Question: When did you first become conscious of race?
Anna Deavere Smith:
Well I can’t remember not being conscious of race. I guess I’d have to have been pretty lingual, because even though most of the people around me were African-American people, there was still a sense when you went into other parts of Baltimore that there were White people.
Or for example, my maternal grandmother took my brother and I and enrolled us in a camp when I was eight and he was six. And everybody in that camp was white except for one African-American girl. My brother had blue eyes and blond hair, so people didn’t always know that he was black. And so, you know, I was very conscious in that camp of not being white, and I was eight years old then.
So I think it’s something that in my generation is pretty deeply ingrained. I don’t think that my niece, who is nine, has the same experience. She’s conscious, but I don’t think she’s self-conscious in the way that I was, because the message to us was that it was something that wasn’t necessarily that great. And so you had to count on the people in your family, your church, and the people who were closer to you to try to make sense of that.
Recorded on: Aug 15, 2007
Discuss
Chris Rieth on January 20, 2008, 2:50 PM
A blue-eyed, blond haired black brother? Do you have a picture?
Chris Rieth on January 20, 2008, 7:50 PM
A blue-eyed, blond haired black brother? Do you have a picture?
Justine Church on January 20, 2008, 11:37 PM
I was in primary school when I became concious of race. The teachers were doing a survey of all of our ethnic origins, so we had to think about where our parents were born, and through this we realised that our families were from all over the world. It wasn't a bad thing, it was more, "Hey! You're from Thailand? Cool, my family are from Holland!" Or Poland or Africa or whereever. I don't think there were many kids in our class who were 2nd or third generation Australian…
Justine Church on January 21, 2008, 4:37 AM
I was in primary school when I became concious of race. The teachers were doing a survey of all of our ethnic origins, so we had to think about where our parents were born, and through this we realised that our families were from all over the world. It wasn’t a bad thing, it was more, “Hey! You’re from Thailand? Cool, my family are from Holland!” Or Poland or Africa or whereever. I don’t think there were many kids in our class who were 2nd or third generation Australian…
Rosie Cooper on January 23, 2008, 9:26 PM
Also an Australian; I never considered race an issue. The concept of racism was taught to us during school years…but unfortunately there are many people out there who judge others according to the religion and/or country of origin. In my books, we are all people. Full stop.
Rosie Cooper on January 24, 2008, 2:26 AM
Also an Australian; I never considered race an issue. The concept of racism was taught to us during school years…but unfortunately there are many people out there who judge others according to the religion and/or country of origin. In my books, we are all people. Full stop.
kenneth holmes on July 25, 2009, 9:13 AM
Rosie I am English I have relatives who live in Australia,My wifes sister has just got back from a visit ,I think the same as you My wife is a Jehovah Witness I think her beliefs are great for her.But not for me.I have many West Indian and Asian friends who I welcome into my home I have Asian neighbours they happen to be wonderful people.
Jan Williams on October 22, 2009, 2:17 PM
I was raised in the South by my paternal grandparents, in the early ‘50s. Segregation was a fact of life and black people lived in their own part of town. Ironically, the musical icons of that era were Nat King Cole, Jackie Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, along with Frankie Laine, Andy Williams, Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy & Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman…just to name a few. My 1st true awareness of race was when our maid was not allowed to eat at our table. I asked why she couldn’t sit with us, to the chagrin of my grandmother. It was then I felt the sting of shame. As I got older, I realized that they were the product of their own parents’ idealogy. My generation saw the biggest challenges of change and witnessed the brutality of entrenched beliefs. Years later, in my 50s, I would again become aware of race as I experienced my own “invisibility” to people of color. Love in its highest form sees no color. We would do well to consider ourselves members of the “human” race.
John McGregor on October 29, 2009, 2:44 AM
I wonder if it ever occured to the editors of Big Think to ask a white person this exact question.
Add a Comment
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or Register