I was often the only white student in my classes. I didn't feel special or privileged, but I often felt more prepared than my classmates, many of whom were immigrants and slightly older than me. No one there, including me, had the privilege of attending a more sophisticated college or living the dorm life. Most of the students worked. I was raising my kids while I was in college, so they attended daycare on campus where they were the only white kids. The childcare center had an Afro-centric, Black Power curriculum and leadership. My 4 year old son was never allowed to play the drums before his daily libation, even though he asked for it every day. He later studied percussion seriously and majored in music for a year at university. Only recently did he tell me about this exclusion. Many of the girls in kindergarten were fascinated by my daughter's silky, straight hair, which they called blonde, even though she is actually brunette. Every day when I went to pick her up, there would be some girl or another touching her hair and skin. My kids may have seemed like oddballs at heart, but I never regretted giving them that experience. I wanted them to experience diversity. I wanted them to know people of color. Also, this was my daycare. I had no intention of running away. The unintended lesson they learned is that things aren't really equal or fair. CCNY wasn't my only minority experience. I teach at a college with Black leadership and a majority Black student population. I think the best way to maximize learning and a positive school culture is to encourage diversity and build a strong school culture where every member contributes and belongs. In this way, misunderstandings and personal divisions are minimized. Culture is personal, especially when people leave their communities or when communities clash or