Color blindness blog quotes

 "How did they treat you?"

This question is asked by many BIPOC people, when they go into white spaces because we are not always made to feel welcomed. We do not get the joy of just being because we will be treated differently based on believed stereotypes and America's history. 

 "

Now I have this thought experiment 

that I play with myself, when I say, 

imagine if I walked you into a room 

and it was of a major corporation, like ExxonMobil, 

and every single person around the boardroom were black, 

you would think that were weird. 

But if I walked you into a Fortune 500 company, 

and everyone around the table is a white male, 

when will it be that we think that's weird too?" 

This quote is similar to what I ask, what makes the ghetto the ghetto? The difference of trailer trash and ghetto is still racially motivated. The fact that we can't picture a group of Black people as a positive thing is a long history of colorism and racism that make these ideas seem impossible. When honestly it should be weird that only white people hold so much power. If we have evolved, then we should be upset with the current system and how it continues. This quote alone emphases the issue with color blindness and how we want to act like it's no longer an issue, but it is because we question and can't imagine groups of BIPOC communities succeeding.

"

So I think it's time for us to be comfortable 

with the uncomfortable conversation about race: 

black, white, Asian, Hispanic, 

male, female, all of us, 

if we truly believe in equal rights 

and equal opportunity in America, 

I think we have to have real conversations 

about this issue. 

We cannot afford to be color blind."

The uncomfortable conversation is something I practice in; we need to be able to allow those we don't understand and agree with to talk and the same for the other side. We isolate others when we impose a way to react or behave. We allow more in when we welcome discomfort from others and work with each other to grow out of the discomfort and not ignore it. There is a reason sides feel the way they do, if we agree with it or not isn't the solution. The solution is what's next to correct it that works for all and that means still allowing discomfort. equality is currently not equal and that means the solutions isn't equal as well. 

identity map

 

Blog #4 A sense of belonging

As a immigrant family, my mom worked long hours in a factory. She used public transportation or carpool systems to get to work, which meant she left early and got home late. Leaving a lot of alone time for me after school and I would either be alone or be taken care of by a neighbor who watches a group of kids. I got creative in way of spending my after school time by the time I got into the third grade I got my mom to sign me up for college crusade. As a child of a parent who never learned the language, I advocated for myself and tell my mom about these programs being offered. In middle school I attended Providence After School Alliance and in high school I did Eco youth, Youth pride inc, New Urban Arts and my school offered night school. I would say I found my sense of belonging in after school space, no matter the activity. It was nice to do something with people and to explore new ideas and at the time with out realizing growing as a person. I was challenge to see the world differently and also given safe space to attend gay prom and to walk down the middle of the pride parade. I was accepted for all that I was even if my community made me feel like the odd one out for not getting into trouble or doing other things that could of lead to long consequences. I wouldn’t say I was complete safe from poor choice because I made some mistake but the sense of belonging and safety that after school spaces provided did change my path. 

Blog #3 my values

• PROMPT: Your values are the things that you believe are important in the way you live, in your everyday choices, in your relationships, and in your community. What values are most important to you? Choose five to write about in your blog. (Need some inspiration? Check out this list.)

A CONNECTION: How does this blog work relate to the real world?  Google it.  Find an article, podcast, song, meme, tiktok video, or something in the public eye that relates to this issue or topic.  Post a link to whatever you find and summarize it to make the connection back to the text.  TWO PEOPLE WILL SHARE THESE EACH WEEK

Caring- I think of others and how I impact those who cross my path.I work with love and make sure that I understand your needs even if we have to invent a way to communicate.

Growth - I am not who I once was, I grow every day that 1 am challenged. I grow when I allow all

Forgiveness.- I forgive myself for my mistakes. I so easily forgive others and allow grace but place myself in a mental prison. To free myself, I learned forgiveness.

Love - love is Infinite , it come in many forms and built to be shaped differently for every one

Honesty-with honesty comes acceptance-I am true to myself and can only give that to the world.

We pass down values and also I love poetry.

Introduction from youth work - Post #5

 "youth workers are primarily educators who engage with young people in diverse settings, using different methods and activities to stimulate informal education and learning.” 

As an active participant in youth work, this quote summarized the type of education I have received and given to the community I have worked in. 

New learned ideas is the change we need for good youth worker. The story spoke about two type of youth worker one aligning to the youth interest and coolness and honestly breaking the law just to get this false idea of respect and the other worker had better boundaries and the want to challenge the youth community norms of bad behavior. I found it interesting that it didn’t dismiss and belittle the first worker but rather focused on the impact that both workers had and the longevity of that impact. I have work with workers like the first one and I never thought of this outlook at it. The second idea/ terms I learned is “ distinction between anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice.” In the fight for social justice this wording can change the mindset that some of these programs are anti-America.

An example of informal teaching. In this video the staff is having children problem solve and deal with complaints and criticism, that happens with interaction. While also letting them imagine they run a restaurant. 

This book is anti-racist blog post #1

       The anti-racist book was a nice new approach to racism. We often read about issues as to how it impacts others, the reader is often aloof to the words. This books approach is more on self reflecting to then possibly address the bigger issue at hand. Which makes sense, in racism everyone plays a role and self reflection is need to helps us see our role in the system of race.

     I honestly struggled a bit with the point of this reading until I started writing this post. The author explores our sense of identity because to many race is part of it. I don't feel like the information was new, just the idea of anti racism and self reflection of identity is new to me.

I choose to google search race and identity and came across :The complexities of race and identity

In this article they get into a deep conversation about African American who are descendants of slave and their tie to race. The complexity and importance of race to them because of history and the undoing of their cultures and past lives. 

  This topic is interesting because I have had issues myself of racial identity and struggle to put it into words.

L

Intro

 

Hello! My name is Rachel Feliz, I am from Dominican Republic, I am 28 years old. My pronounces are she/her. I have been in the youth development field since 2015. I have worked with so many people throughout my time and I am still trying to figure out life.