Colorblind Racism

Within the article "The challenge of New Colorblind Racism in Art Education," (which can be found at: https://cms.psu.edu/section/default.asp?id=201314SPUP%5F%5F%5FRA%5FED%5F212%5F001 ) Dipti Desai criticizes normalizing racial differences within visual culture as a form of colorblind racism (Desai, 2010). Desai believes that exploring the discomfort of race, as well as the complexity of racism is an important step to develop an anti-racist pedagogy (Desai,2010). Art is often used to breakdown routine consciousness, so where better to discuss the complex and often unaddressed views of race than within art education (Desai, 2010).

Within art education I feel it is important to help the students understand and accept their own, as well as all other forms of identity, ability, gender, culture, sexuality, and race. In understanding where they came from, how others may identify or connect with them, and the barriers they may need to overcome in life, they can better understand different perspectives, as well as social issues. The social issues that students will learn from this experience can be incorporated within their artwork, almost as a peaceful protest to how these stereotypes might make them feel.

I found an interesting article, I would love to share, which comically explains white privilege and the ignorance it can produce: https://cms.psu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=D94D0137091A4056A518BDF00D08BB0F

In understanding the hardships that students may, or may not have to overcome, they can then strive to overcome these barriers, or gain an understanding that such barriers do in fact exist for certain people. This knowledge is an important step that is needed to someday truly breakdown these barriers. The youth of this nation can not work to breakdown these barriers if they are unaware of their existence.

This thought-provoking project I came across really explored the discomforts of race. I feel it goes along nicely with the other articles: https://cms.psu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=346DC443F21545C3B82A751E55299832





References:

Desai, Dipti.(2010). The challenge of New Colorblind Racism in Art Education. Retreived fromhttps://cms.psu.edu/section/default.asp?id=201314SPUP%5F%5F%5FRA%5FED%5F212%5F001