#ELIXHERTalk: Unpacking Our Reactions to Raven-Symoné's "Colorless" Comment
We explore what's behind our strong response to actress Raven-Symoné saying she doesn't identify as "African American."
Welcome to #ELIXHERTalk everyone. Tonight we unpack our reactions to Raven-Symone's comments to @Oprah (NOT focus on attacking the actress).- How'd you personally respond to Raven's comments abt being "colorless" & not wanting to be labeled as #gay or African American? #ELIXHERTalk
- So much truth here. @a_cliffordino On other hand it's exactly why ppl feel so strongly...b/c public figures have huge platform. #ELIXHERTalk
- Do you feel the same about her "colorless" comment? @FireinFreetown Be sure to use hash tag #ELIXHERTalk so folks can follow along.
- Are we erasing mixed race people or erasing our humanness/common humanity? @FireinFreetown #ELIXHERTalk
@ELIXHERMagazine I think it's the affect of trying to conform to our white supremacist media culture #ELIXHERTalk- Can you say more about the "misunderstanding of Blackness"? @FireinFreetown #ELIXHERTalk
- "She could've asserted that she's colorFULL; embodying all the richness of this country’s diversity..." - @bluecentric #ELIXHERTalk
- READ: Raven-Symoné on her race and sexuality: Blind, not bold http://thegrio.com/2014/10/07/raven-symone-african-american-oprah/ … #ELIXHERTalk
@ELIXHERMagazine @bluecentric I absolutely agree with this. Colorless suggest being void of color as opposed to a wealth of it.- Great point. @_bowkaye @bluecentric Be sure to use the hash tag #ELIXHERTalk so folks can follow along.
- @ELIXHERMagazine it's definitely too deep an issue for people to be solely focused on what she has the right to say. #ELIXHERTalk
- @ELIXHERMagazine However...to use the term "colorless" on national television to imply some sort of nostalgic ideal of solidarity...not ok.
- Are folks justified in their strong responses or are we being too hard on individual instead of tackling the issue? @_bowkaye #ELIXHERTalk
- @ELIXHERMagazine I think everyone is justified if they are genuinely held to their opinions...
@ELIXHERMagazine folks are justified-but I think we also should examine systems that reward this kind of "colorless" ideology #ELIXHERTalk- What are some of these systems that reward ideology of "colorlessness"? @sweetsamantics #ELIXHERTalk
- @ELIXHERMagazine mainstream USA. this idea of being post-racial plays into the (false) idea of colorlessness=progressive #ELIXHERTalk
- How do we leave room for self-interrogation & self-identification w/o shaming & judging people who see & do things differently? #ELIXHERTalk
@FireinFreetown #ELIXHERTalk We accept & respect her choice to self identify as an unlabeled American who has multiple gender attractions.- @ELIXHERMagazine #ELIXHERTalk We leave room by practicing Active Listening; park our feelings for a bit & listen with empathy to the speaker
