As a Rollins student  participating in the Washington Semester Program, I have been fortunate enough to meet people from not only all over the country, but from around the world as well. The blending of cultures on this college campus is a great thing to see. In fact, while typically as human beings we tend to surround ourselves with people like us, I am happy to see a multitude of social groups around the campus with people from all different backgrounds within them. My best friends this semester also reflect such a trend. In my social circle, I have a friend from Korea, Mexico, the United States, Norway, and Sweden. Yesterday however, an interesting scenario reminded me of the reality of racial tension and how prejudice and inequality still exist in the United States. While at dinner with my diverse group of friends, we overheard a group of white, American students making fun of the accent of a Latino man that served them earlier that day. Without thinking, I said, “I can’t stand white people sometimes.” As a white person, I laughed and continued to eat my dinner. Then, a Latina friend of mine said, “You know you are white right?” Although she understood why I was saying what I said, her comment caught me off guard and really made me think. Even though I find myself in a position where I am coexisting with people of all different backgrounds, I am still white by appearance. No matter how much I pride myself as being an accepting human being, the color of my skin will never change. Race is still an issue in the United States and the white race still enjoys privileges that minority groups do not. It was humbling to be reminded of the ongoing social inequality in the world and I appreciated the comment. While in D.C., I will continue to work towards eliminating such inequality.