Shantania Hayes

Blog

Weffer

04/27/2015

I Don't See Color

            Race and ethnicity is a major topic in society but also a very touchy one. Many people will get offended or be taken the wrong way, and sometime there are just ignorant people who feel racism is okay or do not know when they are being racist. There is a few ways in knowing when someone is prejudice, ignorant, or racist to another race. They will say I don’t see color, I have black or Hispanic friends, ect. I find it funny when talking to someone and they say something offensive about another race and are ignorant to what they are doing.

            For example my mom had a lady that she works with over to our house and they were talking about racism in America and how it ties to President Obama. The lady was white and began to blame the President for the new and uncovered racism in America. She explained because President Obama is black that is why racism has come back or that it is being more racist incidents. So her argument is basically that is President Obama was fully white America would be a racist free country. My mom looks at her with a disappointment and anger. The lady cannot seem to understand what she said that was wrong. Then she proceeded to say “Gina you know I’m not racist, you are one of my good friends” she is still oblivious to every word that is going out her mouth. She made it seem like racism was okay because he is black, which in every sense of it all means that racism is okay as long as it for black people. I thought and wondered if she would have said that is the President was Hispanic or Asian, and I came to the conclusion that she would have.

            Now the question is why her mentality would be like that. It could be because of the time she was raised in, when it was “okay” to be prejudice or racist. No one thought of it as being horribly wrong, for black people it was but for white people it was just what you did and said. It also could be because she sees it as a need to keep a social hierarchy. Also she may have also seen President Obama as a symbol for black people. She used him to generalize all black people and racism. These are all very interesting conclusion or even a concept of it all but it’s not an excuse. Not even the ignorance of her clause as a whole. She made a role for black people and without realizing it put us at the bottom, even her black friends. It’s so weird how people can do that without knowledge. I am sure everyone has been ignorant torts another race. I admit I have been prejudice before and even stereotyped people before, I might have even been racist. I admit it was wrong of me but it is wrong of everyone.
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Ethnicity_vs_Race
https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/newspape/socialistvoice/obama81.html