Being Colour Blind
And somewhere along the line some of us were taught that being colour blind was the answer; that not seeing the colour of someone’s skin is a good and respectful thing. Specifically, not noticing that someone is Black, brown, a person of colour, African American (or whatever the term is that’s currently in use where you live). Somehow noticing this important part of someone’s identity has been linked to a negative thing, and to the belief that it could make us seem like a racist. We are simply not supposed to notice when someone isn’t white.
Hmmm…
First of all, we do anyway.
Second of all, if you don’t see my skin colour, who are you seeing?
Not me. Not really.
It’s what we do with that information that can make seeing colour a positive or negative thing. Do we use it to serve people better, understand them more, to connect? Or to discriminate, subjugate, and be disrespectful?
Your Inclusion Challenge for the week is to notice how often people around you leave out race. And when it’s included in a description.
See more.
Annemarie
http://www.annemarieshrouder.com/
Awareness. Connection. Equity.
|
