the blue eyes experiment

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I want to be that lady NOW.

I especially liked the bit on "I don't see color". I'm STEALING that.

A combination of this place and sociology class has shown me how that sort of thing is bullshit. Denying that you see color, as pointed out is clearly lying to yourself, and self-evidently. Secondly, it's a way to negate the other person's perspective. It's done with good intentions, but if one actively refuses to acknowledge another's skin color, it's also actively refusing to acknowledge their personal experiences and cultural influences. It also is actively refusing to fix the root problem of racism. Colorblindness is another form of racism. The sneaky kind.

ETA: It seeks to eradicate diversity through willful ignorance.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

I want to be that lady NOW.

I especially liked the bit on "I don't see color". I'm STEALING that.

A combination of this place and sociology class has shown me how that sort of thing is bullshit. Denying that you see color, as pointed out is clearly lying to yourself, and self-evidently. Secondly, it's a way to negate the other person's perspective. It's done with good intentions, but if one actively refuses to acknowledge another's skin color, it's also actively refusing to acknowledge their personal experiences and cultural influences. It also is actively refusing to fix the root problem of racism. Colorblindness is another form of racism. The sneaky kind.

ETA: It seeks to eradicate diversity through willful ignorance.

"I don't see sex. When I look at you, I don't see a man." Can't WAIT to throw that out at a forum or facebook next time somebody says "I don't see color.". 

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I want to be that lady NOW.

I especially liked the bit on "I don't see color". I'm STEALING that.

A combination of this place and sociology class has shown me how that sort of thing is bullshit. Denying that you see color, as pointed out is clearly lying to yourself, and self-evidently. Secondly, it's a way to negate the other person's perspective. It's done with good intentions, but if one actively refuses to acknowledge another's skin color, it's also actively refusing to acknowledge their personal experiences and cultural influences. It also is actively refusing to fix the root problem of racism. Colorblindness is another form of racism. The sneaky kind.

ETA: It seeks to eradicate diversity through willful ignorance.

"I don't see sex. When I look at you, I don't see a man." Can't WAIT to throw that out at a forum or facebook next time somebody says "I don't see color.". 

That's actually a really good analogy.

Of course you see sex. Otherwise, how would you mate? Oh, you're saying that your a feminist. Cool, I am too. But you know, there are clear physical differences and clear experiences (male leers at female, female gets uncomfortable) "Sorry, nothing personal. I don't see sex. But you got a nice rack that I totally didn't notice."

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I really love that this is a real, serious dialogue that I am seeing more and more of. For the first time in my whole life, seeing white people - not a ton of white people, but some white people - seriously looking at cultural and institutional racist conditioning, and acknowledging its existence and the need to be conscious of it, is real, actual change. Even though there are still tons and tons of people who will go to extraordinary lengths to deny it, this dialogue is happening, and that makes me feel hopeful.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I want to be that lady NOW.

I especially liked the bit on "I don't see color". I'm STEALING that.

A combination of this place and sociology class has shown me how that sort of thing is bullshit. Denying that you see color, as pointed out is clearly lying to yourself, and self-evidently. Secondly, it's a way to negate the other person's perspective. It's done with good intentions, but if one actively refuses to acknowledge another's skin color, it's also actively refusing to acknowledge their personal experiences and cultural influences. It also is actively refusing to fix the root problem of racism. Colorblindness is another form of racism. The sneaky kind.

ETA: It seeks to eradicate diversity through willful ignorance.

"I don't see sex. When I look at you, I don't see a man." Can't WAIT to throw that out at a forum or facebook next time somebody says "I don't see color.". 

Oh I'm using this.

[Nephew Twiddleton]

I really love that this is a real, serious dialogue that I am seeing more and more of. For the first time in my whole life, seeing white people - not a ton of white people, but some white people - seriously looking at cultural and institutional racist conditioning, and acknowledging its existence and the need to be conscious of it, is real, actual change. Even though there are still tons and tons of people who will go to extraordinary lengths to deny it, this dialogue is happening, and that makes me feel hopeful.

Out of curiosity, what does it say about me that I was unmoved by this clip?

From my own perspective, when she said, "I have no sympathy..." I think that summed up my apathy, for lack of a better term. Honestly, I have a much better understanding of prejudice is as a result, of well, talking to you (and my sociology professor, who was a gay Asian), and then taking that and asking questions of black friends that I've known since high school.

Actually one of the most telling things was how black people and white people react to police. I may have mentioned that Pickle's gf is black and she's more than willing to talk about it, as a black woman who is also a respected member of the community (librarian). Cops come, sit on your hands. Yes sir. No sir. We were in fact invited to this party, sir. We're not causing any trouble, sir.

That would never occur to me. Angela basically said that black people teach their children to automatically show themselves as nonthreatening to authority, and if you don't defer, you're asking for trouble.

After talking to you, Nigel, I asked her, is it true that you look at yourself in the mirror in the morning and see yourself as black? And she , well, didn't say anything, just nodded.

So, yeah. You can't be color blind if people of color can't be colorblind to themselves.

[Reginald Ret]

I really love that this is a real, serious dialogue that I am seeing more and more of. For the first time in my whole life, seeing white people - not a ton of white people, but some white people - seriously looking at cultural and institutional racist conditioning, and acknowledging its existence and the need to be conscious of it, is real, actual change. Even though there are still tons and tons of people who will go to extraordinary lengths to deny it, this dialogue is happening, and that makes me feel hopeful.

Out of curiosity, what does it say about me that I was unmoved by this clip?

From my own perspective, when she said, "I have no sympathy..." I think that summed up my apathy, for lack of a better term. Honestly, I have a much better understanding of prejudice is as a result, of well, talking to you (and my sociology professor, who was a gay Asian), and then taking that and asking questions of black friends that I've known since high school.

Actually one of the most telling things was how black people and white people react to police. I may have mentioned that Pickle's gf is black and she's more than willing to talk about it, as a black woman who is also a respected member of the community (librarian). Cops come, sit on your hands. Yes sir. No sir. We were in fact invited to this party, sir. We're not causing any trouble, sir.

That would never occur to me. Angela basically said that black people teach their children to automatically show themselves as nonthreatening to authority, and if you don't defer, you're asking for trouble.

After talking to you, Nigel, I asked her, is it true that you look at yourself in the mirror in the morning and see yourself as black? And she , well, didn't say anything, just nodded.

So, yeah. You can't be color blind if people of color can't be colorblind to themselves.

Oh wow, that is a good one.

I know it is not the tradition to put this kind of shit up there, but Newsfeed?