I am the one who believes that all people are equal. I judge them for their personalities not their skin color. Black, brown, white or yellow; it doesn’t matter. We are born all the same. And you don’t have to speak the same tongue to be friends just as long you can understand each other.

Ever since I was a little boy I have not seen much but learned a great deal about racism. Here in this country nobody tells anybody to discuss it. Nobody has told me to talk with people of same skin color and possibly the same language only. Frankly people have so much in their hands to give a hoot. In fact nobody wants to hear it, nobody wants to know about it, nobody even cares. For them it’s unfair to discriminate on ethnic terms. It just feels so wrong.

Yet the commotion of racism in a world full of differently colored people never stops. Its unending backlash keeps ricocheting now and then in one place or the other. Consequences are the reprisals that often end in pain and hurt many.

Imagine yourself in a date with your beau or gal from a different race. It’s not fair to ask but wouldn’t you hesitate? Isn’t the fear of harsh reality of color prejudice buried deep within you tries to shut you down in their company? Would you dare hold their hand in public? Wouldn’t you rather upend your relationship than socialize along with them?

If you are brave enough to say ‘no’ you’ll most likely be shamed as a ‘racist’; if you do I’d certainly be the one to buck you up for not caring about their skin color but the heart that throbs for you beneath it.

Still, do you think there will be no more tourist attacks because everybody is friends with everybody even from a foreign land? It’s a hard guess but not inconclusive. Choices are compelling but the world we know can still be made a much better to live and thrive if it isn’t for an irrational fear and dislike for pale or dark or brown colorism that verge on cronyism for lighter skin.

Even to this day it’s difficult to get a job outside your coterie not because of your inefficiency but the recruiting agent finds it wiser to look the other way when narrowing down the list more because of his cynical bigotry. I call this creaming off narrow minded racial profiling. With obvious joblessness many are left with no choice but to start a business on their own. Even if they get to pick up one it’s not certain if they’ll get any coworker to lend a hand, again because of their skin color. So technically they stay jobless.

People of this world with a different skin color are largely an unhappy heartbroken race. Do you know why? Their history that spans a long period has endured an extensive experience marked by bitterness and ‘Powers’ that never flinched to jump to cut or sting. Their gradual fall from grace has been rude and shocking.

Of course campaigns have brought awareness but haven’t necessarily got rid of the deep-rooted beliefs. Nobody has managed to find a way to help the dark-skinned women feel beautiful in their own skin no matter what their skin tone. “You are fair. Everything looks good on you”; the mockery hasn’t given way to a conscious appreciation.

Don’t you think if we judge people on their skin tone we might as well be telling ‘Gods’ they made a mistake. ‘White’ is easy even if it’s not stark but a streak of ‘Darkness’ robs luminosity. Shadeism surfaces full on, overshadowing the fact that every human being is made for a reason. Nobody is here to be judged or bullied. Life that we know of would be much better if we didn’t think of people by their skin color.

My take!

Just think of what you would say to the next person that you see that doesn’t have the same skin color as you! Your thoughts will rattle you for a while. Your judgment will firstly betray you with a harsh opinion about other skin color. But your slant need not cloud your belief. Care for them, the same as your best friend. Of course, you don’t have to tell them your secrets, but look upon them nicely even if you’re racist or not.

We Are All Different Shades Of A Single Hue

Just a few days ago while shopping, I saw a dark complexioned woman buying a fairness crème at the same utility store. Honestly, I did not know what to feel. I was rather shocked at someone valuing fair skin tone even to this day. Does that really make someone feel that it’s possible to lighten one’s skin tone? What bothered me more was how deep seated this conviction is even when most of us are aware that you can’t really do much to change your skin tone. Seems like people have forgotten to slight those bizarre ads claiming to “Illuminate Your Beauty with Radiant Fairness” .and shrug off the idea of buying unrealistic fairness crèmes!

I remember as a kid someone categorically telling me that if I eat enough beetroot through my junior days I will be ‘blessed with’ a fair skin tone! No wonder our obsession with fair skin tone begins with the ‘belly’ even before the ‘birth’!

My reality though is simple; I as a person do not value myself any less because of the color of my skin.

But  is there truly any end to this? Will we all ever be equal for once?

One good reason why everybody looks away when it comes to ‘color at work’ is that it’s too damn easy to jump to some very unhelpful expressions; “I don’t see color” or “I don’t mind working alongside people of color”. For many it’s an unquestioned conviction. And it’s equally hard for them to keep pushing oneself to believe that “We all are equal. We are all one human race and skin color is irrelevant”. In fact it’s one such compelling idea that fits neatly with their idea of progress and supremacy.

I would say it’s unfair not to admit that this is how even some people of color feel too. I know of those who have denied their own backgrounds simply because it did not fit with their thought of “This is how I want to see myself”. Perhaps not proud of their complicated heritage or even feeling confused of being differently colored; people are known to deny respect to themselves. They may breathe easy by saying that ‘color discrimination doesn’t exist for me’ but it’s as good as denying a part of themselves.

I think maybe it’s better than seeing one color only. The shocking incidents of George Perry Floyd Jr.-the African American and Amt Cooper -white dog walker from Canada are a grim reminder to the irony that reducing someone down to their skin color spawns a whole bunch of negative assumptions around them. Quietly sheltered and kept under wraps this ‘overt racism’ is a shocking hint to them that the only thing that matters but hurts most is that the World around is oblivious of them and is inattentive.

Do We Need To Talk About It?

I don’t think that we really have to take notice of it even if there’s very little of it. For many it helps to keep the myth of progress alive and unquestioned. It prevents all conversations about the how different the experiences and needs of these ‘color groups’ are.

Tricky race dynamics apart, racism tends to be more prevalent for some ‘groups’ over others. Except that none has the courage to acknowledge it.

I wonder if people still believe that skin color determines a person’s worth.  Or am I naive enough not to accept the unacceptable? Isn’t this a colossal denial of a tranquil existence?

For a moment my answers may belie your assumptions. Your judgment may dither and at some point may dissent enough to be your restful escape from reality. But do something right even if only you are there to witness. It’s a way to the highest most altruistic form of integrity. Get out of the box without sizing the audience.

Besides you need more sunshine than anything else if your cheeky ego has scored one up on your subtle sensibilities. Color discrimination is passé.  Treat every ‘color’ as your best friend. ‘Black lives matter’, tags and images are not there any longer and will never help.

It will be a small victory, but to millions it would give hope. It will make them feel “I’m not alone any more”. It would make me realize that there are many around me who care and want to change the way the world perceives skin color.

Think about it…

Aren’t we all different shades of the same color?