Raven Simone says she's colorless. Some residents of Ferguson are saying they don't see race. While I'm sure it comes from a well-meaning place, this sentiment is not "post-racial." If you see a diverse group of people with different ethnicities and think everyone looks the same because you don't "see" race, we need to talk.
Whenever I hear people say they don't see race, I imagine everyone looks like this:
I always wonder why are they so afraid to see race? When I say that I'm Asian, are they afraid they'll picture this?
Or, this?
Or, when I tell them I'm Korean, are they afraid this image will pop into their minds?
The reality is pretty mundane.
Here's the thing, I get that people are trying to say they see more than the color of someone's skin. This sentiment is not a bad thing, necessarily, but you don't get to decide how someone sees themselves or how they want to be seen by you. You also ignore things like this:
Image found here.
Or that the law enforcement agency in places like Ferguson, Missouri, look like this:
When the community looks like this:
When you tell people of color you don't see race, you are telling them you don't see their history or their story. You don't see what they and their families have lived through. You don't see them.
Instead, how about if when we see this:
We acknowledge and embrace the differences and say, "damn if it isn't beautiful."