Coming from a family of different races was normal to me.

My mom married my stepdad, who is black, when I was nine. About a year and a half later my brother was born. As a kid I thought nothing of it, but as I grew up and we moved to a small town I realized it was a big deal to other people.

With recent issues like Ferguson and the the fact that The South still has segregated proms, people need to keep the discussion open about race.

I have been a witness to racism towards my stepdad, whether it was an interaction with a police officer or someone making a rude remark. These small acts of racism happen way too often, especially for California.

This is what makes me so excited for the movie “Dear White People” and the television show “Blackish,” both coming out this fall. I hope that it starts up a better conversation about how to improve tensions that still exist between races.

For me, it hits home because I don’t want someone to mistreat my family. “Dear White People” seems like it will address the more subtle racism on campuses head on, while “Blackish” will portray a modern black family less stereotypical. Both are doing so in a humorous way. Hopefully the humor will find a large audience and make at least some people see race differently.

Alyssa Dunning can be reached at [email protected] or @alyssadunning3 on Twitter.