Makeup and hair can't make white-black, black-white

I decided to try my hand at writing a bi-weekly column for the campus paper. This means that I finally have experience in pirnt, radio, and television. Here's my first column:



A few weeks ago, while on Spring Break, I made it my mission to see the premiere episode of "Black.White," the new reality show on the F/X network. The premise of the show is this, two families -- one black and one white -- are physically transformed so that they become members of the opposite race. The transformation, however, isn't a real transformation, it isn't even a drastic makeover. What it amounts to is each participant being caked in makeup which makes them appear to be either "black" or "white."

In essence the show fails to fundamentally alter the appearances of those involved in the project. What the show is however able to do is to chronicle the experiences of two families who in effect pose as members of the opposite race. The intention of the show is to put on display for all to see how race is lived in America. How the show is being perceived however may detract from its intended effect.

There are those who believe that by having their appearances altered each family will begin to understand what it means to be "black" or what it means to be "white." It is admirable that the respective families would want to even try to understand what the experience of the other is like. Part of addressing the intricacies and complexities of race is understanding various perspectives. Each family is essentially trying to walk a mile in the other's shoes. There are those who say that believing that a change in appearance, makeup, changes in clothing selection or any other changes of that sort, believing that those things could ultimately facilitate some sort of deep understanding is shallow, ignorant, and above all naive. Those who see the show as problematic feel that the history of African Americans, that their shared stories, and that part of their unique experiences are being lost in all this. They also feel that Caucasian Americans are not being allowed to be true to who they really are. Many have asked how you can boil down centuries of history, to what amounts to an experiment.

The fact is that what the presence of "Black.White" on our television screens does is, it demonstrates a need. There is most certainly a clear need for a continued dialogue on issues such as race. This discussion need not only take place on this college campus, but on other college campuses, in primary and secondary classrooms, in offices, in businesses, and in homes across this nation.

This has been made evident by the fact that people have responded both positively and negatively to the new show. Likewise, our own community endeavoring to discuss the racial divides seen when people go to the polls, when discussing affirmative action, and when discussing what it takes to create communities which are more inclusive and more representative.

The fact is that as a community of people who supposedly seek to be enlightened about a variety of issues makes it incumbent upon us to not overlook issues as critical as race. Sometimes we equate a discussion centered on race with a discussion centered on diversity.

While race is an important component of any discussion on diversity, it is not the only issue of importance. There are other social identifiers which need to be discussed, and are also essential.

Those other identifiers include ethnicity (some say their ethnicity is distinct from their race), class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, and ability, (physical and mental).

Having an open and honest discussion is the first step towards understanding various perspectives. Understanding like this moves people a step closer toward embracing a society made up of a broad cross section of people.

A true discussion of diversity seeks to promote open mindedness and tolerance. A true discussion of diversity seeks to offer acceptance and affirm the experiences of everyone as being valid and true.

When we truly understand where people are coming from we are able to come away with an understanding of shared values, which can lead to a shared vision, but without a willingness to raise our voices in support of equity and justice, our lives may not be transformed, and our lives may not be enriched.

The work of understanding diversity, of promoting inclusivity, isn't done overnight, and not all the underlying issues have necessarily been made clear in black and white.