I recall reading a similar article
during my undergrad and I’ve thought back to this concept of being colorblind
ever since. I truly agree with
this article and found it a great and insightful read. Margalynne Armstrong and Stephanie
Wildman discuss living in a culture that believes we are post-racist because
those of privilege now avoid discussing race. Their argument is that being “colorblind” does not mean we
live in a racist free world, instead, being colorblind is ignoring the less
privileged. I felt a strong connection with this article and appreciated
learning about color insight.
When I read this article, I was
thinking about how categories define a person. Whether it is gender, race,
physical abilities, or sexual orientation, for a few examples (among others), a
person’s economic capital, social capital, and cultural capital are all
affected by their standing in those categories. Armstrong and Wildman talk
about how using color insight, by opening up the dialogue, talking about race
and being aware of how race affects those outside of the privilege, will bring
on racial equality. “Color insight
requires it practitioners to observe, discuss, and analyze the operation of
race and privilege in contemporary society” (68). Referring back to our reading of Privilege, Power, and
Difference, by Johnson, two quotes came to mind. “When you name something, the
word draws your attention to it, which makes you more likely to notice it as
something significant (11, Johnson)… “The bottom line is that a trouble we
can’t talk about is a trouble we can’t do anything about” (13, Johnson). I believe that the authors we have read
thus far in class all believe in opening up a dialogue. As Delpit mentioned,
“it is those with the most power, those in the majority, who must take the
greater responsibility for initiating the process” (46). Meaning that those of
privilege need to step up, to use color insight in order to take steps towards
racial equality.
I found the quote on page 68, “Do not
be afraid; notice your race and the race of others around you; racism and
privilege still do affect peoples’ lives; learn more about the racial dynamic” to
be one that could really touch home to some people. If we just teach the four
steps of color insight we could really strive for something greater.
This was my first reading for our class
where I felt so strongly in favor of the text. I am interested to hear what
everyone else has to say about this reading and maybe bring me a perspective that
I may have missed.
Bethany, I completely agree with you! I also found this text to be well written and important. I agree with the authors that it is important, especially as teachers, to create opportunities for our students to discuss issues of race and privilege. I appreciated that Armstrong and Wildman didn't just talk of the importance, but they also offered some concrete activities for students and teachers alike to engage in. I feel like this is a great resource for any teacher who is interested in exploring race in the classroom but is unsure of how to begin!
ReplyDeleteIt's a good thing you mentioned the quote from Johnson's article, “When you name something, the word draws your attention to it, which makes you more likely to notice it as something significant (11, Johnson) because thinking back to his comment about "naming something" I definitely thought this article brought colorblindness and color insight to the forefront. I've never really given it much thought before - but also mainly I didn't even realize it had a name. In fact, after reading the article I was on my Facebook scrolling though the newsfeed when a few articles about this very subject were linked by friends. I would have never given this topic much thought or even recognized that it was a "thing" until I read Armstrong and Wildman's article.
ReplyDeleteBeth I really enjoyed reading your blog this week The Johnson quote that you referenced in this article made a huge impact on the way that I view the reading as well "when you name something the word draws your attention to it which makes your more likely to notice it as something significant" I also felt that color insight could really help us as a culture be able to talk about race more constructively.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the authors, all in different ways, believe in having an open conversation. Each made strong points about white privilege and how it plays out in society. I also agree with my class mates about the significance of Johnson's quote "when you name something the word draws your attention to it which makes you more likely to notice it as something significant." Since reading the articles and engaging in class discussion about white privilege I am more aware of what it means and from reading others blogs and doing further research I think about how much I never realized it truly existed and how it is so much apart of our everyday lives.
ReplyDeleteGreat connections to Delpit and Johnson... and yes, I see a theme here. Silence vs. Voice. Hmmmm...
ReplyDelete