I have had the opportunity to work with a "Black" gentlemen named Kobi Dennis at Project Night Vision in Providence, which is similar to Youth in Action and focuses on the youth of the Chad Brown housing projects, and to be honest I was nervous. Here I am going to meet with guy who, runs a program with the youth in "Chad," who i am going to ask to help me with a project in one of my Non Profit classes. Let's be honest "Chad" doesn't have the greatest reputation. I'm thinking oh boy I'm in for it, I was scared. And honestly it couldn't be farther for the truth, this man treated me like family from day 1, to the point my family was at a community yard sale on Broad St and he introduces us as his "light skinned family". It's been almost 2 years since our first meeting, and he made it a point to reach out to wish me a happy birthday.
What does this have to do with race/racism and being color blind? I can honestly say that Kobi is inspiration, he doesn't care who you are, what color your skin is, religion. The only thing he cares about is the community and that children in his community succeed. This "Black" man stands proudly with anyone who sees that the children are the future. He isn't a "BLACK" man to me he is an inspiration, someone that when I'm done with school I will stride to be like, someone I want to emulate.
Why should we be color blind? The world never will be, we can only treat each other as humans and brothers and sisters.
I have felt invisible when I have gone into a new class or a new place of work. I have also felt this way in my own family, which is all I am going to say about that.
I do feel that we need to teach not only our youth about this topic, but our younger children as well. We as adults need to set the role to our children and let them know it does not matter what color you are and to treat everyone the same or treat them the way you want to be treated.
It doesn't matter what color you are. Except when it does. I hope we get to talk more about this at YIA, and in class. :)
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