Search

The Art of Seeing Color

Haeri Jung
Apr 13, 2017
2 min read

Image from http://kingcounty.gov/~/media/elected/executive/constantine/website/ESJ_and_Equity.ashx?la=en

All my life, I've been taught not to see color because everyone is equal. In America, there's equality. As I grew up, I have learned this is not the case. We NEED to see color, the blurred lines, and recognize the problem. Everyone is not equal. People come from different financial, cultural background. What we need is equity.

"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid"

-Albert Einstein

I grew up in Lynnwood, WA. A suburban area North of Seattle. I went to Meadowdale Elementary, Middle, and High school. In my memory, I don't remember a single black teacher or Asian. Neither were my counselors or the school administration. I'm sure all my white teachers were diverse including ethnicities such as German, Swiss, French, Irish, British, Italians if they traced back to their ancestors. This continued on when I went to a university. Granted I didn't take any African American studies class, but nonetheless, there were very few or no black professors. Then onto work places. 99% of the time, my pilots will be tall, white males. My supervisors and management. White. I searched in the directory for all the chairman and leaders at my company. White. First class passengers. White.

Now, the question is why? Why aren't there a lot of black, Asian, or Hispanic leaders in America? Isn't America a melting pot? Isn't America diverse?

Because racism still exists. It may not be active racism such as the KKK or the white supremacists but a more subtle and passive racism. I don't have the answer to solving racism. But I do know the first step is to recognize the problem and eliminate stereotypes and biases toward certain color. These books have helped me see color better and understand the complexity of our modern day racism. Check them out and let me know if you see color vividly in your daily life.

1. Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

https://www.amazon.com/Small-Great-Things-Jodi-Picoult/dp/0345544951/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492119567&sr=1-1&keywords=small+great+things

2. Born a Crime: Stories from a South African childhood by Trevor Noah

https://www.amazon.com/Born-Crime-Stories-African-Childhood/dp/0399588175/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492119591&sr=1-1&keywords=trevor+noah

3. The New Jim Crow: Mass Mass Incarceration in the World of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

https://www.amazon.com/New-Jim-Crow-Incarceration-Colorblindness/dp/1595586431/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1492120040&sr=1-1&keywords=the+new+jim+crow+law