I’m not totally sure when I started seeing differences in people, but I know I never really started seeing people as stereotypes about their race or anything.

I was brought up in a very liberal, left wing family so we never really believed in the stereotypes about different races. If I heard people say something like people of color steal things a lot, to me that’s one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.

I was never told something like ‘they’re different from you’ and I never really have had an impulse to move away if I was sitting next to a person of color.

I think it all matters in the way your raised by your parents, because if you deny it or not a lot of your parent’s beliefs do soak into you.

Because if you’re raised by super right wing Republicans you might grow up thinking that Muslims are terrorists, or all black people are in gangs. I think if you really try you can change your beliefs because I know people who have done that but sometimes that’s at the cost of your family and/or friends. They might not welcome you because you believe something different than them.

I grew up surrounded with friends of many different races or part of the LGBTQI+ community, so I always didn’t really understand why people were against different races or against being transgender or gay.

We’ve gone to many rallies including ones for Black lives Matter to show our support, we also have protested for immigrant rights. Trump wanted to keep immigrants from certain countries out but we didn’t believe in that, because we’re all humans no matter what gender or race you are. We also have gone to places like Helping Hand which sends clothes and toys to people who need them around the world. Basically to explain what you do, there are a bunch of clothes and toys and you have to pack them into different boxes which say either Pants or Toys or Shirts, etc. I’ve also gone to LGBTQI+ rallies. I find it a little weird that some people still don’t support the LGBTQI+ community or different races because I always have. I think that again, it all really matters how you were brought up.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that everyone matters no matter what race or gender you are. A little bit about me as a child of a very left wing family is that my name is Jarrett because I am named after a Jazz musician named Keith Jarrett. I’m saying that cause My parents are musicians. I think that goes along with how my family and I are very left wing and liberal. Sometimes people think that very left wing people really love jazz and music, which is very true for me, but isn’t true for everybody. 

I’ve been doing music, singing, piano, and guitar since I was three. The first song I ever played and sang was I’m Yours by Jason Mraz.

The first ever band I was in was when I was seven with Amelie, Sean, Angie, Gareth, and me.

I played the piano and would sing sometimes, Amelie was the singer, Angie would play the drums, Sean would play bass, and Gareth would also play piano and sometimes play drums and him and Angie would switch. The first time I ever did a concert I was very nervous and I almost didn’t perform. Surprisingly how my band made me come on was when Sean burped into the mic and that made me laugh since he embarrassed himself for me in front of the audience and that made me go on and it actually went really well.

Across the years people left and joined almost everyone left from that first year I was in that band. The only people that stayed were me and Sean, but we still have our band.

The band has been going really well in the past year or so, the people who are in the band now are Astrid on guitar and vocals, Ethan on drums, and Gianna on lead vocals.

Everyone who’s been in the band have all been different in some way, and that’s a good thing, and no matter what race or gender you are the band somehow made you sort of not see any of the stereotypes and only really see the person they really are. Music brings people together.

I think what I’m trying to say is that everyone is different, but the same at the same time, so trying to discriminate against one group isn’t fair to anyone.

Don’t be scared or instantly assume something if a person is different then you, be yourself and don’t judge others just because they’re different.