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For Love, Grace, Truth

Blog EntryNov 9, '08 6:11 PM
for everyone

Behind the Color Blind

By Nordette Adams

 

You say you see no color.

I say you're full of it

I hope when you look at me

you see black a little bit,

for when you say you see me

how can that really be

when part of who I am

is my ethnicity?

 

I like my hair, my skin tone,

I like my heritage;

It influences my art

enriches how I live.

I like your hair and color

and even your eyes too,

one of my favorite hues is

that lovely shade of blue.

 

But I wouldn't want to be you,

I like myself just fine,

and don't want you to be me;

we'll both get there in time.

I know you like Scott Joplin,

and I love a Bernstein score,

I love good gumbo and pot pies,

one flavor'd be a bore.

 

When we escape these bodies,

and meet at heaven's gate,

then we can say no color,

We'll have nothing to debate.

We'll be at peace in truth,

and understand all things,

but until then let's be real...

Enjoy what difference brings!

And until that day in glory

when we are truly one,

let's love ourselves in color,

not pretend that we see none.

 

Consider what it means,

to love without condition,

it means to see all sides of me,

yet love is your decision.

To be high but lay down low,

and love beyond yourself

is the best way to love others,

and have spiritual wealth.

But to claim you see no color,

and smile like all is fine

is to say you don't see wholely

and if so, we see you're blind.


for more reading

http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2001/01/08/focus4.html


http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=colorblind%20racism

http://oser.state.wi.us/pgsub_detail_print.asp?linksubcat2id=219&linksubcatid=847&linkcatid=352&linkid=

http://2xconsciousness.blogspot.com/2008/07/color-blind-racism.html

http://www.aamovement.net/viewpoints/2008/colorblind3.html



22 CommentsChronological   Reverse   Threaded
donnabobanna wrote on Nov 9, '08
This is good, says it well!
devine01 wrote on Nov 9, '08
Wow! This poem really expalins it well. Excellent posts.
joycedeverauxdevil wrote on Nov 9, '08
Let the congregation say AMEN!
escorbort4 wrote on Nov 10, '08
this is wonderfully written
hseraj wrote on Nov 12, '08
I like poems and its nice.
daizsavu wrote on Nov 12, '08
Nice
shearoc wrote on Nov 14, '08
But to claim you see no color,

and smile like all is fine

is to say you don't see wholely

and if so, we see you're blind.
Love this, but this is My favorite part! This say's it all!
smudge77 wrote on Nov 14, '08, edited on Nov 14, '08
I agree...

I wish I could explain it in my own words, but can't...so was glad to find this poem on another blog...

you see, I'm 'white' and was raised with black people [in church and school] and always thought 'colour blind' was good...
but then one day it hit me what it's actually saying...
so sorry to all the black people I have patronised in the past, and actually insulted...

I know me and others [well some others], didn't mean to...but it's part of having to look deeper in ourselves about attitudes, and the white privilege we have had [even without realising]

thanks shearoc [and others], for being patient
gilesy01 wrote on Nov 16, '08
I saw an interesting letter to an Editor from someone who found it disrespectful that Barack Obama was being called a black President. The person writing thought it was totally ignoring and downplaying the importance of the white half of his family, i.e. his mother and maternal side, in making him what he is.
smudge77 wrote on Nov 16, '08
well that comes out in his understanding other cultures I guess, but that's internal...even though it's useful

the denying of his external 'blackness' and his inner understanding of black culture and prejudice against blacks, from actual experience, is downplayed by some and it concerns me about 'why' they feel they have to do it...
is it SO hard to accept a black President that this has to be denied.
gilesy01 wrote on Nov 16, '08
I think he's saying he wants the job because of his ability to do it and not because of his colour. He has led a charmed life and used his intelligence to get on, so I suspect his understanding of black culture and prejudice against blacks is actually less than people would hope.
smudge77 wrote on Nov 16, '08
He has led a charmed life and used his intelligence to get on, so I suspect his understanding of black culture and prejudice against blacks is actually less than people would hope.
I'm not sure about that Giles

I don't think his life was charmed in that his father abandoned the family when he was little, as did the step-father - and his mom died young...

I think the prejudice he has experienced was in trying to fit in and be accepted at college [I think this comes out in his books, although have only read excerpts]
plus the prejudice since he's become well known..
basically he's had to work hard for what he's got.
gilesy01 wrote on Nov 16, '08
Yes, but I doubt he's sympathetic towards pople who don't do as he did. You'll have to see the rest of my competition article, which I think has got down to the nitty gritty of it all.
redbarronaustin wrote on Nov 16, '08
LOVE IT!
kimbowa wrote on Nov 17, '08
I wonder why many times i cannot see your latest entries on your home page until about about 2 weeks
angrynegro wrote on Nov 25, '08
Thank you for sharing this...

Kenny.
tajine1978 wrote on Nov 25, '08
Very nice Smudge.
lawo wrote on Nov 26, '08
Yes!
illseed83 wrote on Jan 11, '09
Oh, I'm LOVING this poem and I might have to steal it!

I've been saying for YEARS that all of this so- called "color blindness" is nothing more than the easy way out without having to deal with the fact that racism exists or face up to the fact that they themselves are racist. It's a great system for white people, and a pretty shitty one for everyone else.

This ostrich's-head-in-the-sand style of thinking robs people of color of their very real experiences with racial prejudice and also works to silence their voices. I've never bought into "color blindness"...
smudge77 wrote on Jan 11, '09, edited on Jan 11, '09
It's a great system for white people, and a pretty shitty one for everyone else.
for 'some' white people

[sorry, am getting very tired of racism against whites, lately, and will not ignore it any more].
illseed83 wrote on Jan 12, '09, edited on Jan 12, '09
Your comment has merit; I'll give you that.Over-generalizing is over generalizing. But let's be real- the majority of people who use the "Color Blind" system are- at least from all of my personal experiences- white people. This isn't racism or an "attack" on white people, just an observation as this very poem is....
smudge77 wrote on Jan 12, '09, edited on Jan 12, '09
But let's be real- the majority of people who use the "Color Blind" system are- at least from all of my personal experiences- white people.
I agree

I only objected to the generalisation [as it's not all white people], and never has been...it's not to do with the colour, but the heart....
no more than is it all black people who do 'this that and the other']

thank you
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