Ted Talk

To be born and raised in a county where my leaders and system of power were led by  people that looked like me, of the same colors and sex, made me grow up with the state of mind that my dreams are not limited and that I could be anything that I wanted to be.

That reality completely changed when I moved to the USA, where my leaders and system of power runners looked nothing like me. White privilege is so present in America and it totally made me feel invisible in this society at certain points. Especially this year, 2016, where it is surely marked as one of the most controversial year in terms of racial issues.

Hobson argues that lack of diversity is what constructs racial stereotypes and prejudices.  During the talk, she said how her husband, a white male, thought that "Black people use lotion on everything every single day" but he learned that it was not true after being with her. Just like Hobson had this assumption about black people, black people also have their assumptions about white people.   When in reality, this was far from the facts and I only became aware of this after being surrounded by more white people.  From there I learned the importance of diversity and I am proud to said I learned this here at Rhode Island College, where diversity is one of the college's strengths.

They do not know about the real facts until they are around the different race to realize the truth. I had a lot assumptions about white people until I started being involved with them more often. Being surrounded by an environment in which most of the folks are people of the same race as me, I always had this mentality that white people were crazy, and that the only black folk they would be close with are the ones who have money.

Youth spaces like YIA can be an antidote to invisibility in the way it is very diverse.  Here, the youth can share different interests, religions and backgrounds which permit them to be aware of social issues and will ultimately prepare them to not be ignorant. It also teaches them that if they really want to grow as a person, they must embrace diversity and learn from other people who are totally different from who they are.  As I have seen from the young girls at youth action, they are very well prepared youth who can speak for themselves, are very aware of social issues, and that they can take the lead in where ever they go. The confidence they have will prevent them from feeling invisible.