When I think of the term race, the first thing that comes to mind is skin color. As young children, we are taught that race is solely related to color because it is easier to explain. We are often classified by race. Even though we may be of different nationality, we are classified by the color of our skin (e.g. black, white, red, etc.). As a child growing up, people of the same race generally lived in the same community. What defines a community? Webster defines a community as a group of people with common characteristics or interest living together within a larger society (Merriam-Webster, 2010). The common characteristic in this case was race. As a child, I did not know anything about the importance and affect that race played in the state and city I lived in. This paper will provide an overview of my experiences within my community and focus on ethnicity and the way race and ethnicity has shaped my personal life view and a few of the problems that it faced when it comes to race relations. The community that I belong to or associate with would be the African American community. I am an African American black female and I reside in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta has a population around 61% African American, 33% Caucasian American and 6% other nationalities (Census, 2009). However, the entire state of Georgia has a population around 28% African American, 65% Caucasian American and 7% other nationalities (Census, 2009). Atlanta was one of the major cities that played a key role in the Civil Rights movement. As I read and study my history, I admire all the trials and tribulations that African Americans went through during the 1960’s. The Civil Rights movement is the main reason my community, as well as other communities, consisted of people with a common characteristic. Most communities carried the look of segregation in the late 60’s. People of the