>>>
>>> FOR
>>> FOR MANY PEOPLE OF COLOR, THE FIRST TIME THEY EXPERIENCE
RACISM HAPPENS WHEN THEY ARE
TOO LONG TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S
GOING ON.
GOING ON.
GOING ON. 9NEWS PHOTOJOURNALIST BYRON
REED TALKED TO SEVERAL
COLORADANS ABOUT THEIR FIRST
ENCOUNTERS WITH RACISM AND HERE
ARE SOME OF THEIR STORIES.
>> WHEN I FIRST EXPERIENCED
RACISM, I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE
FIFTH GRADE.
FIFTH GRADE. >> MY VERY FIRST EXPERIENCE
WITH RACISM, I WAS PROBABLY
ABOUT SIX OR SEVEN IN THE
SECOND GRADE.
SECOND GRADE. >> I DON'T REMEMBER AGE,
NECESSARILY.
NECESSARILY. I REMEMBER GRADE.
SO, I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
>> AS A COPING MECHANISM OVER
THE YEARS, YOU START TO NOT
REMEMBER THESE EXPERIENCES.
ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE
NEGATIVE.
NEGATIVE.
NEGATIVE. >> WHEN I GOT TO DENVER SCHOOL
OF THE ARTS, I WAS REALLY
INTERESTED IN BALLET.
AND, I WORKED REALLY HARD TO
GET EN POINTE.
AND I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BE
A BALLERINA.
A BALLERINA. I SAW MYSELF REALLY PURSUING
THAT CAREER.
THAT CAREER. ONE OF THE MASTER TEACHERS
THERE ACTUALLY TOLD ME THAT I
AM DEFINITELY TOO DARK TO BE A
BALLERINA.
BALLERINA. TO BE SELECTED FOR ANY MAIN
ROLE.
ROLE.
ROLE. ON
ROLE. ON TOP OF THAT, MY HIPS WERE
TOO WIDE.
TOO WIDE.
TOO WIDE. THAT IS SOMETHING HE TOLD ME,
THAT I NEEDED TO SLIM DOWN.
HE SAID I WAS TOO TALL.
PRETTY MUCH, ALL OF MY FEATURES
OF BEING A BLACK WOMAN.
>> I WAS IN FIRST GRADE, I WON
THE PAGEANT.
THE PAGEANT. LITTLE MISS LION PAGEANT.
I HAVE AN OLDER SISTER.
SHE IS MORE RICH IN MELANIN
THAN I AM.
I KNOW MY MOM HAD TO
INTENTIONALLY TELL PEOPLE TO
COMPLIMENT BOTH MYSELF AND MY
SISTER.
SISTER.
SISTER. AND TO NOT SOW DISCORD AMONG
SIBLINGS.
SIBLINGS.
SIBLINGS. >> WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I
WAS 14 OR 15, FRESHMAN YEAR
GOING INTO MY SOPHOMORE YEAR, I
WAS RUNNING FOR STUDENT
COUNCIL.
COUNCIL.
COUNCIL. AS A PLAY ON WORDS BECAUSE MY
LAST NAME IS COFFEY, MY SLOGAN
WAS GOT MILK.
SOMEONE HAD CROSSED OUT MILK
AND WROTE THE N WORD ON MY
SIGNS.
SIGNS.
SIGNS. SORRY.
SORRY.
SORRY. I'M SORRY.
I'M SORRY. THAT WAS A VERY TRAUMATIC AND
HURTFUL EXPERIENCE DURING THOSE
FORMATIVE YEARS OF MY LIFE.
BECAUSE IT FELT LIKE WOW, I'M
NOT WELCOME HERE.
>> I FELT VERY SMALL.
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A VERY
CONFIDENT PERSON.
CONFIDENT PERSON. AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY
LIFE, I FELT LIKE, I FELT
IRRELEVANT.
IRRELEVANT. I FELT LIKE IT DIDN'T MATTER
WHAT I DID BECAUSE I JUST
WASN'T GOING TO BE PICKED
BECAUSE I WASN'T LIGHT SKINNED.
BECAUSE MY HAIR WASN'T LONG OR
STRAIGHT ENOUGH.
STRAIGHT ENOUGH. >> THAT WAS ALSO AN EARLY
EXPERIENCE I HAD TO REFLECT ON.
YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW. WHEN YOU ARE EXPERIENCING IT AS
A KID, FOR ME, IT'S NOT CRAYONS
THAT TELL YOU OH, YOU ARE
DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT. IT'S OTHER PEOPLE.
>> TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE SCHOOL
NEVER REALLY STEPPED IN.
EVEN AFTER SPEAKING WITH MY MOM
RECENTLY, SHE SAYS THAT SHE
NEVER REALLY GOT ANSWERS ABOUT
WHO DID IT OR FOOTAGE FROM THE
CAMERAS OR ANYTHING.
IT WAS ANOTHER INCIDENT SWEPT
UNDER THE RUG.
>> MY MAIN ADVICE IS TO GO
WHERE YOU ARE WANTED.
SEEK THE SPACES YOU ARE WANTED
IN.
IN.
IN. TRAVEL ABROAD.
TRAVEL ABROAD. SEE THINGS IN ART.
TRY NEW EXPERIENCES.
>> I HAVE GIRLS I WORKED WITH
WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST DON'T
WANT TO IDENTIFY AS BLACK.
AS AN EDUCATOR, I'M ABLE TO
ENCOURAGE THEM TO OWN THEIR
BLACKNESS.
BLACKNESS. >> I WOULD SAY TO EDUCATE
YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL
HISTORY.
HISTORY.
HISTORY. MORE IMPORTANTLY, EDUCATE
YOURSELF ABOUT THE SYSTEM IS
AGAINST YOU.
AGAINST YOU. >> OWN YOUR IDENTITY.
THE SOONER, THE BETTER.
AND, OWN YOUR VOICE.
BECAUSE, YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE
WHO COULD TELL WHAT'S GOING ON.
WITH YOU SPEAKING UP COULD
ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE TO ALSO
SPEAK UP.
SPEAK UP.
SPEAK UP. >> SO GLAD THEY TALKED TO US.
THIS IS AN ONGOING CONVERSATION
THAT CONTINUES ONLINE IN OUR
VOICES OF CHANGE SECTION ON
9NEWS.COM.
9NEWS.COM. AND YOU'LL FIND THE INTERVIEW
WITH OUR MILE HIGH MORNINGS
TEAM THEY DID WITH A RACIAL
EQUITY EXPERT ABOUT
EXPERIENCING RACISM AT A YOUNG
AGE.
AGE.
AGE. AND
AGE. AND HOW PARENTS CAN TEACH