Addressing Racism

07/15/2015

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou

In a Washington Post article prompted by recent racial incidents, "Talking to Small Children about Race," Anne Theriault suggests that parents be forthright in talking to preschool children about race.

Specifically she refutes the concept of Colorblindness — "the idea that you don't see skin color, just people — is quite popular among white folks as a method of handling race and privilege. People who say they just don't see race have found a convenient way of getting out of uncomfortable discussions; claiming colorblindness allows people to not shoulder any responsibility for the role they play in a society that is inherently racist and unequal.

"While I understand that the intent behind proclaiming oneself to be colorblind is a good one, the ideology itself is incredibly problematic, especially when a parent is employing it. For one thing, neglecting to discuss race and privilege with a child — or just leaving it at 'everyone is equal, no matter what' — leaves them incredibly vulnerable to outside messages from society, their peers, and the media they consume.

"For another, touting the inability to see skin color as the best way of interacting with others erases the lived experiences, both negative and positive, of people of color. Parents shouldn't be working to make race invisible or unseeable; instead, they should be celebrating diversity and embracing the idea of multiculturalism."

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