LatinaFeminista

Vandalism Conversations: Colorblindness

I am an advocate of public vandalism. Except I wouldn’t call it vandalism, I would call it (at least certain forms) expression, or sometimes art.

I mostly love it because I get to read other people’s opinions or silly poems written on the walls of public restrooms, or on desks at the university library. Sometimes I’m tempted to write something, but I can rarely think of something clever, succinct, and inspiring to say. Or I don’t have a Sharpie on me.

So I photograph them instead. When I took these photos I’m pretty sure the girl in the stall next to me thought I was insane, as she heard camera clicks coming from my stall (I explained what I was doing when I came out, don’t worry!).

I’ll be posting some of these photos in subsequent posts, but here are two of my favorites. The text is typed out at the bottom.

I wish we didn’t notice RACE

Maybe then, we could all walk at the same pace

I wish I could peel off my ugly skin,

And simply be the blood and bone that lies within.

It holds so much fear and baggage and hate

Because you say so, it determines my fate.

I pick and I pull, I weep and I sob,

but this skin just won’t come off.

You always point and say, “You’re this, and you’re that”

But Dear World, here is one ugly fact;

You may have not noticed from first glance,

But read again and you’ll see my stance.

Everyone suffers from race and it’s might.

And the person writing this poem….is WHITE.

Response to the poem:

“Color blindness” is an antidote used to assuage white guilt and completely diminishes or discounts the prevalence and violence of racism in today’s world.

I might add my personal opinion about how annoying it is that the writer of the poem is suggesting that racism is a two way street that hurts white people as much as it does people of color. Reverse Racism=my BIGGEST pet peeve.

01. May 2011 by Juliana
Categories: Race | Tags: bathroom walls, colorblindness, graffiti, racism | 3 comments