have you ever heard someone say I don’t see color our color doesn’t matter to me
see color our color doesn’t matter to me
see color our color doesn’t matter to me or maybe you’ve said I’m colorblind race
or maybe you’ve said I’m colorblind race
or maybe you’ve said I’m colorblind race is not an issue I think when people say
is not an issue I think when people say
is not an issue I think when people say that they want you to believe that
that they want you to believe that
that they want you to believe that they’re not prejudiced or that they
they’re not prejudiced or that they
they’re not prejudiced or that they don’t judge people based on the color of
don’t judge people based on the color of
don’t judge people based on the color of their skin and although well intended
their skin and although well intended
their skin and although well intended it’s actually harmful because what
it’s actually harmful because what
it’s actually harmful because what you’re saying is that you don’t see
you’re saying is that you don’t see
you’re saying is that you don’t see someone for who they really are you
someone for who they really are you
someone for who they really are you don’t understand their struggle and
don’t understand their struggle and
don’t understand their struggle and their fears and the challenges that they
their fears and the challenges that they
their fears and the challenges that they face you don’t see them and so I’m here
face you don’t see them and so I’m here
face you don’t see them and so I’m here today to tell you instead of being
today to tell you instead of being
today to tell you instead of being colorblind we should all try to become
colorblind we should all try to become
colorblind we should all try to become colorful I am a very colorful person I
colorful I am a very colorful person I
colorful I am a very colorful person I am a child of the 60s and the 70s as you
am a child of the 60s and the 70s as you
am a child of the 60s and the 70s as you can see my pressing curl and my
can see my pressing curl and my
can see my pressing curl and my wonderful Apple jacket it was a fun time
wonderful Apple jacket it was a fun time
wonderful Apple jacket it was a fun time the 60s in the 70s
the 60s in the 70s
the 60s in the 70s love and peace bell-bottoms afros Motown
love and peace bell-bottoms afros Motown
love and peace bell-bottoms afros Motown and James Brown were the soundtrack to
and James Brown were the soundtrack to
and James Brown were the soundtrack to my childhood say it loud I’m black and
my childhood say it loud I’m black and
my childhood say it loud I’m black and I’m proud I was proud to have brown skin
I’m proud I was proud to have brown skin
I’m proud I was proud to have brown skin and to have kinky hair
and to have kinky hair
and to have kinky hair I loved my race it was a big part of me
I loved my race it was a big part of me
I loved my race it was a big part of me and my identity and as I grew into a
and my identity and as I grew into a
and my identity and as I grew into a woman I continued to be a proud
woman I continued to be a proud
woman I continued to be a proud african-american and then something
african-american and then something
african-american and then something happened I was still proud of who I was
happened I was still proud of who I was
happened I was still proud of who I was but I looked down on my arm and there
but I looked down on my arm and there
but I looked down on my arm and there was a white spot and then there was
was a white spot and then there was
was a white spot and then there was another white spot and slowly my body
another white spot and slowly my body
another white spot and slowly my body began to change I went to doctors and
began to change I went to doctors and
began to change I went to doctors and they said
they said
they said you have something that’s called
you have something that’s called
you have something that’s called vitiligo vitiligo is an autoimmune
vitiligo vitiligo is an autoimmune
vitiligo vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder and it causes your body to lose
disorder and it causes your body to lose
disorder and it causes your body to lose its pigment I didn’t know what to do
its pigment I didn’t know what to do
its pigment I didn’t know what to do with this illness because as I told you
with this illness because as I told you
with this illness because as I told you before my race was a big part of my
before my race was a big part of my
before my race was a big part of my identity that’s how the world saw me for
identity that’s how the world saw me for
identity that’s how the world saw me for four decades and that’s how I saw myself
four decades and that’s how I saw myself
four decades and that’s how I saw myself so as my color began to fade away I
so as my color began to fade away I
so as my color began to fade away I started to question race and as I
started to question race and as I
started to question race and as I pondered and dealt with the loss of my
pondered and dealt with the loss of my
pondered and dealt with the loss of my color I also became aware of the fact
color I also became aware of the fact
color I also became aware of the fact that I was being treated differently in
that I was being treated differently in
that I was being treated differently in the world all of a sudden because as my
the world all of a sudden because as my
the world all of a sudden because as my skin got lighter my treatment in the
skin got lighter my treatment in the
skin got lighter my treatment in the world seemed to strangely get better and
world seemed to strangely get better and
world seemed to strangely get better and I couldn’t deny the fact that
I couldn’t deny the fact that
I couldn’t deny the fact that discrimination existed because I was
discrimination existed because I was
discrimination existed because I was experiencing it in my own body in my own
experiencing it in my own body in my own
experiencing it in my own body in my own reality I didn’t know how I was going to
reality I didn’t know how I was going to
reality I didn’t know how I was going to go from being an african-american woman
go from being an african-american woman
go from being an african-american woman so racially ambiguous one and then I
so racially ambiguous one and then I
so racially ambiguous one and then I said you know what this isn’t about me
said you know what this isn’t about me
said you know what this isn’t about me this is about all of us we cannot deny
this is about all of us we cannot deny
this is about all of us we cannot deny the fact that people are discriminated
the fact that people are discriminated
the fact that people are discriminated against because of the color of their
against because of the color of their
against because of the color of their skin but instead we need to do something
skin but instead we need to do something
skin but instead we need to do something about it we can’t deny it anymore
about it we can’t deny it anymore
about it we can’t deny it anymore and so I’m here to say as Maya Angelou
and so I’m here to say as Maya Angelou
and so I’m here to say as Maya Angelou says when you know better you do better
says when you know better you do better
says when you know better you do better what I want you to know is that what’s
what I want you to know is that what’s
what I want you to know is that what’s missing is a dialogue what’s missing is
missing is a dialogue what’s missing is
missing is a dialogue what’s missing is our ability to really communicate what
our ability to really communicate what
our ability to really communicate what it feels like to be different we need to
it feels like to be different we need to
it feels like to be different we need to celebrate that we need to acknowledge
celebrate that we need to acknowledge
celebrate that we need to acknowledge that
that
that so I think there are three things that
so I think there are three things that
so I think there are three things that we need to do so that we can get to the
we need to do so that we can get to the
we need to do so that we can get to the post-racial society that so many people
post-racial society that so many people
post-racial society that so many people talk about so that we can get to the
talk about so that we can get to the
talk about so that we can get to the shared humanity that we need now more
shared humanity that we need now more
shared humanity that we need now more than ever we first need to listen we
than ever we first need to listen we
than ever we first need to listen we need to practice active listening don’t
need to practice active listening don’t
need to practice active listening don’t put up the wall because you don’t want
put up the wall because you don’t want
put up the wall because you don’t want to hear it or because it hurts but we
to hear it or because it hurts but we
to hear it or because it hurts but we need to listen to somebody struggle to
need to listen to somebody struggle to
need to listen to somebody struggle to somebody’s pain and then the other thing
somebody’s pain and then the other thing
somebody’s pain and then the other thing we need to do is we need to be
we need to do is we need to be
we need to do is we need to be culturally courageous whoever you are
culturally courageous whoever you are
culturally courageous whoever you are whatever you are be that let’s not try
whatever you are be that let’s not try
whatever you are be that let’s not try to be one thing let’s all be who we are
to be one thing let’s all be who we are
to be one thing let’s all be who we are so that we can fill out because remember
so that we can fill out because remember
so that we can fill out because remember the goal is to be colorful and then the
the goal is to be colorful and then the
the goal is to be colorful and then the last thing is to challenge when we see
last thing is to challenge when we see
last thing is to challenge when we see discrimination when we see someone being
discrimination when we see someone being
discrimination when we see someone being oppressed and it’s not just when we
oppressed and it’s not just when we
oppressed and it’s not just when we March
March
March it’s everyday everytime you see that
it’s everyday everytime you see that
it’s everyday everytime you see that someone is being judged it’s important
someone is being judged it’s important
someone is being judged it’s important that we do that because if we don’t then
that we do that because if we don’t then
that we do that because if we don’t then the hate will grow the borders will
the hate will grow the borders will
the hate will grow the borders will remain and we will never learn to love
remain and we will never learn to love
remain and we will never learn to love each other
each other
each other limitlessly this is my back today I am
limitlessly this is my back today I am
limitlessly this is my back today I am completely white had it not been for a
completely white had it not been for a
completely white had it not been for a good spray tan and a makeup artist this
good spray tan and a makeup artist this
good spray tan and a makeup artist this is what I would look like I have
is what I would look like I have
is what I would look like I have transitioned from black to white and I
transitioned from black to white and I
transitioned from black to white and I am in a unique position to say
am in a unique position to say
am in a unique position to say discrimination is real and if we don’t
discrimination is real and if we don’t
discrimination is real and if we don’t do something about it we will all feel
do something about it we will all feel
do something about it we will all feel the pain we must move forward
the pain we must move forward
the pain we must move forward and not be blind I have your back
and not be blind I have your back
and not be blind I have your back do you have mine be colorful thank you
do you have mine be colorful thank you
do you have mine be colorful thank you [Applause]
”
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