Throughout my short time as a mom, I’ve heard many moms claim they are raising their children to be colorblind. They are raising their children to not see race. For a long time, I did the same thing. I never had to bring it up with my first child, so I didn’t, but is avoiding the subject really the way to go? Then I started thinking about why I avoided it. Is it because my daughter looks white and probably won’t encounter racism the way most minorities do? Is it because we lived in Miami and she has a Latin last name, so she was part of the majority? Did I do it to shield her from what was happening outside her little bubble?
Then I thought about all of the other families that told me they were raising their children to be colorblind. They were all white. I work at a school with an all-white student body. When I brought up the idea of doing a presentation on race with the students, some of my white coworkers became a little uncomfortable. I get it. Talking about race can be uncomfortable, especially when you know you are privileged. However, ignoring the subject will just perpetuate stereotypes, ignorance, and segregation. And the ignorance does not lie with the majority - segments of all racial groups ignore the topic and choose to separate themselves from those who are different than them.
Mellody Hobson presented the following TED Talk on the importance of creating a safe place for dialogue on race and its importance. She does it so eloquently and logically. Enjoy!
Photo and video from Ted.com