{"id":58717,"date":"2021-02-22T10:37:35","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T16:37:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=58717"},"modified":"2021-02-22T10:37:36","modified_gmt":"2021-02-22T16:37:36","slug":"the-toxicity-behind-i-dont-see-color","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=58717","title":{"rendered":"The toxicity behind \u201cI don\u2019t see color\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Feature image from @soyouwanttotalkabout<\/a><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

BY CARMEN FANNING<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Fanning<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In my 21 years of being a Black woman, the number of times I\u2019ve been told \u201cI don\u2019t see color,\u201d as a response when I\u2019m trying to explain something that pertains to my life and my race is truly exhausting.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see color,\u201d has become a response of individuals to try and explain they aren\u2019t prejudiced or racist. Although the sentiment is nice, this a tone-deaf response and is causing more harm than good. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How are we supposed to move forward as a nation and correct the outdated principles of prejudice and institutional racism <\/em>if there are people who refuse to believe there is even a problem in the first place?
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal for our society should not be to be \u201ccolorblind\u201d and ignore the injustices people of color are facing, but instead to recognize and change. Race isn\u2019t the problem, racism is. To ignore race is the solution when you assume race is the problem, and the issue is so much deeper than that.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement \u201cbeing colorblind\u201d is counterproductive because it belittles the experiences people of color face on a day-to-day basis. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although we have progressed as a society, it is ignorant to think the experiences of white people and people of color are not dramatically different.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1960 Ruby Bridges became the first African American to desegregate a Lousianna elementary school. As of 2021, Bridges is only 66 years old. We aren\u2019t as far away from segregation and Jim Crow Laws as many might believe. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are not a person of color, you\u2019ve probably heard this term a lot: privilege. It can be easy to become desensitized to the privilege encountered on a daily basis.\u00a0 And when you see things constantly you can become desensitized to their actual meaning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black people experience things such as racial profiling, having someone clutch their bag out of unnecessary fear, and stereotyping. Things white people don\u2019t have to second guess doing such as going for a run or walking down the aisle at a store are examples of their inherent privilege.\u00a0
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image from @wereleavingearly<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

According to Merriam Webster, privilege is \u201ca right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor: PREROGATIVE.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s privilege that white women don\u2019t have to be concerned about the tone of their voice, how they dress, or how they wear their hair. Imagine having a law over whether it is socially acceptable to wear your natural hair. The Crown Act was created to protect Black women from discrimination based on their hair. It officially became law in July of 2019, only two short years ago. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brittany Noble Jones was a news anchor for WJTV, a CBS affiliate news station. After years of straightening and causing damage to her natural hair, Noble decided to wear her natural fro in 2017. Within a month, her boss asked her to change her hairstyle because it was \u201cunprofessional.\u201d 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noble went to HR and even tried complaining but the company told her it violated company rules of having \u201cshaggy and unkempt hair,\u201d ultimately leading to her termination from the news station.<\/a> 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today\u2019s political climate, it is not enough to turn a blind eye to injustices such as the case of Noble with a blanket statement such as \u201cI don\u2019t see color.\u201d It is not enough to have friends of color and ignore the very reality they face every day. It is not enough to be a fan of Black and Brown athletes and cheer their name for a couple of hours, and in the very same 24 hours deny the injustices that come with their existence.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you claim to not see color, I\u2019m asking that you do. See my color, see the significance that comes with it. I want to make it very clear, Black and Brown are NOT negative, I\u2019m asking you to see the concrete difference in how we are treated and how statements such as these make us feel.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked six African American men and women between the ages of 20-24 how it feels when someone says, \u201cI don\u2019t see color.\u201d Out of respect for the individuals and to avoid any issues or backlash, the names will be kept anonymous; however, their responses speak for themselves. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 23-year-old male finds the statements very oblivious. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s like they\u2019re turning a blind eye to social and economic class problems. Because of different backgrounds and upbringings, they don\u2019t understand that minorities have to give more effort than they have to,\u201d he said. \u201cThey have outlets for different possibilities and networking. To them, they see it as an equal playing field. As America says, \u2018Anyone can make it,\u2019 \u2018the American dream,\u2019 \u2018Land of the free,\u2019 they tell you that you can achieve it, but they don\u2019t give you the numbers and support behind it.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an ideal world, race wouldn\u2019t even be a thought when it comes to the experiences of different racial groups – but that is not the reality. Skin color plays a huge role in decision making, experiences, lawmaking, job opportunities and so much more. Racism hasn\u2019t been expunged but instead, it has contorted.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Image from @chnge<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Colorblindness, ignorance, and color passivity all serve to support a white forward society. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I hear people say that they \u2018don’t see color\u2019 or that \u2018we’re all one race\u2019, I figure that they’re well-meaning but too privileged to be aware of how in-genuine and unoriginal they sound,\u201d a 20-year-old woman said. \u201cI feel like those phrases brush off the serious behaviors and feelings present to act as a feel-good response for white people. Those phrases don’t further the conversation or provide comfort to anyone affected.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She went on to say that individuals who have only ever gone to predominantly white institutions and claim not to see color rarely care beyond the surface level and either want to applaud themselves for showing some interest or use it to wrap up the conversation.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNone of my close white friends have said that and I think it’s because they aren’t trying to prove how accepting or liberal they are to me or themselves,\u201d she said. \u201cUltimately, I feel annoyed and uninterested by anyone who says that they don’t see color because I don’t think they’re actually interested in acknowledging how wrong the world really is.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

James Baldwin once said, \u201cThe American idea of racial progress is measured by how fast I can become white.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another 23-year-old male said, \u201cPeople that can\u2019t respect and understand diversity don\u2019t understand the world. I feel like that\u2019s a phrase that holds the same weight as \u2018All Lives Matter.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This argument itself is very contemptuous of the Black Lives Matter movement. People tend to think there is a silent \u201conly\u201d in front of Black Lives Matter. The movement was meant to bring awareness and unity to the blatant mistreatment of Black people which is so evident in America.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll Lives Matter\u201d also inclines that having no color is the default race. That is dehumanizing to people of color. As if we aren\u2019t as important or qualified because of the tone of our skin. There\u2019s already an added stress of being a minority in America. Our skin can be the exact reason why we are killed, not given a job, taught differently, pulled over and so much more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A 21-year-old woman says she feels \u201cconfused,\u201d when she hears microaggressions such as \u201cI don\u2019t see color,\u201d or \u201cAll Lives Matter.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat do you mean you don\u2019t see color? Do you not see purple, blue, yellow? I feel like that\u2019s ignorant. I think it\u2019s impossible to physically not see color and metaphorically I think it\u2019s impossible not to see race especially with the way structural colorism exists,\u201d she said. \u201cIt makes me question why or how because in my life I see color and others see color in the prison, educational, and political system. They literally ask us when we fill out forms what race are you, so everything has something to do with color and race.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These microaggressions can take a toll on people of color\u2019s psyche and identity. For many, it can cause one to oppose their own culture or deny the validity of their personhood. This strips the very essence and being of a person\u2019s individuality to assimilate to mainstream America\u2019s comfort.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think when I hear the phrase \u2018I don\u2019t see color,\u2019 it creates the avenue for prejudice without consequence,\u201d a 24-year-old male said. \u201cTaking your stance on a subject matter and justifying it by telling me your judgment was not based off the color of my skin but of some other motive as a means to create some form of \u2018fail safe\u2019 way to be racist without actually being blatantly racist. It\u2019s the same tactic of making the counter-argument of says \u2018All Lives matter\u2019 over \u2018Black Lives Matter.\u2019\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to this individual, it is possible to acknowledge someone\u2019s race and still not make any prejudiced assumptions based on their degree of melanin.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s almost as if not seeing color\u2019 and \u2018seeing color\u2019 is the deciding factor on whether a certain individual can be tagged racist or not,\u201d he continues. \u201cThe act of not seeing color has almost created a gray area where you can with prejudice or judge a black man and not face any backlash because of your choice to ignore color. Oh well\u2026 what do I know, I\u2019m just a black man trying to survive in this world.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is not meant to be an attack or belittlement of anyone, but what I do ask is for some measure of empathy, comprehension and acknowledgment that life in America is already challenging, let alone the additional challenge of race being an essential part of a person of color\u2019s identity.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen people say that they don\u2019t see color, in my opinion, they\u2019re looking past the fact that someone is different from them and ignoring everything the race and culture has done for either them or the country in general,\u201d says a 22-year-old female. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeeing color is important because I think it adds value to the opportunities that people of color have and are given,\u201d she said. \u201cBeing a person of color doesn\u2019t make me any different from someone who isn\u2019t, but instead I think it makes me want to be the person of color that someone thinks about and makes them recognize how important it is to see my color and see who I am.\u201d
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t see color, you don\u2019t see systemic injustices,
Black excellence
the discrimination me and other people of color face,
My culture,
The ongoing brutality
You aren\u2019t truly seeing me.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Feature image from @soyouwanttotalkabout BY CARMEN FANNING In my 21 years of being a Black woman, the number of times I\u2019ve been told \u201cI don\u2019t… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":58719,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12390,55],"tags":[13807,13422,13997,14112,441,14113],"class_list":["post-58717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-editorial","category-opinion","tag-black-lives-matter","tag-carmen-fanning","tag-editorial","tag-i-dont-see-color","tag-opinion-2","tag-racism"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tigermedianet.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/So-You-Want-To-Talk-About-e1614011262596.jpg?fit=1170%2C731&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=58717"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":58727,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58717\/revisions\/58727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/58719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=58717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=58717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=58717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}