything has been worse.i feel like im an alien.

I was born here in america and have a mother who was born here and a father born in Iran. Race, who I was, and where I came from was never anything that mattered to me untill 9/11. Since then I have been called all sorts of names, insulted because of my last name, and considered plastic surgery. Ignorance and judgement are things that have made me cry myself to sleep many nights. America needs to wake up! We are all people! And thats the bottome line. If your black, white, middle eastern, asian or anyone else, under the color of all of our skin runs the same red blood!

Hi Tyra,
I am a 22 year old American woman living in Kuwait and I saw your show about the Muslim woman Phalestinah and the Black woman Saaphyri. It made me mad to see that Saaphyri judged so quickly, because I am married to a Muslim man. I am white but I have a German and Irish background, and my Husband is Syrian..but he is just as white as I am, so you wouldn't tell unless he told you. About wearing the Hijab, I know a lot of women who wear it...Not just muslims. And I think that we all need to grow up and Separate good people from bad people, instead of Races.

I also saw another show where you did the mixed races as "couples" instead of the Obvious black, white and Asian, Why not put a middle Eastern with another race. Now the Middle Eastern does not have to be Dark skinned, there are A LOT of white Middle Easterns (My husband is one of them) I hope you take this into consideration.

Hi Tyra,
I am a 22 year old American woman living in Kuwait and I saw your show about the Muslim woman Phalestinah and the Black woman Saaphyri. It made me mad to see that Saaphyri judged so quickly, because I am married to a Muslim man. I am white but I have a German and Irish background, and my Husband is Syrian..but he is just as white as I am, so you wouldn't tell unless he told you. About wearing the Hijab, I know a lot of women who wear it...Not just muslims. And I think that we all need to grow up and Separate good people from bad people, instead of Races.

I also saw another show where you did the mixed races as "couples" instead of the Obvious black, white and Asian, Why not put a middle Eastern with another race. Now the Middle Eastern does not have to be Dark skinned, there are A LOT of white Middle Easterns (My husband is one of them) I hope you take this into consideration.

One of the issues has really been discussed but not over come is the issue with body image. This body image issue is so out of hand today because of lack of knowledge; and one of the main reasons is our differences racially (biologically) and culturally. There is a major lack of understanding that everyone can not and will not all have the ideal body image what ever it may be. People using commentary on another's body whether negative or posistive and comparing it to anothers often causes disasterous results. No one ever considers that people look the way they do because of heredity and life style. With that differences will always vary. So with that we are all beautiful, but most of all uniquely beautiful beyond comparision.

With that I also want to comment on this thing with the majority of the African-American female race straighting their hair as a lifestyle choice. It's not like we staighten it for a little while for a change but we do this for just about (extremely close) the entirety of our lives. Why is this?

WOW,WOW,WOW,WOW,WOW,WOW!!!!

Hatred of self and others is alive and flourishing!! It is obvious that focusing on hate does not better the situation. Let try putting our major/majority focus on self love and love of others.

I am so very happy that I have come to love myself, and therefore when I see and experience hate what I know is that I am only a sounding board for that person and the hatred I am experiencing has nothing to do with me. Therefore, I am here for his or her benefit and to confirm my love for myself. At acknowledging this, within minutes I am okay. I close my eyes and I feel the love of God's touch. I have a daughter. I look at her, and I want to shield her from the pain of this world , but then I remember that we all must learn and come to know self love and this will not happen without painful experiences. At least not in my lifetime. Therefore, I can only give her the spiritual, emotional, and intellectual tools to know herself. This physical body is but a vessel. This too shall pass. And, this I know I will see her again in a spirit form and we will know love as God loves us.

My physical is dark brown. I have nappy hair and full lips, and I am beautiful.

Once you come to know what real love is you can never hurt another.

Peace,Love,and Integrity

Promote Love

I am 32 I am mixed with Mexican, Native American, Black, Creole which means I am also mixed with white. How do I rectify with what white history.. which is in my blood.. Ha sdone historically to the other cultures and nationalities that make up my family tree? I do it day by day! Being an activist and writer having curly soft hair and very fair skin I have been told I am not black enough all my life. Yet, I managed to turn into a strong black woman with three daughters.

Hey Tyra,
I watched the Teenville Episode with my Girlfriend and she's white and im black. and it upset us how many stereotypes they had about blacks and just there whole view on being with a person of color!
and i would just love to be apart of a show with interacial couples (and Non) interacial couple and discuss this issue!
LOVE YOU TYRA!!

i realy liked that you show to peapole to not judge others by theway they look !! and that ther is alots of good muslims out ther and not all of them is the sam!! and i realy like your show and i love you TYRA god bless you peace out !!:)

Tyra, i was very happy to see how you can accept the others, it was surprising for me that you presente muslims as normals persons cause they are normals but it's the first time that i see that others race of american people can look at him at they look at them.finally i congratulate you, and i want to say that i'm sorry for my English because it is only my third language.Thank you a lot for being what you are, i like you very much.

Hi Tayra: Excuse my english,but I only know spanish.I am contacting you because I need help for my sister she have tricoepitelioma multiple.She feels that she is the ugliest person of the world because of that condition.Please Tayra help me get some cure for her.She is my only sister and I love her to death.I would aprecieted all that can you do.Thank you.Maribel

I have always been the "genius" daughter in the family which is cool, right. Wrong. Last year, in 6th grade, a girl in my school said that I wasn't black enough. She was caucasion. Is it my fault that I have a small british-jamaican accent? My mom's Jamaican. And I see no problem in being an Honor Roll student. Also in 6th grade, two of my teachers purposely tried to give me F's when I deserved A's. They were Caucasion. If I am sick and away from school, is it fair to tell me the homework is 1 page when it is 4 pages long? Is it at all?

Hi tyra,
I am 20 years old i am in college i am african american or so i think, i am not racist but i do live in an area where it still exits, I was put in foter care at the age of two by a biological uncle i have no recollection of anythin abot my childhood nor do i know anything about my biological family the reason i say i am african american (or so i think) is simply because i do not know anything about my own bloodline when i look in the mirror i see a black woman but something tells me there is more to me. all through high school i had to listen to people constantly asking "are you black?" "what are mixed with?" they would make comments about my eyes, my hair saying it wasn't "black" enough just because its a differnt texture and when its wet its curly and when its straight it has body and is as they would say moveable just because you can shake my hair and it goes right back its previous position, anything that they felt was questionable, i suppose i could understand if i was of a lighter skin color but i am not i darker and when ask these questions about my race all i can say is "as far as i know im black" and when ever asked what else am i mixed with all i can say is "if i am mixed i wish i knew"
I was adopted by white family so i grew up mostly around white people and when because of serious abuse issues going on in the home i was removed and went to live in an area that was prodominately black and spanish where questions of my race where brought up every day from boys who would play in my hair in class and give me names like "Downy" to girls that wanted my to do their hair like mine and disappointed when i couldnt the not understanding that all hair is different and that not all african american have the same hair texture.
It wasnt until then that started to wonder well i know i look black but wat am i could i possibly be something else, i started to wonder about race and racism and when i started accepting that i dont know my biological parents not even what they look like to know where my features came from i realized that racism is still out there. It hits so close to home with me because of my adopted sisters have been harrassed in the surrent neighbhor hood in which we now live, my sister was beat up and sent in to hospital with a concussion because of the color of her skin. children on the school bus wouldnt allow them to sit next to them nor would they sit by them even if that was the last seat available on the bus, parent ADULTS, would picket outside the bus stops and schools and when my mother who as i said before is a caucasion woman brought that to attention of the principal at the school its was overlooked there was a issue and a sports game i believe that drove my mother to speak up and it was still over look the verbal and physical harrassment was just seen as no big deal. My mother now tells us about the things people would say to her about adopting african american kids i remember back in elementary school we just moved into what you could say was a dream house 4 floors 7 bedrooms 3 bathrooms but beautiful and just as quickly as we moved in we moved out i didnt know this until i was older about the things the said and did, they would spray paint our car but broken glass underneath our tires of the car, wouldnt allow their children to play with us. I wasnt told this until i was older and it really made me upset to know that people are like this. this is one of th reason i am so suppoertive of the Jena Six because i understand wat its like to live in an area where racism still exists

Hi Tyra,
I want to start out by saying that I truly admire you. I watch your show whenever it's on & I TiVo the ones I don't catch. I love how you tackle tough issues head on. I am almost always moved to tears. I especially like the ones on race. I have been discriminated against neary every day for the past four years. If you saw me in person I'm sure you'd have your doubts if I said that to you-I'm a 21 year old upper middle class white female. This racism comes from the least expected place-my in-laws... But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. I'll start from the beginning.

My mother raised me as well as my brother & sister not to look at someone & see their skin color. I'm sure it was hard for her consedering all of the pressures from the media, our peers & other places to focas on race. But she did a good job. When I was in high school I was friends with everyone & I didn't fully understand why I would get dirty looks if I sat with my best friend at the "black table" during lunch. After high school I met my husband at a friend's house. He's 24, mexican & his name is Horacio. But I call him Hersh. Both of his parents were born in Mexico & came to America when they were in their 20s. I thought Hersh was the hottest guy I have ever seen. I was even scared to talk to him, I didn't think that he'd be interested in me. He was too hott!! But we talked, hung out & the rest is history. We've been together for 4 years & married for 3. We have a very strong relationship & are eachother's best friends. We've been through a lot & have had a lot of people try to break us up, including his family. We have a two year old son named Eric Valentino (he was born on Valentine's Day!!) and are very happy together. We hardly ever agrue & when we do it's almost always about his parents. They haven't approved of me since Day 1. His mother never made it a secret that she would rather see her son with a mexican girl, or at least someone with latin blood. Although I heard little rumors here & there, his parents were never outwardly rude towards me, but at the same time they made it known that my presance wasn't welcome. I never really experianced how racist they are until we were together for a little under a year & were talking about getting married. About a week or two after he "offically" proposed we found out that I was pregnant. I was terrified. I knew that his parents didn't allready like me, but I felt their dislike would shift to hate if they knew I was carrying his baby. I couldn't stop crying. But Hersh was very excited. He was happy & couldn't wait to tell people. That same day we decided to get married within the few next months, on our one year anniversary. We would have a small cermony in Tahoe. At first we weren't going to tell anyone, not even our families. But knowing that my mom & my grandparents would be hurt, we made up our minds to invite my side of the family, but we were reluctant to tell his family. The next couple months passed quickly, & the only person who knew of our pregnancy besides us (of course) was my mom, & she was very excited for us. So was the rest of my family when we invited them to Tahoe with us. The day before we were going to leave I convinced Hersh to invite his parents, his sister & his brother. I knew that his mom would want to see her older son get married, no matter how much she disapproved of his girlfriend. So we went to his house, he told his parents that we were leaving the next day to Tahoe to get married, & all they said was. "No, you're not." and-"you're pregnant, aren't you??!!" We were both hurt but not surprised at all. We had a small & intimate cermony. My family all wore their "Sunday Best" & his family didn't even dress up. I've seen his mom wear nicer clothes to church, & both his brother & sister wore jeans. I felt very disrespected. After that things only got worse. Rumors flew between his family & I heard it all. His parents told him that he would never be happy with a white girl, because all they do is want your money & then they'll divorce you. I tried to put it behind me & was hopeful that after the birth of our son (& their grandson) things would change. But of course, they didn't. Things did cool down though, for about two weeks. We moved in with my parents to help them out with my grandparents. We now live in Rio Vista, & his parents live in Brentwood, about 20 minutes away. After moving here his parents tried harder then ever to break us up. His mom would give his cell phone number out to girls, she would plant girls phone numbers in his car after he was there to visit, knowing I would find them. She spreads rumors about me to their family. It's all very upsetting & hard to deal with. I've always tried my hardest to treat others the way I want to be treated, no matter if they're white, black, brown, yellow or green. It hurts a lot to be disliked or viewed in a certain light because of the color of my skin. My main concern now is my son. Like my mom did with me, I am going to try my hardest to raise Eric not to discriminant againt others or to hold sterotypes, but how am I to be successful with racist grandparents? Am I suposed to keep him from them? That's not right, is it? I would truly appreciate any advice. Thanks Tyra. I ♥ you!!

♥ Ashley

Hi Trya. Thank you for the courage to do a show talking about issues that are usually pushed to the margins.
I am a black lesbian who just turned 31 years old. I moved to Olympia WA to major in film (at least that's what they said). There had been three years where my life was just in shambles. I met my real mother after 19 years only to be met with contempt by a woman would abandoned me. She was then a drug addict and a mule for the jamacans in CA. My Granmother died on the 15th of September and burried on the 19th which is my birthday. I'd been estranged from my family do to physical and sexual abuse, so I traveled by myself on a greyhound bus to Ritzville WA. I met "family" that abused me sexually and physically. I didn't know how to process all this but, I felt obligated to be there. While there I had a cousin who tried to rape me. He actually thought it was ok because when I was younger he had molested my stepsister. When I left I didn't know what to think. I didn't have any tools because I'd never experienced death in the physical form. I'd been in AA for about five years at that time and, I looked for them for support. I went to a women's meeting that was mostly white women besides myself and another girl. In AA they say you're only as sick as your secrects. So, I attempted to share my grief and was shut down. One white woman who considered herself the head of the group told me infront of everyone that it was my fault. This was a woman married to a black man with mixed children!
I began to feel this push from the outside. I remember one day coming home. I heard myself very clearly say to myself, I hate being black...never before had I even though about my color being a factor in places like AA, a job, relationships, or school. I was empty because I couldn't go to my own color due to the denial and abuse yet, I couldn't go to non-People of Color either.
It wasn't until I went to school at an all white college that I received the resources to identify the reasons for my race playing a factor as to whether or not I'm successful in the country.
In my film class I saw what I was reading about in books by bell hooks and Alan Johnson play out. The white male always talks as if he's an authority. My white female lesbian instructors on cue came to a white males defense when he was called out on his authority. I wasn't supposed to be creative and often times when my films were viewed there was silence when there had been none before me. It was hell partnering with another person because it was seen as treason. Much of the racism was blatant and the institution didn't do a thing when I filed a complaint.
What I've learned is that as a black lesbian I am expendable. I'm to be ignored and held down unless a white person or even a black person in a position of power, needs to use me as an example for something. Being around children of senators and wealthy people who have the money to protect them and feed them nutrious foods etc. Weighs on my self esteem still. I'm a thick woman but I've never felt fat and ugly until being around white women claiming to be feminists who look at me as if I'm a mammy.
Right now, I'm going through training to start a production company. I fight the reality that whites aren't going to want me to film their weddings because of fear that I will take revenge and represent them like they represent me in the media.
I'm going throug the motions but I have no faith whatsoever that I will be successful even though my feasibility is 50%. Often times I wonder what it is I was born for? I'm 31 years old yesterday and have nothing to show for my life but heartache and AA coins. Quite frankly I hate white people. I will never trust them again. Constantly I have to go against my natural disposition to be loving and helpful because I'm not sure if the sheep will turn into a wolf unexpectedly. I even lost my faith in God because of the injustices I've experienced. I felt that God must be on white folks side if He's allowing them to murder the souls of not just black but everyone who doesn't adhere to the secrect laws of white supremacy.
Here in Olympia WA I'm stifled and numb most of the time. Suddenly I may cry but, I don't see a futrue for myself. I've gone through many terrible things in 31 years and have never felt this type of nihilism.

First of all i am only 14 years old.I live in Hopkins,S.C and live with my mother and have one brother.What i want to comment on is that many people may look at your color and stario type you from that but they also do by how you look period.People don't take the time to know your inside but look at your outside to figure who you are.Most black people hear alot of times there not going to be something even if it is something like they joke alot.I also think that whites probably hear it and gay people and every other race does cause that person might not like that persons religion or race.I belive if people stop sterio typing and look on the inside they will relize that everybody will see that everyone is the same and not just some other stupid person they don't like.I also belive if adults stop trying to sterio type kids from what they see on tv like kids do,cause what kids see on tv thats what they think of things,there would be less kids who sterio type and kids wouldn't be brought down and thinking after a while that they will become that.Alot of people don't see that this world will be better off without sterio typing if there wasn't people who did so,unless they experienced it themselves.As a black African American 14 year old I hear so many story's of black people treated so wrongly it makes me so sad.Like that Jena 6 thing,I wish that i could do something like make a website on it to get people involved,make tee shirts for it,get schools from every country to get invovled,raise money for the family that are sufforing through this tragedy,and just help the family and the teenagers that were invovled.But people make me feel so sad cause people treat people so wrongly.What makes it worse is that people treat people from there own race mean and disrespectful.Just cause someone may be homeless,not as rich as you are,or just plain differnt than you you will get treated differently.I don't like people who talked about people and i don't like to be friends with them.I always like to meet new people and hang around different people.

Hey tyra-
My name is Vetzrel and I'm an Indian that was blessed to be born in america. I'm actually writing you because of my older sister. She has probably the hardest shoes to fill, due to the fact that she was born in India. My parents are very cultural... but it seems to be only with my oldest sister. Everything she has ever wanted to do, or has ever done in her life they have always put her down. It's hard to see my sister who has always put her family ahead of herself, to be put down by my parents. I don't think they see how unfair they are to her, but everybody else in my family & even her friends do. She didn't even go to live in a college dorm, because my parents thought it was wrong, and when she was at home they would never give her any piece of mind. She works so hard, and promised her so many things like a car, but yet my parents took away her car based on some stupid reason, which i think is because shes dating a white guy, and speaks her mind. So now shes stuck at home, only going to work when she can find a ride & dosen't even go to college, even though I know she really wants to. I don't think my parents see how much they hurt her, because my sister is a very strong person & wont let anything or anybody get her down, and she loves my parents very much. I'm actually 7years younger to her, but to see her go through so much, compared to me or my other siblings really hurts me, and i know i could never go through what she goes through. She is my best friend, and even my 2 bro's best friend, and for once I just want her to live her life on what she wants, and not what my over protective indian parents want. It's not their culture and etnicity that should matter, its who the person is inside that should matter. And deep inside my sister is amazing, and touches the lives of others around her, and she truely is beautiful. I truthfully don't know how she does it, or how she stays at home through so much, but I just wish someone could touch her life.
Thanx for reading this,
YOU ARE AMAZING,
Vetzy

ps- the number I put up is actually my sisters... cuz i dont have a phone #

Hey there, first I wanna say that I am a faithful watcher of the Tyra Show, I love it!! Now as for my comment,.. I'm a 24yr old woman in Washington State, My fiance is mixed (black & white), all I've ever dated was out of my race (I'm white) and my family like many others put on such a front about not being racist, but I wanna know, if your not racist then what exactly do you call it when you talk racially about (and only about) black/african american people. All my family is very close to eachother, we're all always there for one another, but I'm to the point where I feel like I should stop talking to alot of my family because I'm tired of hearing all the smart little comment some of them make about my friends and my fiance, I'm not here to please my family and my man makes me happy I just wish they would grow up and accept it. It seems like I dont have many problem from the community about interracial dating, just my family. Where I live theres not alot of scrutiny
for interracial dating, though I noticed each time I went to the eastcoast though, alot of black/african-american people did not like me and for no reason and that seemed to be NO MATTER where I went. Well thanks for taking the time out to listen to me..... frustrated in Washington

Hafa Adai Ms. Banks,
Warm greetings from Saipan. I've been reading these posts here and I have to say, I feel pretty blessed.

I currently live in the beautiful tropical Saipan, though I'm originally from equally lovely Guam. I think, from personal experience, both islands are racially accepting. As a mother of a mixed-lineage daughter, I am very thankful for that. I'm of Chamoru and Filipino decent, Chamoru being the indiginous natives, though more than 300 years of Spanish rule has long ago dimininshed the indiginous blood lines(in 1790 there were 1800 Spaniards to Guam's 1600 natives) and so I have a hispanic surname. My daughter's father comes from a Chamoru-German line, she has a German surname. And she is gorgeous. She has fair skin that tans nicely, rich brown hair and light brown eyes, I credit her looks to her ancestry cocktail. She has an 'Auntie' who has cared for her since infancy, who is originally from the neigboring Palau islands, whose family has taken us in as their own. My daughter has many friends from many different races, and I thank God that it doesn't matter to her what color their skin is.

I'm fortunate to have been raised and live on an island that's smaller than a dot on a map but with a heart the size of the moon. I was brought up in a home that was taught tolerance and acceptance and lived in an environment that backed it up. We have all walks of life from almost every corner of the world living together on such a tiny island, with almost no racial tension. White people, African Americans, Muslim, Filipino, Chinese and Koreans can all be found sittin' at the bar having a happy hour drink owned by a Vietnames lady with her local boyfriend, I know cause I tended bar there...

After reading all the other posts, many with negative tones, I had to share my view. It may come off as naive, but even so, I still think my kid and I are lucky.

I think poeple will sorta stop looking at you if you take the garb off... They wont totally stop but people will do things that you ask them to.

I am 21, hispanic female. Ever since I can remember my parents have installed an "undercover racism"..they never threw any of my brothers black friends out the door but once they left always made comments. If my brothers listened to certain music or said certain things they would say it is the black friends influence.
As for me, I am th e youngest so I learned from the get. I did have black friends but those were the ones I never dared to bring home. Constantly hearing my parents say, "of course we are not racist," but at the same token making remarks to say everything opposite.
The reason I am writing this is because one of the major things that i was always told, I have come to realize has effected my views and attitudes towards the dating aspect of my life. My father constantly reminded me, but in one occasion made a remark that subconsciously, kept me away. He said,"if ever you date a black guy and bring him to my house, prepare to have him thrown out, and you will be right behind him." I answered, "well, wat if I marry him?!" His reply,"don't you even dare send me an invitation, and if you have children, I will not have monkeys as my grandchildren!" As crazy and ignorant I knew that comment was and still is I have noticced it has had more of an effect then I care to admit...till this day I have stayed away from dating any man of the african american descent or even dark skinned. I hate it because to be honest, they try to approach me and I have a disgusted thought come to me and just ignore them. I swore their racism had no effect on my person...but I am sad to admit it has. I would like to surpass this ignorance...starting with maybe getting the nerve to date a black man (literally NEVER EVER dated one!)
Funny thing is we are not white! and we are definitely not wat you would call, "caucasin featured people" one of my brothers is more stamped as a "black man" then a "hispanic"...crazy how hispanics can be so racist towards people that are from different descent but look just like them...and I know it has not only effected me, my brothers have dated,only dated, and are currently dating, white, or very light skinned girls, and say they would never date a dark complexioned girl..if they ever do they better twice as good looking as Halley Barry!

hey tyra.
i am a 17yr old and i am africa/muslim. i really love a guy who goes to my school. he is a senior,cute and he plays football. he is one of the hottest guys. i love him with all of my heart but the problem is he is so different. he is american(white). also he is my friend but not close. i love him with all of my heart and the only thing i do is think about him. i don't think he likes me but i love him. also if me and him date, my parent's will kill me. so i really need help. i don't know how to tell him how much i love him and how much i care about him. he means the world to me. i wish i could say i love u to him. i wish he could know how i feel about him. i really need ur help. i am hopeless and sad sitting here. i need u tyra. thanks

hey tyra.
i am a 17year old girlwho is black africa/muslim. i have a really huge problem. i really love a guy who goes to my school and he is a senior. he is the hottest and he is a football player. i don't know if he likes me or not and i am so in love with him. the only thing i do is thing about him and thing about the differences between me and him. by the way he is (whit)america. i can't tell him how i feel because my parents will kill me of dating non muslim. i don't know what to do and i don't know how to tell him how much i love him and how much i care about him. he means the world to me but i am so different and i don't think he loves me. we're just friends, not close friends. so help me pleace.

hi tyra
you are awesome
i just saw this show and was shocked how ignorend people are
iam a german (white)and married to an american ?(white)i grew up in germany with a dad that is a nazy that kicked me out when i went out with my husband
iam married for almost 16 years have 2 great kids and fight almost every day here in the staates now cause they call me and my kids nazys
but oh well i ignore it because they dont know what they are talking about
i tell my kids i dont care what race you bring home or if you gay or lesbian as long as your life partner is makinging you happy
my kids have all kind of friends all races and iam proud of it and i hope it stays that way
even so my little daughter still comes home and askes why people are so hurtfull sometimes and tell her not to hang around her black friends and all i can tell her is to ignore it those people are stupid and dont know what they talk about its the way they grow up and its just sad that parents teach there kids to hate unstead of getting along with everybody i love my kids more than my life and just hope they never look down on anybody because of there race just because of there ignorance and stupidity and i dont think they will cause i teach them better
i love your show

Hi TyRa!! I wanted to tell you that its really great that you focus on race!! i just hope that you put teeen's on your show to to see how it is from our point of view. well i wold love to be a guest on your show and share how i feel about racsism! lOvE Ya lOtS!!!!

ERYONE LISTEN THE TYRA BANKS SHOW IS SCRIPTED!!! HOLLY CRAPP!

THERE WAS A GIRL ABOUT RACISIM. THEY WERE JUDGING PEOPLE. SHE MADE A VIDEO ON YOUTUBE.!

SHE CONFRONTS THAT THE TYRA SHOW IS FAKE AND SCIPTED!!!! THEY WOULD GIVE THEM LINES TO SAY AND TELL THEM TO BE THE MEANEST SHE SAID.I HAVE PROOF GO TO THIS VIDEO BELOW.... TYRA IS SOO DISSAPOINTING. THE GIRL SAID SHE IS NOT AS NICE OR WARM AS SHE SEEMS.THIS SI PROOF BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS ON THE T.B SHOW.. THEY CAN TELL YOU WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.

add the (http://www.)

youtube.com/watch?v=oaiB9u8udaM&mode=related&search=#

hey tyra,

my name is kyrie i am a senior in high school and i can tell you this i am not racist but it is an ongoing thing with me because i am white and i have all mexican friends and i always have, but my friends familys are always saying im a white girl and why do they hang out with me i am sorry but if i were to say your a stupid mexican i would get beat up i guess what i am trying to say is i dont get it why do people complain about race problems and then turn around and start them it just really hurts because i love the mexican race and i think that they are amazing not only there culture but also there language!!! i really think that this race thing has got to stop we are all alike we go through struggles and pains in our lives it's not different for any of the races and we need to pull together or our country is going to fall apart!!!!!

Dear Tyra, I am not racist in any way. I am 19 and only have a high school diploma. I am not fortunate enough to be able to attend a college, so I am not as educated as others who have committed, but while African American people and Muslim people feel that they are discriminated against the most, I feel that as a white woman I am also discriminated against. I can not walk down a street if I am the only white person because black people assume I am racist and yell at me, sometimes mean and hurtful things, other times sexual comments White people are no more racist than black people it is not fair to hold what other people did against people who would change it if they could. If I could take back what my ancestors did I would, many white people I am sure feel the same, but we can't, all we can do is move forward and try to make this world a better place for each person living here. God gave us different skin color for a reason and I am sure its not so we can be racist. I feel disgusted by the way human beings in general have abused the gift God gave us of being different.

I am sixteen years old and i watch your show everyday. there is one thing that i have noticed about the racial episodes, they are all pertaining mostly to adults. i think that your next racially ventured show should be asking questions to teens and how race effects their everyday life esp. in school. how their communities and the adults around them have a hand in the way they feel too. and last but not least how religion plays into it according to teens. Thank you Tyra and God Bless!!!!!

I am sixteen years old and i watch your show everyday. there is one thing that i have noticed about the racial episodes, they are all pertaining mostly to adults. i think that your next racially ventured show should be asking questions to teens and how race effects their everyday life esp. in school. how their communities and the adults around them have a hand in the way they feel too. and last but not least how religion plays into it according to teens. Thank you Tyra and God Bless!!!!!

I saw the show today and thought it was very informative. We human beings can be very ignorant. We are extremely arrogant, afraid of and very judgemental of what we fear and don't know. Centuries ago, the whites and spainards, were arrogant and ignorant when they supposedly discovered African People, and these African People were degraded in the worst way because these whites and spainards though only civilized people and people without color were worthy of being human beings. Their ignorance carries on today. Every Muslim person is not a terrorist. Only the few radicals, such as all white people are not members of the KKK, only the radical. and undercover radicals. As for the 21 year old black male, who is obviously confused. It is obvious that he has not experienced learning much about African American History outside of the limited information in school textbooks. He should: speak with older people in his family, and in the community; visit African American Museums and speak to the freedom fighters of that era; go to bookstores such as Karibu and read African American history books, written by African Americans; attend African American cultural events such as festivals and art shows-not the hip hop music events. There are many black males such as himself who hate their race, this is why many run to date and marry white females. I have hear the interviews and read the articles (one stated he likes the attention on the street of being with a white female). Where have we dropped the ball as black people when we have people like this in our race. I remember the black female on your show, maybe two years ago, who hated black women and bleach her skin. These types of people have the spirit of the devil, when they can hate themselves, hate their race, hate their family memebers, hate their ancestors and the people who paved the way for them to have the freedom of choice in these United States. I am a black woman, and love my race and every race. I have and will continue to learn about and befriend people of all reces. This is Gods beauty of why we are so different. The Bible says "Woe to the earth fot satan is with you." Obviously satan ha a tight grit on these people and they don't know it. Thank you for listening.

Hi,Tyra!

I just wanted to comment on the show where you had two women behind a screen and there were about three or four women of different races commenting on what they saw in the shadow. First off, all women are shaped differently, and it really angered me when I heard the comments made by the White woman talking about "ghetto booty" and how she had kids and didn't have a big butt. I wanted to slap her off the screen, but then when the Black woman made her comment about how the woman with the smaller rear in the shadows was somehow less attractive because she didn't have a large rear end, I was made angrier because she doesn't realize: 1. She's falling into a racial stereotype about Black women, and 2. We as women need to be proud of our bodies and not ashamed of them. We've got too many women doing dangerous things to themselves in the name of beauty as it is. I am a Black woman, and no, I don't have a big butt. I would rather focus on my health and family than how big my butt is. If someone isn't going to like me because of my body parts, or lack of size in that area, then that's their problem. I would like to confront those two women about their comments.

I know what im saying is not really about race, but about religeon. I am 15 year old jewish girl. I recently stopped wearing my star of david necklace recently because I hate it when people harass me at school or make jokes at me like "wheres your jew gold" or they will purposely make jokes about burning people or something while I am around. It has even gotten to the point where if people have been in class with me before they introduce me as "the jew girl". It really annoys me and I know other minorities like muslims probably go through these things.

Hey Ms. tyra!!
Well i believe that everyone receives some level of discrimination based on the color of their skin and i also believe it is wrong. I am a white female, I was raised in a household where white people were put on a pedestal and everybody especially black people were looked down upon. Although my brothers and sisters believed in this, i NEVER once thought that i was better than anyone else. when i went away to college i started dating a black male and although that relationship didn't work i continued to date black men. i knew my dad wasn't fond of this so i never told him. i knew that he would be upset but i jest assumed he would let it go...well i fell in love and got pregnant...now i had to tell him...my daughter is two now and she is beautiful but nearly everybody in my life betrayed me and i haven't spoken to most of them since the day they found out i was pregnant. That is so painful to me. what is so bad about mixing races? my daughter is so beautiful and smart i wish my family and friends would just give her a chance... not only do i have to deal with racism from my family but i have to deal with it everyday from people that i live around...yes i am a white female and african american females hate on me too. i am tired of all of this racism...why can't people just get along i love everybody!

I think you should do a show about law enforcement officers allowing underage drunk drivers get away with drinking and driving after causing a near-death accident just because their white. I have a deep, personal story involving discrimination, dishonesty, drinking and driving, and racial profiling. Tyra, this story will blow your mind. It's too much to tell online. Contact me and I'll give you all the details.

Hi Tyra,

I did a short mockumentary poking fun at how people have preconceived notions according to how people dress, talk, etc. Mainly young Black men. The mocumentary plays tricks on the mind but at the end rewinds to each instance and explains that what you thought you saw really wasn't what you thought at all. I wouldn't mind you airing it. It's about five minutes long.

Hey Tyra... I am a muslim too and I'm afraid to tell anyone that i am ,, my mom wears the hijab nd i am not ashamed or anything but i am afraid that something bad is going to happen to her,,,at school no one knows that i am a muslim i told one girl and she was like oo,, she never treated me the same every since ,, i always wanted to get in the showbiz but i can't ... sometimes i wish that i wasn't muslim u know ,,, but on the other hand i feel lucky to be muslim ,, if people took the time to study this religion than they will change their mind about it...

I think that all the black girls that come on the show that are upset because they are too dark should get some confidence and stop embarrasing themselves and the rest of the black community on national t.v.
Its's something that you need to embrace and not hate, If you are sitting up on national television complainin about your skin tone, the black people are feelin bad for you but the white people are laughing knowing that they can now feel better about themselves because not even black people wnt to be black. Thats something you should think about

I am taking college online classes and for some reason race or ethenticity always comes up on our discussion questions. I myself am hispanic. My question is why can't we see people for who they are and not the color of their skin or appearance? I often get into debates about it because i truely believe that we all carry the functions that make us human. we all carry a heart, we all carry a brain and so forth. I understand that there are many people who make a difference in the world but why always point out their race and not the person behind the color of the skin?

Dear Tyra,
Hi my name is DeJah Strong and I am 15 years old. I want to know why, when black people do something good for the black community they always have to thank the people helping them(the white man/women) for the moment and not the one that's been there all along or have set the the high standards(Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Colan Powell) for our people. People always stereotype us because were black...you even give stereotype to our people!!! You are a young, beautiful, actress/model that's did alot for people and yes, I trully understand that but you talk about the wrong issues of race. I know that one person can't do it all but you can damn shore make a difference in the way a lot of people think. Young people coming up who want to be like Tyra see the things you do and want so badly to be like TYRA!!! You are a great person but you really need to reconsider the issues of race you talk about on your show!!! I know I'm not the smartest person in the world but I can see the things that are going on around me!!!

Dear Tyra
I watch your show all of the time and everytime I see this one particular show I always seem to think that you were judging Saphire, she was asked a question that she answered and you called her angry she was defending herself after the young lady told her to go and educate herself. You as a AA women should have been able to relate to her emotions. No one was killing, hanging, turn her against her own people. How dare you compare her 2 year problem to our 400 years. She this is our problem we want to forget or act like our history is not still alive and kicking today. Our black stars are forgetting, ex. why havent you took your show to LA over and over again isnt that why the black people supports your show and others. So that you can shine a REAL light on our situation. But, no we want to make sure we are catering to all until something happens to them in the White world then they want to run back to us supporting Blacks for help. Have you sent you people to investigate the black people that went to jail for defending them selves at www.colorofchange.org/jena I mean come on. Lets hit some real topic for us... I believe in the near future there will be no more support for black stars from black people. If you have 10 shows a week dont you think that at least 4 should be dedicated to Black people. We are the only race that feels as thou we have to include white people in everything that we do. Do you see whites doing that no. If so every channel wouldnt we all white. Come on lets look at the real. Just because someone is the same race as you doesnt mean that they are going to fight the right cause. I couldnt believe that you called her angry. After your staff asked her what she thought, you said nothing about the positive comment that she made to start her conversation off, but you jumped right in when she wanted to defend herself. Are you helping sterotyping? Your behaving like we are not still going through these issue. Or have you start to believe that we are doing this to ourselves. I pray that you read this. This is why rappers and black hollywood are losing support from black people. Why didnt you say anything to the other young lady when she told her to go and educate herself? Why didnt you say just remember that these people were asked these direct question? You didnt even mention her disrespect, it wasnt like Saphire was these things to her she was just asked a question.

I saw the show about The Best of: The Focus on Race. I have 2 stories.

I am a 20 year old white female that is in love with a black male. This man is the love of my life but I am afraid to take the next step because I will risk losing me parents.

I was raised to believe that you did not date out of your race. I met this guy when I first moved away from my parents for college. We have now been together off and on for 3 years but my fear of losing my parents keeps us from being more.

I honestly can't picture life with out him. His mom is so nice and has no problem with me. I wish that my parents would do the same. I sit at home at night thinking how I can tell them and it not end up bad. The best respose I have came up with it you have trusted me with all my other choices and you must trust me with this choice.

Secondly,

I grew up in a school that was mainly white. I am a white girl with many curves, and because of the this I had to deal with people callig me fat. I had several problems with my weight b/c I believed that I was overweight and would never find someone to love me for me, but I did. Once I moved into the city I realized that I wasnt the only white girl with curves and I wasn't fat.

hey tyra...well i've seen most of your shows and well i just wanted 2 ask you wat are your thought about illegal immigration because as you know that is one of the important issues not only to the hispanic community but to the whole united states in general...so if you can write me back that'd be great

Hi tyra my name is sami and i would really like to se u do a show about gypsys it would be really intresting to se im a gypsy myself and there isnt really alot of shows about us ! it would really mean alot to us !P.S im a really BIG fan:D

I worked at the St. Regis Hotel in Houston duruing the Hurricane and via E-mail to all the managers we were not to accept vouchers. The people had resources to pay for the rooms but most of the prestiguse hotels refused them hows that for America. Lets face it Blacks who have nappy hair, flat noise, big lips are consider ugly and that's the people the media focused on and white America said I'm not helping those niggers.

It's me again like me and many other we feel white America do not consider us Americans a lot to do with the Media, Rappers, and the way alot of us are. We can only help ourselves. I see blacks on MTV Cribbs bragging on their wealth but they forgot who put them their.

I've watched so much about Katrina and New Orleans. I guess my question is why don't every black celebrity give 1 million dollars for the cause Is not a tax write off anyway giving to charity. Is because of thoese poor/middleclass blacks that made them rich in the first place.

Dear Tyra, I see a lot of shows on racism and it seems it only discusses how black, white, Hispanic and Middle Eastern people are treated or raised. I am neither of those races, nor am I anti any of them. My issue is that I am Filipino more specifically Visayan, born and raised on he Island of Oahu and I am so anti Ilicano. Ilicano’s are Filipinos, just different type with a different language and a few different customs. Since Hawaii is close to the Philippines and Asia, we have a lot Filipinos. And just to get this straight, I love being Filipino, I am very proud of being Visayan. My dislikes are for Ilicano people. Growing up I only had one Filipino friend in elementary, I don’t remember having any in middle school, I had one in high school and three in college (all part Visayan). My issue with them (Ilicano’s) is everytime I meet one and they ask if I’m Ilicano, I say no. That’s when I get a weird dirty look. Then they’ll ask if I speak it. Well my answer is no so of course that’s when they stop talking to me and usually turn to there friend and start talking in there “native language”, probably about me! It happened to me so much that I just started really disliking them. I can not be around a large group of Filipinos, I feel very uncomfortable and very defensive. For about 2 years I lived in San Diego and there is a place called National City (home of the Filipinos). Well they treat me as if I’ve offended them. So sorry I can’t pronounce the food right, but I just cant stand being around so many of them. And it seems that I can never get along with them. I did how ever end up marrying a Filipino Navy man from Guam. He is unfortunately Ilicano, but nonetheless I love him. But you guessed it! I have major problems with his family, who to no ones surprise thinks I’m a bratty, snobby Visayan. This is my reason for having dislike for Filipinos, but if there are any Visayans with the same feelings towards Ilicanos, let me know.

Hey Tyra,

I'm Mexican, Spanish, Italian, English, and Irish. People can't really tell that I'm all these different ethnic's when they see me for the first time so they tend to just think that I'm a white girl. Well a few weeks ago, when I was working, I served this white man who smiled at me and said "You should tell your boss to stop hiring all those Mexicans when he can hire a pretty little girl like yourself" Needless to say I was infuriated by him. I couldn't believe that someone could be that blatantly mean. When I saw your show on race it really opened my eyes to a lot of things. The way people think, the way people right off the bat put you in a group just by looking at you. Of course I know that the world and it's people are never going to get along perfectly like most of us want because people hold on to the past. People as a whole are never going to be able to let go of the past because there are always constant reminders of what happened. Are parents tell us stories of what happened to are ancestors, and the school systems make us learn about racial stuff pitting us against each other without meaning to. I had a conversation with a group of my friends, all different ethnics, and this was during black history mouth. We were talking about the mouths importance. (so as not to name names I'm just going to say their race)The black girl and boy of course said it was very important. But the other ethnic's didn't think that way. Some felt it was just secluding the black people even more so though that it wasn't fair because there were many other ethnic groups what were treated that way maybe some even worse than that of the black, and that you didn't see them having riots and always saying that people were discriminating against them because of there color or whatever the cause. Personally I think that black people do seclude themselves more than any other group in the world. I live in Atlanta Georgia and I have see a lot for my age, though most of it seems very over the top considering what part of town I live in. I see the little thug boys thinking they're all hot and what not though when they get home I know most of them don't act that way. I see the little Hispanic boys and girls being all sexual and speaking Spanish even though they know English. And I also see the white people looking at them like there horrible people and think those people should just go ahead and drop out already. In one of your shows a I can't remember her name (the black girl who was a Muslim for a day) she commented about how the Muslims have only been discriminated for a couple of years and that the black people have been for 200 years. That comment to me discriminates her more than anything else someone could say because she is enforcing what happened over and over again. Like the Muslim I think each race should just be strong and not comment on anything racist and the people that have everyone well eventually die off and more and more kids won't listen to their parents' influences like the child called Heaven in one of your shows. And then maybe we can start over again but seeing as that is really hard to do because some people aren't that strong will and wont be able to keep their emotions inside, well most likely never have what most of us dream for, I world without diversity.

Dear Tyra,
I am the product of a biracial couple. My mother is white and my father is black. I have dealt with racism my entire life even with my own family members whom I dont talk to. I have also dealt with racism from blacks as well as whites. It's weird to be discriminated against from your own people. I think you should do a show about biracial children and the struggles they face trying to fit in school, their communities, and even their own families.

More info. on the "JENA SIX"

"The Jena Six are six high school students who are facing a lifetime in prison for a schoolyard fight. The case began with nooses hung from a tree at Jena High School nearly a year ago. Racial tension escalated in the town, which is 85% white, after the nooses were hung. The black students led a protest after noose incident. Nearly every black student at Jena High School stood under the tree. The town district attorney, Reed Walters, came to the school and told black students, “Stop making trouble. I can make your lives disappear with the stroke of a pen.”

One weekend last December, two black students were beaten by a group of white students. Later, a group of black students were threatened with a shotgun by a white former student. Whites were not punished for the noose incident or these other incidents, but the following Monday when a white student was beaten up by black students in a schoolyard fight, six black students, the Jena Six, were arrested and charged with attempted murder."

There should SERIOUSLY be a show on this. This is just ridiculous. & I am very upset that this has not been on the national news & I had to find it out from someone. This is a serious issue. Does our Country not care? All we are focused on is money. I mean My Lord 2 yrs. from TODAY was Katrina.. why isn't the government giving the people who lost EVERYTHING some kind of closure with their money they need? Simply put, our country seems to busy with useless things to actually put something REAL & that NEEDS to be HEARD in the news such as the Jena Six.

There still IS racism going on today & it is very sad. I think what is happening in Jena, Louisiana is very important. If you do not know the whole story you can google it. Or go to www.colorofchange.org/jena
Young African-American boys were arrested a year ago because a fight broke out in the small town between white and black high schoolers. All over a stupid tree. It was "known" that the white teenagers were to sit under the tree everyday and one day when a black teenager decided to simply stand by it it started a HUGE fuss. To make a long story short the different races were fighting, the white teenagers hung nooses at the tree. Because of this the white kids are charged with minor things, yet the black children are charged with things such as; attemptive murder. I myself, am not racist. & I am white. I do know that this case is NOT fair & someone needs to let this be known. I myself did not know until a college professor brought it up in class one day. This is serious news, yet it isn't even on the national news? Because of this big riot there are now members of different gangs such as "kkk" who are planning on marching; as well as other protest groups. This is a serious issue. People are not being treated fairly simply because authorities are stuck in the "olden days" when racism was fine. Again, this is happening in Jena,Louisiana if you google it or go to the website I have listed you can learn more about the case. America needs to be more open minded I thought we were the land of the FREE?

Hey tyra,
ok this may sound wierd but, dont freck out!i love ur show !!! its amazeing!!! omg!!! im twelve years old and iv been watching ur show since was 9 !! i lov americas next top model 2!!! i lov u tyra ur awesome !!!

Hi Tyra,

I love your show! I TiVo your show everyday. The focus on race series really spoke to me. I am a half filipina, half black female, and extremely proud of being bi-racial and proud of each of my individual cultures. I would like to see a show that focused on bi-racial or interracial children. I am a product of interracial marriage and I don't think people really understand the identity issues that we go through. I think it would be interesting for viewers to watch.

Keep doing what you do and keep inspiring people!

~Pinays!

i like itn is good that we americans understand differeny cultures. then we can understand much more then we don't be races to them. we should all do that then they would n't be only races people in this world

I just saw this show and I thought it was the best and most important show you have ever done. My son has just married his girlfriend for 7 years. They are an interracial couple. They are also in the US Airforce and very young.

I kept her race secret from my parent until two years ago. Because my Mother had once said she could never get use to interracial couples.Well she has totally imbaced my daughter-in-law.

I live in a small very conservitive town in Northern California. The kids have never had a problem here, but I have always been concerned that they would. I live with the fear that people will be rude and evil.

The first time they had anyone confront them was in San Antonio Texas were they got married because of the military. My son was in uniform and he and his new wife were stand arm in arm nothing more. A women asked them to stop being discusting. This turned into a huge conflict not with my son and daughter-in-law, but with the woman and her father and me and my mother. I am not proud of this because it went to there level. I couldn't believe that anyone would do what this lady did.

Tyra I really worry about my beautiful kid and the world out there. California is still more excepting than many parts of the world. Being young and in the military is enough for them to deal with. They don't need bigets too

Thanks for letting me voice this.

hi tayra i love ur show

Tyra...
this is a subject that i can relate to in everyway. I was raised in a all black community and went to a all black junior high which is when i found my attraction to black guys. I am 18 years old and i have never dated or been "involved" in a relationship with any other race thenbalck guys. I have fought my step dad my entire life over this subject because he did not agree with interracial relationships. I never kept my relationships secret because i wasn't never going to leave my family any choice but to accept me the way i am. I suffered punishment, physical and mental abuse, and arguments that at one point had ruined my life. When i turned 18 i moved out and thats when my step dad finally accepted me and whoever i may have decided to have in my life. I never gave up on fighting for what i wanted and believed in. As a senior in high school i wrote a 5 page paper on interracial relationships and i acually used a artical i found on your website to help prove my thesis that interracial marriages have increased in our society. I made a B on my paper and had alot of praise for my attempt to be different and make people aware of the issue. This is becoming a bigger and bigger issue everyday and affects everyone. Although i respect everybodys opinion on this issue i do believe that we are all the same inside and that we shouldnt judge others on whats on the outside. We are raised to never judge a book by its cover so why is there an exception when it comes to who a person falls in love with or chooses to be with?

P.S.....I love your show!

yea the whole race thing i think is plain ridiculous because god love everyone no matter the size,color, background,and i think thats how everybody else should be

Sorry Trya for posting again but I just had to say. I am black and asian. People like to call it blackanese, blasian or whatever. People always think I should act a certain way cause I'm black and I should act uneducated and since I'm asian I should have my head in a book. I go to a predominately white school and sometimes I feel so discriminated there and sometimes I wish I couldve gone to a school closer to my home because there would be more minority and they would understand me more. I just feel like I don't have a place.

Hi Tyra,

First of all i love you Tyra and i love your shows...I'm a Filipina(from Philippines)....It hurts me when they think that asian women have a relation with white men just for a financial reason...I know and I've experience it because I have a white boyfriend right now and people look at us so naive on what are our real feelings for each other...I hope someday this stereotype issue will be over and focus on appreciating others more...
LIVE,LOVE and PEACE

oh and I apologize for posting so many times...i posted before and it said there was an error so that's why I posted again

Hey Tyra! I absolutely love you and your show! I'm a 16 year old Muslim American girl from New Jersey and I want to thank you for devoting a portion of your show to racism against Muslims.

I do wear a hijab and attend public school and I'm proud of it. In Islam we do wear it to be modest, and also to protect ourselves from harm.

I'm aware that African-Americans as well as other races and religions are discriminated at times. I personally do not think that people should compete with how long they have been discriminated because any type of discrimination against ANY race is WRONG and should stop. Everyone should respect a person regardless of their race, religion, skin color, etc.

I know many Muslims including myself get frustrated when we receive discrimination but I personally cannot blame those non-Mulsims. The Muslims that are shown on the media and have the most publicity are those uneducated, cold-hearted extremist "Muslims" and they are what define Muslims nowadays. If I was a non-Muslim who has no knowledge about what Islam really teaches, and has never known a Muslim, then I would have the same thoughts as those people.

I also believe that the Muslim community is partially at fault for our reputation and discrimination. I believe that we lack organization and unity at times. Some of us do not know enough about our religion to answer those who are curious about it. Some Muslims are not proud of their religion and instead try to blend in with everyone else. I definitely think it is wrong to blame everyone else; we certainly need to fix ourselves as a whole before we can point fingers and ask everyone else to change.

However, I'm not going to stereotype and say that all non-Muslims discriminate. There are countless people that smile at and are kind to my Muslim friends and I=] They treat us just as they treat any other person =] I don't only have Muslim friends either...I also have non-Muslim friends who are curious and respectful about my religion.

I do hope you read this! Thanks again!

Hi Tyra!

After watching your show about the black young man who wanted to be white, and then the update with the other black girl that felt like she was a "white girl in a black girl's body" I felt very disappointed. Although I am a huge fan of the show, I felt that the issue for both of them could have been resolved if was handled differently. You failed to address the fact that BLACK IS NOT HOW YOU ACT, BUT WHAT YOU ARE! In this country there seems to be one image of how black acts. But I know tons of black preps, goths, valley girls, artsy creative types, and proper speaking grammar Nazis. As black people, we tend to limit ourselves to one image of "ghetto speaking" "limping and pimping." We think that when we go into corporate America, we have to supress out blackness by speaking proper; but in reality, it is professionalism that transcends race. My father is Nigerian and over there they speak the Queen's English. Now is my father "not black enough" because he likes Patsy Cline and Frank Sinatra? NO! Shoot, he, as an African, is the quintessential definition of what being black is about.

Hey Tyra! I absolutely love you and your show! I'm a 16 year old Muslim American girl from New Jersey and I want to thank you for devoting a portion of your show to racism against Muslims.

I do wear a hijab and attend public school and I'm proud of it. In Islam we do wear it to be modest, and also to protect ourselves from harm.

I'm aware that African-Americans as well as other races and religions are discriminated at times. I personally do not think that people should compete with how long they have been discriminated because any type of discrimination against ANY race is WRONG and should stop. Everyone should respect a person regardless of their race, religion, skin color, etc.

I know many Muslims including myself get frustrated when we receive discrimination but I personally cannot blame those non-Mulsims. The Muslims that are shown on the media and have the most publicity are those uneducated, cold-hearted extremist "Muslims" and they are what define Muslims nowadays. If I was a non-Muslim who has no knowledge about what Islam really teaches, and has never known a Muslim, then I would have the same thoughts as those people.

However, I'm not going to stereotype and say that all non-Muslims discriminate. There are countless people that smile at and are kind to my Muslim friends and I=] They treat us just as they treat any other person =] I don't only have Muslim friends either...I also have non-Muslim friends who are curious and respectful about my religion.

I do hope you read this! Thanks again!

Hey Tyra! I absolutely love you and your show! I'm a 16 year old Muslim American girl from New Jersey and I want to thank you for devoting a portion of your show on racism against Muslims.

I do wear a hijab and attend public school and I'm proud of it. In Islam we do wear it to be modest, and also to protect ourselves from harm.

I'm aware that African-Americans as well as other races and religions are discriminated at times and I personally do not think that people should compete with how long they have been discriminated. Any type of discrimination against ANY race is WRONG and should stop. Everyone should respect people regardless of their race, religion, skin color, etc.

I know many Muslims including myself get frustrated when we receive discrimination but I personally cannot blame those people. The Muslims that are shown on the media and have publicity are those uneducated, cold-hearted extremist "Muslims" and they are what define Muslims nowadays. If I was a non-Muslim who has no knowledge about what Islam really teaches, and has never known a Muslim, then I would have the same thoughts as those people.

However, I'm not going to stereotype and say that all non-Muslims discriminate. There are countless people that smile at and are kind to my Muslim friends and I=] They treat us just as they treat any other person =] I don't only have Muslim friends either...I also have non-Muslim friends who are curious and respectful about my religion.

I do hope you read this! Thanks again!

Dear Tyra,

I am 15 years old, living in New York, and I am so excited you are comming to here.

Anyways, I just wanted to ask you if you had any Native American heritage? Many African Americans do.

I just wanted to know because I found out that my grandmother has some also. I am proud of it too!

hello tyra,
im rosie from georgia. im a 15 year old girl. my mother is white and my father is black. i grew up most of my life going back and forth with my mom and dad and my granparents . i moved to hawaii when i was 5 years old i lived there for 4 years. when i moved back into georgia my mother began to do drugs so i moved in with my grandparents at this time my dad was no help and left my family which i think is the cause for my mom doing drugs. my grandparents have already raised three children of there own and adopted a child from a abusive relationship in my family.since i was little kids have tormented me for being half black. i mean its not something i can help people didnt understand it . all i wanted was to be white like the rest of my family i would go to family runions and no one would even look at me. i had one aunt say i was abomination to the family. when i started school down here i would get teased including my so called friends would say things thinking that it donset bother me when it really does. i would go home and cry because i didnt want to be this way. i even had a girl threaten to beat me up because i told people that i was hawaiian at my new school because i was afraid of what people would think. i ended up missing 57 days of school and failing the 10th grade because i was scared for my life. i would have people sending me messages on my cellphone calling my the "N" word. sometimes i go home and put on my granmothers make up and pretend that im white and that im not diffent from everyone else in my family. i even had one of my best frineds parents say they were goign to call the cops if i didnt get out of there house because they didnt like black people and my grandmother had to come home from work early just to give me a ride home so i wouldnt get in trouble. i just dont want to be like this anymore.

hello tyra,
im rosie from georgia. im a 15 year old girl. my mother is white and my father is black. i grew up most of my life going back and forth with my mom and dad and my granparents . i moved to hawaii when i was 5 years old i lived there for 4 years. when i moved back into georgia my mother began to do drugs so i moved in with my grandparents at this time my dad was no help and left my family which i think is the cause for my mom doing drugs. my grandparents have already raised three children of there own and adopted a child from a abusive relationship in my family.since i was little kids have tormented me for being half black. i mean its not something i can help people didnt understand it . all i wanted was to be white like the rest of my family i would go to family runions and no one would even look at me. i had one aunt say i was abomination to the family. when i started school down here i would get teased including my so called friends would say things thinking that it donset bother me when it really does. i would go home and cry because i didnt want to be this way. i even had a girl threaten to beat me up because i told people that i was hawaiian at my new school because i was afraid of what people would think. i ended up missing 57 days of school and failing the 10th grade because i was scared for my life. i would have people sending me messages on my cellphone calling my the "N" word. sometimes i go home and put on my granmothers make up and pretend that im white and that im not diffent from everyone else in my family. i even had one of my best frineds parents say they were goign to call the cops if i didnt get out of there house because they didnt like black people and my grandmother had to come home from work early just to give me a ride home so i wouldnt get in trouble. i just dont want to be like this anymore.

Tyra,
I saw the show on the focus on race and how people act towards other races and peoples religions. I am an 18 year old girl from Canada, and I can say that I believe Canada's society and America's are completely different. I don't know how, butI think it is because we are more multi cultural from young ages, so we don't have problems with eachother. My friends are of all different races; Spanish, Italian, Black, Brown, Asian and more. At our elementary schools they tought us eachothers cultures and so from that we learn to respect the differences between us. Also it made me sick how people in America were so racist towards Muslims just because of 9/11. I mean, i'm sure there are people in Canada who are too, but not as much. One of my good friends is Muslim and she's friends with everyone and no one looks down at her, not even right after 9/11. We were old enough at that time to understand who did it, and we all just said to eachother in class, 'Well they made some bad choices,' and we moved on. I don't think Americans will improve on being comfortable with eachothers races and beliefs until they understand them or learn them early on.

Tyra,

Many black women think that their natural hair is too hard to manage—a common misconception. Straightening hair with an iron takes hours. All types of weave take time and money to put in. I am generally dissatisfied with black women and their need to straighten and add length to their hair. They think that natural hair is “nappy” or “kinky.” I am a fourteen-year-old, black female who never wears make up, straightens my hair, or gets a weave. I have “good hair.” It is deeply disturbing that black women believe that “good hair” has to do with texture and length rather than overall health. Young girls are getting perms and weaves put into their hair, and nothing is said about it. No one seems to have a problem with the weave disease in black America but me! Prominent black women like you, Tyra, and Beyoncé sport long, straight hairstyles, and black men and boys view that as being beautiful. The average black girl will NEVER be able to achieve such a look without loads of fake hair. Why can’t black women accept the hair they have? Why must they be slaves to hot irons and perms? Tyra, famous black women with, long, fake hair perpetuate the thought that the natural hair that you, mainstream black America, and I have is not beautiful. It is a FACT that of their entire appearance, black women are most dissatisfied with their natural hair. I find it odd and disappointing that you talk about the black women’s problems with their butts and “curvy” body types, but not their hair. Don’t YOU think?

A fan of yours,
Camille

Hey Tyra I am an 11(going on 20 so says my mom) year old African -american girl enjoying and living my life to the fullest. Ever since I was little my parents have tough me that I am BEAUTIFUL and to love myself. When I saw the young African American man who HATED BEING african American I asked my self what his childhood was like. Ever since the tragety of slavery the African American being was thought that being dark was bad and being light was good also and everything that goes with it lips nose skin. this has been in our minds and has not been cleansed out. We see it everyday on tv music videos ect. For me its just the opposite I love my full lips and I love my big nose.
I am NOT BEING rascist I just love me . And to prove I am NOT racsict I go to a majority ruropean american school (white) where I learn the french carriculum also meaning that I speak French fluently , I also speak haitian creole ,and, English of course. I don't want to grow up to live in a white or black or latino or chinese citizen and only that I want to grow up to be an INTERNATIONAL citizen of the world. Meaning I want to connect with everybody no matter who. And before anyone can do that they must love themselves from the strings of their hair too the tip of their toes.

name:Ade Age;11
PS tYRA i LOVE ur show

Hey Tyra,
I’m 20 years old and white. Most people think that racism is something that just happens to minorities, but its not. I did most of my growing up in a town populated mostly but African-Americans. It was never a big deal to me, and most of the time, never a really big deal to anyone else. When I moved to a new town with a mixture of many people I thought that I would be excepted for who I am considering the plethora of races but apparently I give off some kind of a impression that makes people ask me “are you trying to be black?” sometimes its jokingly, sometimes its more then that. I don’t know if it’s because I listen to rap music and I talk with slang, or if it’s because I mostly hang out with and connect with the black hip-hop community. All I am is a product of my environment. Some people tend to get really angry with me for just being me and doing what comes natural. I’ve been threatened, got into fights, and ostracized just for being white. But that doesn’t stop me from doin’ me and it shouldn’t stop anyone else. But the thing that surprised me the most was when I gave birth to my daughter who happens to be mixed. Her father is black, but she is really lighted skinned. Most people don’t even know that she is mixed until someone tells them. All of a sudden I’m flooded with racial questions. The most often question I get is; “does her father have anything to do with her?” that is a really upsetting question because not only do I get it from white people but also from black people, and that just shows that people do have some kind a belief in stereotypes even about their own race. The second most asked question I get about it is; “do your parents have a problem with it?” I never thought about my parents in that equation, because they were the ones who thought me to never pass judgment on others. I find it really discouraging when people ask me these questions, because I feel that adults should know better then judge others by what they look like and because parents are the greatest influence in their kids lives they should also be the best influence. My parents love my little girl’s daddy like a son, and that’s the way it should be.

Hello Tyra. Im a high fashion designer who also happens to be black. Perhaps the biggest education Ive gained about race is what Ive learned from being in the world of high fashion. I dont think people realize how racist the fashion industry is and how it affects a designer such as myself. But not in the direct way that one may think. Its not me being a Black man that is usually the biggest issue.Though there are issues particullarly in this part of fashion..... However, The biggest issue is that I like to use more than one or two black models. Im a designer who was inspired by women like Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Iman and Grace Jones and just like designers who were inspired by women like Marilyn Monroe or Audrey Hepburn, I like for the models to reflect my inspiration. Not that I use only Black Women. I love the diverse beauty of women and even use a range of sizes up to a 14 However if there are about 20 models, a good 10 of them are Black but not with intent. Ive just found that Black girls as many silently agree upon and know in the industry tend to show off garments best. I dont know what it is but they do. However despite how great they are, there is a resistence still to this day. There is always a problem and Im continuously advised not to use so many Black girls regardless of their beauty or talent. One has said, "Well, if you are marketing to more than a Black audience, you must reflect that in your collection" But Tyra, I began thinking about a few main facts. Most models on the runway are a size 0-4. Does that market to the average woman? Will the average white consumer ever look like those white models on the runway either even thought they are white. Will the white girl ever look like the white model on the billboard. So I ask if one will likely not look like the models on the runway or in the ads, what does it matter if a designer such as myself presented his collection with a significant number or majority of Black Model who they dont look like. But I suppose racial difference is where the white public draws the line when relating to a designers collection or product unless however he is a rap star promoting urban gear which is the only place in fashion in which people are most comfortable in seeing a significant presence of "Black". Thats what we are associated with. But Ive realized that the fashion industry, just as hollywood has been a breeding ground of white supremecy and unfortunately is simply a reflection to the attitudes of the buying public. Ive learned that for every billboard, image or magazine that is put on the stands or across the highways and television, a message is sent about not only race, but age, economic class, social status, and so forth. Would America be comfortable if he or she walked to the magazine stands that featured mostly identifiably Black models on its covers for more than a split second. Its prompted me to do much research on the isms in the fashion industry and when I learned of the stories of protests to magazines and fashion shows that featured many Black Models, my thoughts have only been confirmed. Im simply a designer who wants to do his craft. Im constantly told of how beautiful my garments are by every culture and race but my love of Black models is constantly an issue whether its thrown directly or indirectly. Its interesting that a high fashion designer can feature only size 2 white girls and the only problem anyone (the white public and those who have conformed) has is her size but people will still support the line even knowing that it promotes the sickness of being overly thin: But God forbid a Black fashion designer feature a high fashion line with only black girls for a designers artistic presentation and the world is in an uproar. I can still remember my first design class in which our text book showed us how to draw a model. A full chapter was dedicated to that subject matter. And go figure. T