Shanice McKinley is running for Miss California, and should she get anywhere near her goal, it would be a huge feather in the cap of the town she is from which is known for its gangs, not its beauty queens. Shanice is from Compton, California, a town trying hard to throw off its violent history. There are signs of improvement and Shanice is one of them. She is going around to the small businesses in her community seeking to raise support for the entry fee and wardrobe she will need to compete in the pageant.

“Hi, my name is Shanice McKinley and I am running for Miss California USA, and my whole campaign is really to change the image of what people think about the city of Compton and our youth.”

Images and stereotypes are hard to shake. Just ask Shanice.

At Cal State San Bernardino where she earned her degree, her roommate didn’t show up for freshman orientation or the first week of classes because she was afraid to share a room with a Compton girl. “I thought she was going to be crazy and rude and loud and stuff.” When she finally decided to actually MEET the girl from Compton, she found out the roommate she feared was actually sweet-natured, bubbly, and even a bit naive. The two became inseparable.

How many times have you had a stereotype shattered by coming to know a real person? You’d think we would learn. Without the labels, we are all pretty much the same. When you know a person by name, all other distinctions pale.