Color blind. I have heard this phrase come up again and again. No, not in relation to the eyes but as a descriptor to say that one does not see race, just people. While all that sounds really nice in theory, this is not a description of an ideal world. We need race, we just don't need racism. Race is important, just like culture is. Is the only way to be accepting of someone is to see them the same as you? Race is important, where you come from is important. We can't afford to be color blind. You know that stereotype about how black girls wear weaves because they don't have good/long hair? It's not true, to an extent. Naturally, we have strong, thick, long hair. I, have strong, thick, long hair. You want to know why that is not the case now? Color blind. Around the time when I was 3 or 4 years old, about 14 years ago, there was a straight hair craze that presented perms to be the only way to get straight hair. Like all new things, there were unexpected draw backs. Later on, people realized that these perms did extreme damage to hair, specifically hair typical to that of a black girl's. Long story short, it wasn't a one size fits all. Now we have perms for all different kinds of hair. But a lot of girls still have to live with their parents' lapse in judgement. Luckily for me, my mom did not buy into all the hype and didn't consider the possible long term effects.
Don't get me wrong, to see the person for the individual and not the pigment of their skin is a wonderful mentality to have. But we cannot ignore the presence of race. It is important to acknowledge the difference between a black person being outside in the sun all day versus a white person being in the sun all day. It's not racism that is the cause for concern. It is our refusal to address what is in front of us. Whether it be intentional or not, phrases like "color blind" only serve as a distraction from actually talking about the problem. I don't want you to not see the color of my skin. I want you to see me, and part of me is my skin. Seeing the color of my skin doesn't take away from me as an individual. There can still be unity in our diversity.
