L inda Howard

1. Linda Howard Unless your mixed, you don’t know what it’s like to be mixed. James O’Brien Danielle Harvey

2. Background • 19 years old • Bi-Racial (African American and European American) • One older brother • Two younger brothers • Middle Class • Lived in a Predominantly black community in Boston, MA

3. Background Cont.. • Her Father worked in the telephone company for twenty years, now he works a white collar job in the business world. • Her Mother works as a Human Service Administrator.

4. Education • Started her education at Tremont School which was a highly respected magnet elementary school in the city. • The School’s population was diverse. • She had caring teachers that she liked to learn from. • She looked at the Tremont School as its own community that was diverse in it’s own way.

5. Grade School • She got in an accident and missed a great deal of school due to her rehabilitation between seventh and eight grade. • Due to this she was held back twice. • By the end of her second eight grade year she had improved her grades a great deal. • At the conclusion of her eight grade year she moved to Academic High.

6. High School • She did not like Academic High at all because she did not succeed there. • Linda felt that the teachers had no feelings and there was no sense of community. • They made sure that she knew that she was not high anymore, that she was only average like everyone else. They brought her down and discouraged her from learning.

7. Jefferson High school • After her first two years at Academic High she transferred to Jefferson High. • She is an extremely successful student to the point that she felt that school was too easy for her. • Instead of taking four academic courses a term, which was considered normal, she chose to take six.

8. Inspiration • Due to her success, Linda enjoyed her time at Jefferson High as well as liking her teachers and classmates. • One of the teachers she came across was Mr. Benson, and English teacher, whom is also bi-racial. • This connection made Linda feel comfortable with Mr. Benson and therefore started confiding in him.

9. Mr. Benson • Instead of going to the lunchroom many days she would retreat to Mr. Benson’s classroom to chat and discuss things in her life. • Linda considered Mr. Benson her favorite and most trusted teacher she would ever know. • Mr. Benson challenged her which is what she wanted, while other teachers would not. • Her Computer Literature teacher gave her an A because he knew Linda got good grades and was following other teachers.

10. Culture • Family was very important to her life and it was custom in her childhood to sit down to dinner seven nights a week as a family. • She was taught at an early age by her parents to never judge people. • Linda said that her culture is her family. • Being from a diverse background allows her to look at different cultures and understand how they can be different.

11. Her Goal • The reason she went to school and the only thing she wanted to accomplish out of school was to make herself a better person. • She said that you get out of school what you put into it. • She gave school everything she had and in return she got an education that she is proud of.

12. Keep Learning • Linda said that you never stop learning and should not stop trying to learn. • You can learn things every day from the people and cultures around you. • Education as a student may stop but as human beings we all learn from each other.

13. Commentary • Issues of Identity • 6.8 percent of the people under the age of eighteen are of mixed race. • Some people have identity problems as they are not sure which culture is actually there’s. • It is difficult to gain acceptance by a group of people when you do not have a definitive culture.