No doubt, race isn't easy to talk about. Thankfully, a critical mass of your class has opened not only your minds, but also your hearts to engaging with "Historical Thinking" as it relates to the evolution of Race and Racism in American History. You must consider how you are changed or impacted by your learning--that's how you make sure your learning matters. Hopefully, this discussion inspires such intellectual growth. As we interpret Beyond Loving let's conceptualize the idea of interracial "intimacy" and friendship and personal connection across racial lines and engage with this millennial idea of Color Bravery.
Here, Mellody Hobson introduces the notion of Color Bravery to our class Let's use this space to consider Mellody's argument. Here are some questions to inspire discussion: What does it mean to be Color Brave? Is it dangerous to be Colorblind? What is Colorblind Racism? What must be done to improve race relations or deepen personal relationships across racial lines?
The link below that discusses last year musical collaboration "Accidental Racist" might also further this discussion. Read the attached and watch the video below before "blindly" jumping into this conversation.
49 comments:
claire miller
Color brave is allowing every race to be able to follow there dreams and be what they want to be. Everyone should stand up for each other so every race can be successful in life. It is dangerous to be colorblind because we should be able to see all races equally instead of just blocking out color. And no is “truly colorblind”, we all see color. It is a matter of how we treat color.
The word “race” should not be an uncomfortable word. If we want it to end we need to be able to talk about it. Stop segregating ourselves into our own race. We do this to ourselves, just remember that. Race should NOT be an uncomfortable word if we are trying to put an end to racism.
To be color brave means to be brave of your color/race and other peoples race. To be colorblind is racial discrimination, pretending not to know a race, ignoring the problem. Yes, it is dangerous to be colorblind because they are ignoring the problem. You can't get through life ignoring your problems, because then that creates even more problems. It is also dangerous because you can't just ignore a person or treat them wrong because of their race; that's just who they are. There may be people that you come across in life that you don't like, but that doesn't give you a right to treat them differently. Colorblind racism, is ignoring and treating someone wrong because of their race.To improve race relations or deepen personal relationships people need to start to have conversations that make them "comfortable with the uncomfortable".
Colorblind means to pretend that the diversity & segregation does not exist. Feeling that we are all treated equally now & ignore the very evident problem. Being colorblind is extremely dangerous because by ignoring the problem or pretending that it isn't there, it can never be repaired. In order to fix problems, we must first acknowledge that they exist, and stop living with our eyes closed. Being colorblind is very detrimental to our society and our future. We must admit that prejudice does exist, it is real.
To be Color Brave, means to have the strength & courage to raise the topic of color and race. To deal with why more than 70% of the people who run this country are white, while only a few black people are there. This exists, it is a fact, being color brave is saying it, bringing it up. Being Color Brave also consists of getting used to feeling the discomfort when brought up. Getting comfortable with the discomfort.
There are so many ways to improve our relationships across all races in our society. One way is to remain color brave, bring it up, talk about it, share opinions. Another way is to actively study your environment and try to expand your horizons, so you are surrounded by a diverse group of people and not just hanging around with people who are just like you. Pick people who are different than yourself, and accept everyone without judgment.
Mark Hoochuk
Color brave means to have the courage to help young children be as bright and use their highest potential to be who they want to be in life. At first I thought “Colorblind” meant someone who could not see color but the actual definition of Colorblind is someone not fixing the problem that should be corrected.
It is dangerous to be Colorblind because if no one helps fix the problem or have the courage to resolve it the problem will never be resolved. Being Colorblind can be a form of racism. Mellody Hobson mentioned in her Ted Talk video that “the numbers do not lie” meaning there are so many problems about race that should not be ignored. She stated that her mother said “How did they treat you … Not everyone would treat you the same”. I believe that this statement is true. A lot of people of different races treat others not equally, rudely and disrespectfully. This should not happen at all. If people who are of different races have lost the courage to be Color Brave will they still be Colorblind? Will their problem ever get fix? I don’t know.
To improve race relations people need to start to have courage. They need to believe in themselves so that they can be comfortable talking about this and fix the problem. There should be more opportunities for people to be who they want to be in life, as they had hoped and dreamed they would be. People need to be able to achieve their highest potential level. If the world is able to solve race relations, everyone’s quality of life will improve. The world will be in peace and people will start respecting one another.
-Olivia Siegel
Being colorblind is living a life pretending that everyone is treated equally and ignoring the ongoing problem with race. By being colorblind, the race problem will always be lingering in the air around us and never will be solved.
Being colorbrave is facing the race problem head on. If you are colorblind, you have the courage to bring up the topic of race. Everyone needs to realize that all humans are created equally, and race should not matter. This ongoing fight between races does nothing but harm society. We need to step up, recognize and share with your peers, and overcome. We are all equal, no matter what color our skin is.
Yeah but how? What about the song? Maybe it's useful to rewatch the videos.
I believe Mellody Hobson is 100% correct when she states that the topic of race makes people feel uncomfortable. If someone mentions race in a conversation, most people will immediately change their whole attitude towards the conversation because they start to feel awkward and uncomfortable. Over generations, there have been different methods to cope with this topic. Two of them are "Color Blindness" and "Color Bravery." Even though these are methods for the same topic, there is an immense difference between the two.
In my opinion, color blindness is rejecting the truth and choosing to not notice that there is an abundant amount of people of all different races. Even so, I have to say that these people who choose to be "color blind" are most likely rejecting the truth with good intentions. Before I started taking African American History, I believed that not noticing race was a great thing. It made me feel so good to know that if I do not notice race, I will accept people of all races. As I started taking this class and watched Hobson's video, I started to realize that being "color blind" is not as great as I had hoped it to be. Color Blindness is a method to not deal with racial issues. In other words, it is a method of hiding from the truth.
On the other hand, being "color brave" means that you are addressing the issues involving race. It means you are admitting not only to yourself but to others that you understand these issues and do not want to hide from them. Being "color brave" also means that you are hopeful that these issues we face today will eventually be resolved. Color bravery may not sound as easy as color blindness but in reality, not everything can be fixed the easy way.
In my opinion, being "color brave" is the key to improving race relations and deepening personal relationships across racial lines. I totally agree with Hobson when she says that "color blindness" can damage our process in the future. This is the process of moving forward and trying to make the world a more equal place. We have come so far in history and there is no need to stop now when we can make an even more change by being "color brave."
Mellody describes being Color Brave as taking racism “head on” without backing off. One thing Mellody said that really stuck with me is how she went to a party when she was 7 years old and immediately when she came home her mom asked, “How did they treat you?” Mellody didn’t understand why her mother was asking this question instead of normal motherly questions such as how was the party or did you have fun? This stuck with me because it shows that no matter what the age is, people always deal with racism. Being colorblind is trying to not see the difference in color between people but being color brave is noticing the difference but not allowing it to affect you. It’s dangerous to be colorblind because you should still realize that there’s a difference because it’s good to be different. In order to improve race relations or deepen personal relationships across race lines you must be “Color Brave.”
Being colorblind is trying to pretend that everyone is the same and pretend that race isn't there and doesn't matter. It's dangerous because it's disregarding the problem and if people can't acknowledge that racism exists than it can't be fixed. I think being colorblind wants all people to be the same and that doesn't allow for everyone's unique qualities to come through. I think it is really important to be color brave. It allows for so much diversity. People can learn so many new things and having a diverse environment allows for so much more success. Allowing yourself to interact with people who don't look like you is the first step in developing intimate relationships with people that aren't your race.
By Isabella Piacentino
"They will not always treat you well."
This is what a 7-year-old Mellody Hobson heard from her mother after coming home from a birthday party where she was the only black child there. That same girl is now the "Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dreamworks Animation" according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mellody_Hobson).
In this Ted Talk, Hobson talks about race. Now, race is a very controversial topic and I agree with Mellody when she refers to race as the "conversational third rail." Although race is a tricky subject, she challenges us to be "comfortable with being uncomfortable;" to be Color Brave. This new term means to "embrace diversity and recognize race" and to erase that disposition of being color blind.
I'm not sure if being color blind is dangerous; maybe in the long-term it can be but I think unnecessary and wrong are more suitable words. Being color blind means you are "ignoring the problem" and trying to move past something that you can't change. It's impossible to really be color blind once you are past the age of noticing that difference. You can see it on the news, see it in the way that people interact, and hear it in the tones of voices: racism.
I don't think the whole world will be joining hands soon to celebrate color bravery but it can start with small steps that you take it your everyday life. Mellody Hobson wants us to observe our environment, be welcoming to people who aren't like you (whether that be physically or personality-wise), and to challenge those stereotypes.
Lastly, I think Mellody brings up the very important perspective of the children of this generation, like me and all you others writing on this blog. She doesn't want society to "rob another generation of opportunities." She wants children to believe that their future is full of optimism; that they can work hard to be like the people from T.V. to the White House. She asks of everyone to be color brave not only to help communities as a whole but to secure the future of the next generation.
Being color brave means that people are willing to have comfortable conversations about race with honesty, understanding, and courage. It is dangerous to be colorblind because it means that we are ignoring the problem. It also means that we are not embracing diversity. Colorblind racism is a learned behavior where we pretend that we do not notice race. In order to improve race relations or deepen personal relationships across racial lines, we must raise awareness. We have to share stories and talk about race in a way that does not make people feel uncomfortable. Also, it helps to use statistics when talking about race.
To be colorblind is a dangerous thing. Referring to what Mellody Hobson said, that even with being colorblind you can still see light or dark. It does not take away the problem of racism, it pushes it aside. Being colorblind is avoiding the problem and that is what Mellody is trying to highlight and bring upon everyone's attention. Colorblind racism is very hazardous. Hiding and avoiding the problem is not solving it.
Mellody wants us all to be color BRAVE. "Take it head on", she states. To be color brave is to embrace the diversity and recognize the subject matter. Once you acknowledge racism and touch that "3rd rail" you are one step closer to solving the problem. I think that this idea of color bravery is really smart and can be highly effective. Color bravery is the first step to improving race relations and deepening personal relationships.
Being color brave is the act of being proud of your own race. Its also knowing that all people are not treated the same and that race does exist. Color brave people are comfortable with the word race and don't shy away from confrontations or conversations about race.
Being color blind is the act of denying race and believing it does not exist. Color blind people think that all people are put on the same level playing field and that racism does not exist.
In the video we watched about color bravery or color blindness when Melody Hobson told us about what her mother said " how did they treat you" that summed up everything that color blindness and color bravery has to do with.
James Nicholson
Throughout the video, Mellody shares personal experiences and teaches many lessons. She uses two important words that we can live by to make the world a better/peaceful place, "Color blindness" and "Color Brave". Color blindness- ignoring the important issues in everyday life. Color blindness is dangerous because we are not addressing the problems, we are ignoring them.
To be color brave means to be positive about your race. This is possible by addressing the issue or having a proactive conversation about race. You should not be afraid to speak up. As Mellody said, "Life would be better with greater diversity". Mellody shares a wonderful story about the time her coach made her hold her breath as she swam a lap in the pool. In the end she explains why her coach made her do that. " To make you comfortable being uncomfortable." Mellody ties that in with being color brave. She says its just the smart thing to do and she's absolutely right. You will never get anywhere if you do not solve problems.
To be color brave is to support and help people of a different race and creed. Color blindness is detrimental to our society because it nullifies the problem and it buries the issue alive, and if we bury the issue it will turn into a night of the living dead issue like it is now with the reoccurring theme of not recognizing the vastness of races.
Color blindness is to ignore the existence of different races. I feel that being "comfortable being uncomfortable" says Mellody; is important when trying to get people to see that working with people who are not like you or don't dress like you, or come from where you come from, it has away of changing the heart and getting people out of their counterproductive and rigid ways. Having people who are a different race work with you is conducive for having success in your home, and on the job. Foreigners have different functions and diverse thinking to bring to the table. I f we didn't have people from all over the world in our businesses, we would have the innovations that develop our everyday living
Color bravery symbolizes rejection to color blindness, and not just donating money to charities for poor Africans but actually giving life to a dream of a child of a different race who thinks low of themselves. Also giving the gift of opportunities to someone who has potential and needs a hand. Lift as you climb , and make sure you go out of your way for that foreigner who will someday worry about your well being.
To Be color blind, it means you ignore that there are different races surrounded by you everyday. It's to ignore that everyone is different, and it is to ignore that the diver diversity of certain communities, job fields, etc is limited. We need to be color brave. When we become color brave we start to accept that there are so many races, colors, ethnicities and that the people of all backgrounds coming to together won't harm us, but make us stronger. This video really opened my eyes. It made me want to make a different in the world, and if not in the world, in my community. To be color brave we need to except that a lot of places lack diversity, and change that. We need to change the statistics and give all ethnicities fair standing ground
Color bravery is a very important value that everyone should have. No one should live colorblind. The situation will only get worse if you avoid it. Life would be so much easier without the racial discrimination.
Mellody describes colorblindness very well. She actually inspires me to want to help spread word of color blindness. We need to make a change and stop acting like race isn't a thing, and embrace it.
Color brave is mean to be positive and brave about your race or your color.You are proud about your race and feel comfortable with the word color or race. Color brave support you dream and remain you could follow your dream and do anything that you want to no matter what race or color are you.
Opposite of color brave,colorblind is extremely dangerous because it's mean people are ignoring the problem and pretending it never happens. Ignore the problems is never good because the problems with race will never be fixed.
It's 2015 and i think people should be comfortable to talked about race and understand each other more.You should't afraid to speak up because it's not something to ashamed and to shy about.People should proud of their own race and share their amazing stories to the world.
Being colorblind is being ignorant and denying the fact that we are different. It's pretending that racism and discrimination does not exist within our commuinities. Like what Mellody Hobson said, colorblind will not solve anything, it will just push the problems aside. For the better of our society and to improve race relations or deepen personal relationship, we should be color brave instead of colorblind, accepting and embracing all our differences. We should set a better foundation for the generations to come by being “comfortable of being uncomfortable”, getting used to talk about our cultural differences. By interacting with others that are different from us, we broaden our thoughts on different situations.
To be colorblind means that you are willingly choosing to ignore the existence of the different races around you and the obvious evidence that racism and segregation still being in existence now today. It means that you are only thinking that being surrounded by people who look just like you is nothing other than a pure accident which is evidence that it is possible for racism to block a pathway for opportunity for those who has the acceptable capabilities.
Now to be color brave, in my opinion, is to be able to face the realities of racism that reveals itself all throughout our everyday lives. The benefits of having a sense of color bravery allows you to be comfortable with the uncomfortable, as many of us have already said, racism is a very controversial and sensitive topic to speak about. In order to become color brave, we have to learn how to be able to be comfortable with the topic of racism and learn to accept the dark realities of racism and learn to grow from this social situation.
Once again, racism is a very sensitive topic to discuss but it does nothing for us to purposely avoid talking about it. In order for us to grow into a level where we can be comfortable with this topic, we must of course, face it. Face it and give ourselves a chance to be exposed to it in order to become color brave.
Anthony Grillo
African American History
10th grade
1/24/15
Melody Hobson is absolutely right in saying that racism is an uncomfortable topic to talk about. Her analogy of touching the third rail was so powerful, it described to me every awkward silence out there. Something is said that people are uncomfortable talking about and then there is dead silence. There is a huge difference between "color blindness" and "color brave". It separates the cowards from the people who want to solve the problem of racism. These two ideas are like something out of a psychiatrist's mouth. you must INDENTIFY THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM before you have make any headway on solving it.
I agree with Mrs. Hobson in saying that the idea of "color blindness" is dangerous because the first step to solving a problem is identifying that there is a problem. "Color blindness" is the ignorance of people who don't want to face racism head on. People might argue that "color blindness" is good because it keeps the peace. But really, it is like a time bomb waiting for one of the participating races to explode and cause even bigger fights. Would you rather rip a band-aid fast or slow? Fast, so spread the idea of racism now so that there isn't any more tension.
"Color brave" is how people should be living their life. Not just with the idea of openness towards racism, but in any goal that you want to achieve. Being "color brave" is not being afraid to talk about/say what is n your mind. Being "color brave" is hard, hence the word brave, but who said that solving a problem is easy. You're not always gonna get the long word problem in math right. It takes time and practice. The trick is to NEVER GIVE UP!!
I agree with the idea of "color bravery" over "color blindness" because if you hide from your problems, you aren't growing as a person. You are just making yourself a bad person by not speaking up for what is right.
Being color brave means accepting who you are and what others are. You can accept all people no matter their race. By doing this will help you grow as a person. Don’t live in discrimination, and don’t give up on your future, or your passion to be brave. Many people live colorblind who are always afraid of talking about race due to discrimination. More people need to be colorbrave and accept all races and stop the racist discrimination. Just like Mellody Hobson says “We can’t afford to be colorblind, we have to be color brave, we have to be willing to have proactive conversations, not because it’s the smart thing to do, but it’s the right thing to do.” We can’t look at people differently at people because of their race, if we do, we become more colorblind than ever. We need more diversity in our world in order to have a bright future.
Color Blind racism is where you consider everyone equal and the same but we’re not. It is where you don’t acknowledge the differences we all have and ignore them. It is dangerous because you don’t acknowledge it you won’t be comfortable talking about race. Race would still be an awkward topic and avoided. We have to be color brave and in order to become that we have to acknowledge our differences and accept them. It will help us become more comfortable with the visible differences and accept our own. There needs to be more diversity and encouragement to mingle with other races especially coming from home. As Mellody Hobson said, mingling with other races, other intellects, etc. will help you grow and discover many things and challenge you. With this we are open to more knowledge of each different person we may encounter. People can impact you both positively and negatively. We need to start by teaching our children to accept their differences and the differences of others and that they could do anything as Hobson’s mother told her. Starting at an early age can help impact the mind.
What does it mean to be color brave? To be color brave is to not be afraid to talk about race with different people. It's when you don't feel uncomfortable talking about race with other races. Race is always a touchy topic for Americans regardless if bad or good. What does it mean to be color blind? The idea of being color blind is to believe that you don't see someone for the color of their skin. You see everyone "equal". The problem with being color blind is everyone isn't the same. We all have a history and culture that should be noticed. This idea of color blind can be dangerous for that exact reason. Not acknowledging someones culture or heritage can be offensive to some people. The idea of being color blind isn't dangerous but how it is portrayed is dangerous.
Like Melody said " I wasn't surprise." when the lady mistook for her and her friend as workers for lunch, that just an example of "Accidental Racist". I think that people don't realize that they treat a certain race better or worse then an other. Colorblind is when you ignore your color and doesn't embrace your race and make yourself think that everyone is the same and equal when it's not. Being color brave is to embrace your race and be proud and not to feel awkward when the topic of color pops up.
To be Color Brave is to give not just white people, but people of every race the same opportunities to be successful in life. It is very dangerous to be "colorblind," because it erases the identities of people who have gone through hardships because of their race. We shouldn't pretend that we're all the same; we should embrace our differences and different struggles and help those who don't necessarily have the upper hand in life. This is what needs to be done to improve race relations and deepen personal relationships across racial lines.
It doesn't matter if it is "Colorblind", "Racial" or a "Act of Fascism" kind of Racism, it is still descibed as an act of discrimination towards the person with the opposite color of skin. Color Brave is an act of showing that you are proud to be the skin color you are. It also makes the person feel brave about being proud of having to be born with that skin color. As always, a person would shout aloud "I am (First Name, Last Name) and I am proud to be a (White, Asian, Black, Hispanic, etc) person!" so s/he can express his/her feelings about him/herself. It also ignores the life of being an "Anti-Race" person and treats other races respectively. The word "Race" can be used in a hurtful way towards humanity. We REALLY NEED TO STOP using it as an offense to the others with the opposite color of the one who said "Anti-Racial" slurs, especially the N word. It can or cannot be uncomfortable because of how racism spreads around the globe.
Tianna Boccuti said Color Bravery means taking an uncomfortable situation and learning how to live in it by making it comfortable. For instance instead of hiding from talking about what racism is we should talk about it and tackle it head on. We should have a wide variety of all people to talk and development they way we live. You can be color brave by speaking up and try to help solve these problems. Look at people around you invite them into your life even if they don’t look like you are act like you. Learn the different things about all different races how they live and what they do even if it is different from what your race does. Show courage and be bold and work with all people don’t be blind to what you see which is being Color Blind go ahead and take a chance on someone even if they don’t look like you, be Color Brave. That is the difference not seeing color but seeing the actual person for what they are and what they can do. I do believe that being Color Blind is dangerous because you base your judgement of a person of what you heard and not what you know about that particular person. In the video Accidental Racist it is all about being color blind. If everyone could get past the color blindness the world would be a much better place for everyone.
Being color brave means that you are attacking an uncomfortable conflict head on with your head strong. I feel like it is incredibly dangerous to be colorblind by race because it can manipulate you. If you see people just as humans and the rest of the world sees you for your skin color, that causes tension.This is where the idea of race comes in because it brings out a huge part in how we look at the world today. Putting race into place makes identities fade away. I feel like a way to improve race relations is to honestly contact with other races amd not see everyone as human. At the end of the day, you don't understand what exactly a black person has to go through if you're a white man that believes that everyone is made and created equal. The world isn't that easy.
Being color brave means that you believe in your race. Being color blind means that you ignore the thought of race and believe that everyone is equalized as humans. Colorblind racism is believing that everyone is equalized as humans but also knowing that there is race. It is dangerous to be colorblind because if you don't identify the problem like Mellody said in the video, then you're ignoring the problem. I feel like a good way to improve race relations is to accept other races.
To be color blind means to pretend and not acknowledge the fact that diversity and segregation are topics that do exist. Color blindness in a way is the ignorance of not acknowledging an pretending that these differences among race does not exist. Having this ignorance to not believe is not helping to solve this issue, but rather ignoring it. The only way something can get done is first, acknowledging the problem and making the realization of it. Without that first step, there could never be a solution to the topics of segregation and discrimination.
Colorblind racism is and was one of the most crucial parts of discrimination. As we can see from Mellody's story of treatment based on the color of her skin, this is a prime example of colorblind racism. Therefore, if we can eliminate this colorblindness, we could be one step further to being considered equal.
This equality is where color bravery comes into the picture. To be color brave means the allowance for people of all race and identity have the ability to do what they please. With this color bravery comes acceptance for who each individual person is. We as a people have to stand up for each other. We as a people must not stand up for "our own kind". With the idea of color bravery, there should never be a "particular kind" and thus we as a people need to realize that we are of the same kind.
-Jade Jefferson
I think that color brave means that you bold about who you are regardless of your race without feeling shameful. Being color blind is dangerous because you assume that everyone from different races are the same and you don't see the difference in which they were born into when in fact, people may have went through a lot in their life that they can encourage us to be bold. I think race wouldn't be such a hard thing to talk about if people didn't anticipate or assume how their futures will be like from how they were being treated and what their past was like. Color braveness to me I think is a way to stop people from being color blind because the more people become bold about their race and what they want to do, the lesser people will assume your future or discriminate.
-McKenna Cooper
In the Ted Talk video, Mellody Hobson mentions two different terms involving race: Color Blindness and Color Bravery. Race has always been a touchy subject that many people want to avoid discussing; especially in our society today where the problem of racism currently exists. According to Mellody, to be Color Blind means to pretend not to notice race which definitely comes with consequences. As Mellody says, it could potentially rob future generations of opportunities involving jobs. Being Color Blind can make problems worsen because one is only avoiding the issue about race. I believe this ultimately leads to the forming of stereotypes and racism because we are not exposed to different people of different ethnic backgrounds. Similarly, how can a blind man experience without sight? His only option is hear through his ears. Being Color Blind means to only accept what we hear, and not in what we see, which connects to the idea of a “single story.” This racism can make people feel less important and ruin job opportunities. That is why Mellody expresses how in order to break Color Blindness, people of all races must break the walls of discomfort by becoming confortable in talking about the problem together.
I believe the blame for color blindness is not towards the present, but the past, which the song The Accidentally Color-Blind Racist by Brad Paisley illustrates. It paints a realistic story of a white man and black man which portrays the separation of black and white people due to the past which conflicts their relationship in the present. This ultimately creates racism and stereotypes. It is clear that both have men have different views and walk in different shoes at the end of the day. However, the white man hopes that the black man is willing to accept him although his color may be guilty of oppressing the black man’s in the past. Because of what his people did in the past, they are now caught between being privileged but also blame. The black man also hopes that the white man would understand his life of living in the hood and being looked at more positively than just a criminal. Ultimately, both men are guilty of judging each other without getting to know each other due to their separation which has created color blindness accidentally from the past. This is the same exact problem that exists in our society today.
Mellody Hobson introduces the idea of Color Bravery. To me, I believe to be color brave means to feel comfortable and bold about diversity within our society instead of avoiding it. It is the acceptation of all races. I believe Color Bravery is essential in our society today, for the world is becoming more diverse every day. This is inevitable due to different job opportunities, traveling, and school. Mellody encourages us all to be Color Brave so that the children of the next generation may have a better chance of grasping opportunities. Therefore, the only solution to fixing color blind is becoming color brave. This ultimately requires more interactions between races which is definitely not a confortable and easy task. I believe that we can start by realizing that these problems exist instead of ignoring race. That is already a challenging hurdle to leap over. However, educating the children about these problems and promoting color bravery will help future generations not be in risk of color blindness. It may be hard to completely eliminate color blindness, but we can always start by being color brave in an effort to let kids know that they matter and that their dreams matter as well, as Mellody concludes in her talk.
Color Brave is giving people of all different races and cultures a chamce to be successful. Being "colorblind" is wrong because it dismisses the experiences of people who have went through being treated differently because of their race. We aren't all the same and we shouldn't ignore that but we also shouldn't ignore the people that may need help. We need to do this to make race relations better and to help the people who are treated differently because of their race or culture.
To be color blind means that a person is able to see and treat all races equally. Everyone has the same opportunities and is not judged based on race. This can be dangerous because that person who is color blind does not see the problem and ignores it. Not everyone is color blind so by ignoring this problem, we're not stepping forward in humanity and acceptance. Also, race is part of who you are. It is your background and culture and makes you YOU.
Nicole Papa
In my opinion, to be color brave means to be proud of who you are. Being color blind is a bad thing because you dont see people for who they are. An example would be a person who says it dont matter what color or race you are. In todays world it does matter. I agree with Melody. She ia a strong and independent black women who embraces herself.
Before I watched this video I was color blind. Instead of being comfortable with embracing other races, I hid them. As of now I learned how to except people who who they are. I believe if we all learn how to not be color blind our society will function better and be strong. I also believe by accepting the facts races will get along better and people will be more open minded.
If you're colorblind you are ignorant to segregation and racism. To be colorblind is extremely dangerous, if you're colorblind you're deliberately ignoring the problem at hand. How can it ever be fixed if you ignore it ?
To be color brave means that you aren't afraid to bring up or talk about racism today. You bring up the topic on why most of our presidents were white? Or maybe you explore the topic of colorism.
Even by you hanging out with other people who don't look like you, you are raising awareness. If you surround yourself with people who look exactly like yourself, ask yourself this. Why? Why don't you interact with other races besides yourself? Look around and wonder ; why isn't your group of friends as diverse as others?
Being color brave is to accept people of different races and bring them into your life. Mellody Hopson says she hopes they chance and challenge your life, and that letting them into it is to be color brave. This is the opposite of a term called color blind. To be color blind is to not be influenced by racial prejudice. I feel this is a dangerous thing to do and that is important to realize race and use such things to your advantage. I feel that overall people should understand race, accept and utilize it. For example, a black mans perspective or opinion can be completely different then a white mans. This can be an awesome thing for everyone and strengthen us as individuals if we accept race and understand what is happening. This is not a topic that should be pushed aside, like Mellody says, it is important to talk about it and that it will benefit a lot of people if we do. Be color brave.
Color brave and Colorblind are two opposing terms that have pretty much opposite meanings. To be color brave is to be accepting of other races, and having them in your life allows you to be color brave. To be colorblind you are not accepting of other races, and you don't allow them in your life. That is what it means to be colorblind and color brave. I would also like to add that I completely agree with Gia. Being colorblind is very dangerous and it is completely ignorant to the problem at hand. Also hanging out with other races is like raising awareness, and allows others to show that we are okay with this. If none of us prove to be color brave will others ever become color brave? If none of us show that we are color brave everyone will stay colorblind. Stay color brave, never colorblind.
To be color brave means you accept people for who they are. You're comfortable with talking about the differences of skin color, you look into it more. To be colorblind means you pay no attention to the world around you. You are completely oblivious to what's going on in the world. People who are color blind don't realize the problems that are occurring now which is a big problem. In order to wake those people up and open them up to colorism, I feel like they need to be exposed to more. They need research it, have conversations with people that have been apart of it. I think things like that will help a colorblind person improve on color relations, or see the color.
You walk into a room of important officials in your mind. Automatically, we picture a room plentiful of men. We imagine their over priced business suits, which somehow in this world and society shows intelligence and wealthiness. Do you see a room full of Black African Americans? No, of course you don't. Now, walk into a job occupation society sees as "shameful" and "non prosperous" in your mind. Do you see a room full of Caucasian's/whites? No, that would be strange. If this is what an average person pictures, color blindness holds no physical existence. It holds an existence only as thought. There is a certain society, called a utopia. A utopia contains a world of sharing, equality, no violence, and just all things great. The view of having colorblindness holds a place in all these areas. Just by reflecting back onto the Ferguson blog, a majority of us wrote about racism and unfairness towards the opposing race. Well, colorblindness is the complete opposite of this.
The word and topic of racism is uncomfortable for many to talk about. Being uncomfortable is only human. Being brave, is also only human. Mellody tries to get us passed this. To be colorbrave means to willingly have a comfortable conversation.
^^^^ about the uncomfortable topic of race.
When the topic of race is mentioned, it is often uncomfortable for people. I think Melody, from the video "What is Color Brave?", mentioned two good stories. The first story was about when melody and her friend walked into a restaurant for lunch and someone walked up to them and asked where their uniforms were because they thought they were supposed to be working in the kitchen. She wasn't surprised by this. The second story was when she was 7 and she was the only black girl. Melody was at a party and the only question her mother asked her was "How did they treat you?" Her mother also told her that people, of different races, will not always treat you well.
What is Color Brave? Color Brave is being able to be comfortable with being uncomfortable when the topic of race comes up. This was mentioned by Melody's swimming coach who had her keep doing drills over and over again until she got them right. By the time she was finished, she was out of breath and tired but she completed the drill and was now comfortable with being uncomfortable. Color Brave is honesty, understanding, and courage. It is also the smart thing to do instead of being the right thing to do. One of the things Melody said she learned was that you cant hide from race, You should always be aware. Color Brave is about being less anxious and more bold. People thought that when Barack Obama was elected that that would be the end of racism. But in fact, it still isn't, even today. White men only make up 30% of the U.S. but they make up 70 % of corporate seats. There are only 7 Ceo's today that are black and out of the thousand of publicly traded companies, only two of them are chaired by black women including Melody.
Like Melody mentioned, I have been treated better more then I have been treated bad or unfair when it comes to race. This brings me to the topic of "What is Color Blindness?" Color Blindness is to pretend to not notice different races and to ignore the problem. All races should be recognized and embraced. Some things we can do to improve being Color Brave is to speak up and address the problem. You should always observe your environment no matter where you are at and invite new people or situations into your life. There was one quote that inspired me by Melody's mom that stated," You can be anything!" (Land of the free, home of the brave.) This is a great quote to go by because it shows that no matter who you are, what skin color you are, or where you are from, you can be anything as long as you strive and work hard to make those dreams and wishes come true.
Lastly, after listening to the song Accidental racism, I think it gives great support to the context from the Color Brave video. One of the best lines in the song that I personally like was when Brad Paisley said, "Oh how I wish I could walk a thousand miles in your skin." That line is so powerful because it is true. Depending on who you are and what skin color you are, life could be completely different for someone who is white compared to someone who is black.
Color brave has said to deal with recognizing race and its existence among us. We also have to be brave enough to let ourselves believe Nd know that it exist amongs us. Race separates us from each other physical and mentally. But in this world it can be separated with rights among us. Being colorblind is to not recognize race and see that it affects who we are and our social interaction. It's important for use to be color save and not color. Blind
Being color brave to me is being able to recognize race. To be able to embrace your race and love it. The meaning to me is very deep. When race is mentioned it is a uncomfortable topic to discuss. When Melody told the story of when she was 7 and went to a party it really made me think about how race defines our society. When Melody came from the party all her mother said was "How did they treat you"? That really caught my attention . Going back to the meaning of color brave it means to be comfortable with being uncomfortable from the topic of race. Color brave is about being bold.
Colorblindness is another important topic. Color blindness is when you ignore the problems of race. It's to pretend to not recognize other races. Every race should be recognized . We can solve most of these problems by speaking up and saying something about the problem. There are not many black people with high quality jobs most of the Ceo's are white. You can be anything you want to be in life. You should never let anyone determine what or who you are by your race. Finally the words color brave and color blindness or very strong words. The song by Bradley Paisley really inspires the topic of color bravery .
Every baby is born color blind. They don't care they don't notice. None of us are born racist we are all born blind to the fact that people are different. How do we keep it this way? We must move on we must not judge others for how they look for we are all equal. Being color brave is the idea of being proud of your race. Being comphersble with people of other races. The fact that race is so touchy in America is NOT good. How can you be accepting of something when you get offended when it's brought up! People need to put the past of America behind them put and move forward.
I believe that, although vastly different, color bravery and color blindness both serve to achieve the same end goal, equality. They just have two drastically different ways of handling them. There's a saying that goes "there are two ways to solve a problem; facing it head on or ignoring it and letting it solve itself." Therein lies the line between color bravery and color blindness.
Color blindness is a theory or way of living that essentially states that if we live in a post race society and pretend that these boundaries of race doesn't exist then it doesn't. I don't believe its intent is to erase our racial identity; however, i do believe that it is trying to point out that although race is a big deal it is just another thing we use to differentiate ourselves. It is no different from gender, age, height, or weight in the respect that in society its constantly used to point out the differences in ourselves.
Color bravery is facing the problematic issues of race head on and not being afraid to discuss them. Color bravery is embracing our differences.
I believe that it's good to have a mixture of both.
Color blindness and color bravery are very different. They both try to get equality for races but have different ways. With color blindness, you are ignoring the problem. With color bravery, we are handing the problem. We need to accept these differences because they are what make us unique. You need to be both color brave and color blind to help solve the problem.
I think Gabi offers wonderful perspective to broaden our mind's outlook. This simple excerpt just demonstrates the genuity and beauty that radiates from her inside and out. Thank you for sharing.
All The Best,
Jared J
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