Martin Luther King hoped for a colorblind society some day. (And many opposed Affirmative Action because it did not further this idea of colorblindness.) I hope we never become color-blind, because I enjoy all the differences in people, the shades of skin color, patterns of speech, past experiences, opposing viewpoints that enrich my life as a member of the human race.
When we see each other we should take note of the package because it is the starting point of understanding. When people look at me, what do they see? A blonde, white woman, obviously of mostly European descent. I could be (not guaranteed!) dressed in a manner suggesting education and financial comfort and speak with a Southern accent. These may or may not provide clues to my culture, my background, or my life view. Before you make any judgment, though, you must go much further and deeper before you have any understanding of my mind, heart, and spirit.
In summary, external appearance is only about 10 percent of the journey to understanding each other, but an important 10 percent, nevertheless, that could give insight into the life a person has lived. It’s just the beginning.
Somehow, on the prescribed path to becoming “colorblind” (the so-called prescription for fixing our society), did we lose our way and simply become “blind”? Not seeing each other at all….afraid to acknowledge each other and connect?
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