Beginning to recognize

Recently, I engaged in a reasoning with someone, on race - I didn't realize how deeply embedded race is in modern society. I remembered making the point that I do not recognize people's race when I interact with them but rather, I see them as another human being. However, the person pointed out to me, that I was not colour blind nor was I blind to gender, therefore I was not blind to race. I didn't grasp the reasoning at the time. However, after reading the reasonings and articles on this forum, I am beginning to recognize the points made in the reasoning & the errors of my ways. So, by not recognizing race I was operating in a blind manner, thus having covert racist tendencies, dispute my best intention and motivations. I also, understand that race is one of the traits that allows society to remain ascribed.

I recognize now that this is not about genotype because through genotype I can acknowledge that I am African because my genes can be traced back to African Eve between 100,000 & 200,000 years ago. It is more than genotype, it is about phenotype and shadism. Perhaps shadism did not affect me or bother me because I am neither dark nor light skinned, therefore I do not experience full white privileges nor am I fully exposed to discriminations experienced by a dark skinned African persons. Thus, I can never fully comprehend the burden & loss experienced by my African brethren and sistren that centuries of slavery has done.

The most difficult parts for me are removing the layers of my social conditioning & recognizing the covert racist tendencies that I habour- for I have never considered myself as being racist in any manner. So through logical reasoning I hope to recognize these racist tendencies & address them so that may move forward & do my part by contributing to the movement of Afrocentrism and debunk all the negative stigmas that people try to associate with it, simply because they do not understand. I hope to find my SELF free from social conditioning . I am open to suggestions.

Belle