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| Michele Norris on race and identity Photos by Emma Lucero |
By Emma Lucero
Norris, a former host of the NPR program " All Things Considered," founded this project in 2010. She printed postcards asking people to discuss, in six words, their opinion or experience about race. She left the postcards everywhere she travels, from hotels to airports. People started mailing the postcards back to her, telling their stories related to race.
All cards are archived, and some are displayed on the website. The website also has a section where people can include the backstory for their six words. Norris believes that “in six words, people can share a lot of depth.
Norris started the project because she realized that people are not enthusiastic to talk about race. She herself hesitated to discuss the subject in her early career. She wanted to encourage people to discuss the subject of race and tell their stories.
The Race Card Project is therefore a place where people can listen to each other, a place where someone could “help other people understand their world and perspective,” Norris told the audience. “I hope that you will dare to listen,” she said at the end of her speech.
Erin Roberts, a junior engineering major at Trinity, liked Norris’s idea of listening and sharing stories. “I like that it should be more about broadening your perspective rather than trying to change someone’s perspective to match your own.”
Molly Hogsett, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major, attended the lecture and found the six-word story intriguing. “It was interesting because six words is a powerful way to convey what’s inside.”
Before the lecture, Norris also visited several classes at Trinity and had lunch with some students.
Matt Barnes, a senior communication and political science double major, attended the lunch with Norris. He said Norris expressed positive career outlook for the students, " She seemed to be enthusiastic about the numerous available internships for communication scholars.”
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| Michele Norris holds a postcard for The Race Card Project |
At the lecture, Norris read some of the sentences. One of her favorites was: “underneath we all taste like chicken,” which earned a laugh from the audience. Other examples were more sobering, including one about a woman who was told by the hostess of a party that they were uncomfortable with her in their house. The woman wished that at least one person had stood up for her.
The Race Card Project is therefore a place where people can listen to each other, a place where someone could “help other people understand their world and perspective,” Norris told the audience. “I hope that you will dare to listen,” she said at the end of her speech.
Erin Roberts, a junior engineering major at Trinity, liked Norris’s idea of listening and sharing stories. “I like that it should be more about broadening your perspective rather than trying to change someone’s perspective to match your own.”
Molly Hogsett, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major, attended the lecture and found the six-word story intriguing. “It was interesting because six words is a powerful way to convey what’s inside.”
Before the lecture, Norris also visited several classes at Trinity and had lunch with some students.
Matt Barnes, a senior communication and political science double major, attended the lunch with Norris. He said Norris expressed positive career outlook for the students, " She seemed to be enthusiastic about the numerous available internships for communication scholars.”
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