There was a time when racism in America was so easy to detect. You can see the word "Nigger" across headlines. You see people of color hosed down. Protest and marches were shut down. Activist were blatantly speaking out about injustice, discrimination and the abuse suffered by minorities. However, we have entered a new age where racism is quiet. It's this thing that still infiltrates our institutions, organizations, and our society at large yet it seems to move as covertly as a thief in the night.
According to Eduardo Bonilla Silva's captivating book called Racism without Racist he coins the term "color blind racism". This idea of color blind racism allows for people to "otherize" and marginalize minority groups in a much softer way. He proclaims that this new ideology is a strange enigma of race in contemporary America. I truly agree with him I think color blind racism is a scary place to be in especially in 2014. It kind of makes me feel that we have taken strides backwards because people make it seem like we are living in a post racial America however, all we've really done is learn how to hide it better (a whole lot better).
In the 1960's I feel like there was a level of ownership to racism. White people very much owned their feelings towards people of color. They proclaimed it; they showed it and acted on it. Not that it was okay however; colorblind racism attempts to mask it. It allows for people's ignorance in my opinion to be excused and it also forces for consciousness in America to be heightened because now racism can't be seen so easily. So now as a person of color I feel like I have to go out of my way to make it known like "hey this still does exist". This still matters and it’s something that we still have to fight against.
Reading Racism without Racist to be honest has stressed me out. It’s been a great read so far and it’s made extremely valid points however; I am an action oriented person. When it comes to racist and racism I am vocal, committed, conscious and ultimately an advocate for institutionalized change. However, knowing that we are in an age of colorblindness I just feel like it makes things so much harder and complex to deal with.
I know that racism isn't the same as it used to be. This book didn’t open my eyes to this reality however; it gave me a new perspective especially because the first time I read this I was in college so I was just thirsty for knowledge. Now I am a young adult in a place of influence as an educator. I know racism isn’t one of those things that will be wiped away overnight. Nonetheless when we say it’s become something that’s hidden or that people don’t have to see then it’s like how do we address this problem? How do we address a problem that for many people they have the privilege of not seeing? The irony in all of this is that the people who aren't affected by it aren't the ones that are blind.
So now what? As I continue to read on I pose questions for myself and those of you who are reading this post: What does this information mean for me as an educator? What does this mean for our generation since it’s in our hands to fix or make this problem better? The difference between then and now is that we don’t have a leader at the forefront of this movement so where do we begin?
-Eliza Catalino
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