Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Color Blind Or Color Brave

During the ted talk melody touched made various arguments about the difference in being color blind or being colored brave. First thing she talks about was a time she was 7 she went to a birthday party where she was the only person of color and when she got back her mom  didn't ask her normal questions  like how was it? or did you have fun? instead she asked her, how did they treat you? because they always don't people good. She was confused on why her mom was asking her that she didn't see color she just saw everyone as  a human being. Melody then goes on to say the first key in solving a problem is not to hide from it but bring awareness to the situation. She uses an example her and her friend hosted editorial lunch party for Harold. they said their here for the launch. the lady asked where their uniforms assuming they were the help. she says to her friend don't you think there need to be more than one black person in the us senate. Then goes on to say people do not like to talk about the uncomfortable topic of race. The only way to get over the topic be uncomfortable is to talk about it. people may think talking about race is the right thing to do in fact it  is just the smart thing to do. She talks about steps we can take to change the way things are one she says to observe your environment and the people in it. Invite people into your life who may not have the same interests as you or they may not look act or dress like you. Doing that you can gain insight and perspectives of  others. Her arguments she making is to say there is a problem going on and nothing is being done that us as humans and Americans ignore it act as it doesn't exist even though it is right in our faces.

My experience with this is as I said in my last blog  when I went into a store and I was looking in a aisle for 10 minutes deciding on what I wanted I got asked if I needed help finding anything, they were assuming sense I didn't have anything in my hand I was going to steal. That is a form of stereotyping. She talks about being color brave and not color blind, I have friends who are white black, Spanish think that comes from growing up in a diverse town and going to school with diversity around me.

YIA  is  good antidote for invisibility because it is a place where the kids go  and they speak on those uncomfortable conversations that no one else wants to talk to about and they bring awareness to those situations and from there it becomes a conversation that will be talked about and be heard. Just like melody says it may not be something we want to talk about but it is something that has to be talked about.

Uncomfortable Conversation

2 comments:

  1. My boyfriend is of color and I often experience the stereotyping when we go into stores together rather than when I go in alone. Store clerks stare, ask us if we need help and insist on helping us when we've kindly said we are all set. When I go into these same stores alone I am never approached and always given time to choose.

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  2. Hi Kyanna!

    Im Megan, and I am in the Friday section and stumbled upon your blog. I just wanted to comment to you and thank you for sharing your story with us. I too was in a similar situation with a friend of mine before, this TED talk reminded me of how important it is for us as Youth Leaders to rewrite the "Norm".

    Take care, Megan

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