Color Blind or Color Brave?

One of the first things Hobson talked about that really resonated with me was that the first step to solving any problem is not to hide from it, the first step to any form of action is awareness. This is true for any situation, not just race. Hopson expressed that color blindness is dangerous, because it is ignoring the problem. She stated that we cannot afford to be color blind, but have to be color brave. I agree with this because being color blind can lead to ignorance, and not being aware that there is still racial discrimination in our society.

She raises this issue of racial discrimination because she believes it threatens to rob another generation of all the opportunities that all of us want for all of our children, no matter what their color or where they come from. In my current job of working in an after school program, we have a lot of diversity. We have children who are White, African American, Asian, and Hispanic. Looking at my kids, I could never imagine telling them they cannot do something because of the color of their skin. They are all the smartest and kindest kids, and I honestly believe they all have a bright future ahead of them.

The tweet “Never trust anyone who says they don’t see color. This means to them, you are invisible.” by Nayyrah Waheed, made me really analyze it and dissect it. I’m not exactly sure what she meant by the tweet. The way I interpreted the tweet was that everyone sees color, and that race is a part of who are. Those who choose to ignore race as if it doesn’t exist, are choosing to ignore the person for who they are. I am on the fence with if I agree or disagree with this tweet. In my social psychology class I learned from a study that one of the first things people notice about a person is their skin color. This does not mean that their making a judgment on it, but simply making an observation. I believe everyone notices race, but does not mean it effects the interaction with that person.

On the topic of invisibility, I think that everyone feels invisible from time to time. For me there are times when invisibility is welcomed, but there are also times when it is not. From both Hobson and Waheed, I never thought of race making one feel invisible, but I understand what both women mean. As Hobson said, youths need to see others like them in high position jobs. If not, this can lead to them believing they cannot succeed and result in them feeling invisible. I think that a youth space like YIA can be an antidote to invisibility because they are putting themselves out there, and going for what they want, and not letting any obstacles stop them. They are being role models for everyone around them.