I don't see color
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North American (General)Transcript
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let me introduce myself. My name is Vanessa. I'm black. It's okay to say that I'm black. I'm fascinated by people who have finally grasped that some stuff might be racist. But also, I don't exactly know what is racist. What isn't or why these people make a mental list like stuff I heard is racist and will definitely avoid example. Don't touch black women's hair Check. Keep your hands to yourself is a principle I learned in kindergarten, so I think I could do this. Don't confuse the Onley to black people in the office check. I can now differentiate she wanna from Eleanor because Eleanor's cubicle is near the elevator. That little trick seems to work for me. Never. And I mean never start a question with how come black people. But what about stuff that isn't racist, that you made racist in your head? That could perpetuate racism because you're uncomfortable with race? I'm a member of one of the whitest professions in the United States speech language pathology. It is also one of the most female dominated fields in America, so a professional SLP meeting looks like a woman's suffrage gathering from the 18 hundreds, minus the hats, making it among the easiest places to unearth stuff that's actually not racist but feels racist because race was sucked clean out of it. Take me, for example. As I said at the start of this, I'm obviously black people who look like me at a typical SLP meeting make up less than 5% of attendees. Yet in a group of strangers where I need to be identified, no one will identified me as the black one, even though it's the most salient way to pick me out in the setting. Excuse me. I'm looking for Dr Hubbard. Is she in this room? Oh, yeah, that's her over there. Which one thing? Person suddenly becomes a fashion show N. C. To avoid saying black in the spotlight is Dr Hubbert, sporting eight chic but professional dress with youthful flair. Her hair in a high bun is a nod to elegance. Dr. Hamburg doesn't disappoint with pointed toe boots that lengthen her legs. A key component of this must have outfit now you know, good and well that pointing out the other woman in the group would be as simple as the blonde woman, the brunette woman. But God forbid I can't be the black woman. Now. If I asked the fashion EMC, why didn't you just identify me? Is black. I'd expect to hear yet another not meant to be racist but now seems kind of racist response. I don't see color.