I Don’t See Race

Thank goodness, I just see people. I don’t see race. We’re all humans – red, yellow, black, white, green and purple!

I see unarmed people, some of them children, beaten, tased, shot and killed. I see evidence planted on them as they lay dead. I see no one calling for help when they’re dying.

But I don’t see race.

I see that the worst schools with the least funding just happen to be in areas where black and brown children are the majority.

But I don’t see race.

I see that the average wealth of a white family is $134,000 vs. $11,000 for a black family.

But I don’t see race.

I see that people with a black-sounding name get called for a job interview only half the time that people with white-sounding names do, despite the same qualifications.

But I don’t see race.

I see fraternities chanting racist songs. I see nooses hung on college campuses. I see the Confederate flag flying over several states.

But I don’t see race.

I see prisons full of brown and black people. I see a justice system that convicts a black woman for firing a warning shot when she’s being abused, but lets white men go free for shooting black people in “stand your ground” cases.

But guess what? I don’t see race.

I see the news media convict brown and black children of being thugs for listening to rap music or smoking pot, even as those children are killed.

Nothing to see here.

I see major media outlets like Time magazine darkening the skin of people accused of crimes in photographs.

I don’t see race.

I see our President called a n*gger, an illegal immigrant, someone who “doesn’t look like a President.” I see his wife reviled as well, and ugly things said about their children.

But I don’t see race.

I see discrimination in housing and employment.

But I don’t see race. I’m so glad I don’t see race! It makes things so much easier.