Being Colorblind

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18034102/?GT1=9246

As of April 10, 2007, Turner County High School in Georgia held its first ever non-segregated prom. It has been a tradition at this small high school in a modest town of 4,000 people to throw separate but equal proms for both African American and white students. This last year, seniors at Turner County High decided that they wanted to break tradition. They became the first class at the school to throw an “everyone is invited” prom celebration. Both blacks and whites showed up at the scene, even though both the blacks and whites had there own close-knit cliques. First year principal Chad Stone told the students after hearing there request that if they really wanted an all-school prom that he would do it right.
Our country was built on the oppression of minorities and the privilege of the majority. Race and ethnicity have been in a constant struggle to bring equality to everyone. This school which was instilled with the qualities of a nation built on race, but they are trying there best to make up for lost time. Ever since the Civil Rights Movement, our nation has strived to reduce the gaps in privilege and the amount of oppression between black and white individuals. This school represents the ideas and hopes of everyone. We all would like a society that is does not even consider race, but the roots of oppression and stereotypes lie deep within our society. Our negative tradition of seeing only in black and white will be much harder to break than Turner County High School’s prom decisions. As junior student James Hall said “But it’s time for a change.” While may only be referring to the small controversy in a small town, his words hold true in the most controversial of ideas ever. It is time for change. It is time for equal rights to be given to everyone regardless of age, race, or sexual orientation.
The class officers, which include two African Americans and two whites, chose the theme for their tradition breaking dance. They selected: Breakaway. This word represents the need in our society to stop and realize our differences but instead of acting on them in a negative or violent manner, we need to accept it and get over it. We need to breakaway from the stereotypes that we have for each other. People need to realize that although we may look different, in this country we are all considered one ethnicity. We are Americans. While living in this society, our differences need to be put in the back seat, as we are no longer considered black, white, Asian, Hispanic, or anything else. We are all one race. Even science is catching up with this idea. Science has recently proved that there is no biological basis for race. New York Times writer Charles Petit briefly explains sciences new discovery saying, “…the very concept of race is bogus and has no basis in biology, according to most scientists” (Petit, 1998). This message has apparently been spread to Turner County High School, as they are going along with science. They don’t seem to care that history has separated blacks from whites. All they care about is that there friends and fellow students get to celebrate together, as one. (545)