Studied by 5 people
introduction
i am going to talk to you today about
how the concept of "not seeing skin colour"
harms wider society and its chances to progress as an accepting body
paragraph 1
growing up in two multicultural cities as a person with dual ethnicities
it has always been hard for me to grasp motivations behind racism
and the psychology behind a mindset that fears change,
this ultimately being a diverse and multicultural society.
paragraph 2
over the years
the general contemporary mindset has shifted from
marginalising communities based on perceived differences to that of acceptance.
however, methods of doing this have been questionable.
paragraph 3
one of these methods is the concept of racial colour blindness:
an 'aspirational' racial ideology that aims to reduce racial prejudice
by ignoring or overlooking racial or ethnic differences.
paragraph 4
racial colour blindness as a concept can be polarising
due to its controversial nature in accordance to
issues of racism, colourism and intersectionality.
the global discourse on this conversation can ebb and flow
constantly shifting the opinions of people involved.
paragraph 5
however, many people of colour would disagree
with the effectiveness of this concept
believing it eradicates the celebration of diversity within society.
paragraph 6
By overlooking the differences between different communities
based on factors such as race, gender or ethnicity,
it removes the unique identity of a person or a community,
resulting in identities that have not previously been widely-celebrated
due to issues of discrimination never being celebrated by society.
paragraph 7
This consequence largely affects
one of the most vulnerable communities in society:
young children.
paragraph 8
As stated by 'Young Minds',
an organisation focussing on the mental health of children and adolescents,
cultural identity and mental health are increasingly-interlinked.
paragraph 9
The organisation states that
the positives of growing up with more than one cultural identity
is that it provides you with a strong sense of belonging
and the opportunity to experience other cultures.
paragraph 10
Juxtaposed with the disadvantages of growing up with a multi-cultural identity,
namely being feelings of uncertainty with regards to where you belong,
it is clear that a lack of celebration of diversity can cause negative impacts
on a child's assurance in their self-identity and their place within society.
paragraph 11
This topic contains a clear importance to me,
due to my struggles with my identity,
not being able to see my features and communities
celebrated in inclusive media.
paragraph 12
A memory that has always stuck with me
was my previous resentment of my hair.
During my earlier developmental years, there was a blatant deficiency in the inclusive media available today.
paragraph 13
From Disney movies to the literature I was consuming,
I rarely experienced presentation of a person with my hair type,
causing me to detest my hair
in comparison to the straight and 'manageable' hair types
widely portrayed in all other media types.
paragraph 14
A further ramification of a lack of inclusive media was
that I was largely unable to look after my own hair,
whether it was detangling or styling it.
This created a crippling insecurity within me pertaining to my hair,
further fuelling my hatred for my own hair type.
paragraph 15
If the elimination of racial differences due to 'racial colour blindness'
had not been as prevalent during my preliminary development,
inclusive media, unafraid of highlighting disparities in identity,
could have been more common,
preventing the vicious cycle of self-loathing I was previously trapped in.
paragraph 16
As seen in the award-winning short film by the Open University: 'Good Hair: Perceptions of Racism',
it is clear that a lack of celebration of ethnic differences
such as hair type can affect all members of society,
not just those struggling with prejudice or self-resentment.
paragraph 17
In this film, a white teacher discriminates against a Black student
by forcing them to style their hair to be more 'appropriate for school',
upheld by their belief that the student's natural Afro hair was not presentable,
contrasted with the hair types of their white peers.
paragraph 18
It is clear from this example that the lack of inclusivity present within media outlets
can cause discrimination against people of colour
due to their ethnic features, mannerisms and identities being perceived as inferior
in comparison to popular societal conventions.
paragraph 19
The 'racial colour-blindness' ideology exasperates this issue
as it removes the need for celebration of any identity differences or intersectionality,
feeding into a system aiming to categorise features and communities
into 'acceptable' and 'undesirable'.
conclusion
Therefore, although many believing in this racial ideology
believe that not seeing cultural differences can prevent racism and discrimination,
it is apparent that a focus on inclusivity and intersectionality
is what will allow wider society to progress as an accepting body.
