speech

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.