Color Blind means claiming that you do not see or acknowledge race. This approach closes the door to any conversation about how race is impacting our society because it suggests that it is better to pretend that race is not visible. Color Brave means seeing race, being forthright about how seeing race influences your thinking and actions, and talking with others about how race plays a role in our interactions with each other. This transparency and honesty creates opportunities to address racial biases and change racist beliefs and behaviors.
As people who work with children, we have an opportunity to shift the field from largely color blind to color brave. Let’s practice now. Below are photos, each with a color blind caption. Below, write your own captions. How would you write a different caption that modeled Color Bravery?
Remember, being color brave is not just the lack of color blindness. It is the open and direct account of how race is present and influencing every aspect of our life.
All captions are pulled from real Facebook posts. Original images have been replaced.
My Racial Journey was developed at the University of Pittsburgh Office of Child Development and with the Office’s Positive Racial Identity Development in Early Education (P.R.I.D.E.) Program. This work was funded by a 2019 Open Education Resource Grant from the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of the Provost.
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My Racial Journey was created by the University of Pittsburgh
Office of Child Development and the Office’s P.R.I.D.E. Program.
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