Saying you desire race neutral policies is not the same as saying you don’t see race or even more so you don’t value racial differences. It’s just saying that by removing race as a factor it minimizes bias. Encouraging people to constantly highlight their differences just reinforces the natural tendency of “us vs them”. Instead we should form personal relationship with difference races and find commonality. Commonality is abundant among us all if you are looking for it.
Diversity tends to help remove " groupthink". I see it in my own job all the time. You don't know what you don't know when you surround yourself with people who use the same lens you do to look at the world. Sometimes to get on the other side of a problem, you need another perspective, a fresh set of eyes.
+TheFlyingKaramazovBrothers Here's the thing: so much of who we are is influenced by culture and/or experience. That colors who we are, how we look at the world ( pun intended). People from the same background tend to look at a problem the same, tend to have shared experience etc. Also, I think humans tend to be tribal and are attracted to people just like themselves... and IMO, the best tertiary education is one that stunts our most primal xenophobic tendencies... Thanks for the response.
in my experience when the 'we're gonna take a chance on this not as qualified candidate' is hired, they have never surprised me with some magical dairy farm vaccine, regardless of race. they never catch up with the group or purposefully hold themselves back so they don't have to take on more responsibilities. people are totally fine with the immorality of I can work as little as possible without getting fired, continue to perform the minimum amount just above being let go and get paid the same as the person that has to pick up my slack.
The only time people get uncomfortable talking about race is when Coleman Hughes calls the left out on their racist attitudes and challenges their race hustle..
What I tell my people (Black People) is that education is the single most important thing they'll ever do in this world. We can't wait for white America to shape up. We have it in us to form our own businesses. Stop waiting for white people to validate your existence! I'm an African American and I learned at a young age that going to college is the most important thing I can do for myself and I jumped on it and ran with it graduated from it and now!........ I own my own business lock, stock and barrel. No one tells me what to do or think because I'm the boss.
I’m so glad to have been introduced to the lady, she’s dynamic, informative, and a hella a role to all women of color at all ages. As I read through the comments to see if anyone else was as moved as I was. But some of the comments conformed my great grandmothers saying “it takes all kinds to make the world go around”, wow. Who’s she married to, her dress and the disbelief that this occurs.
A great talk, I don't see why it's getting all the negativity. She isn't blaming anything on racism, she is simply stating that the disparity still exists. She is talking about the problem, and stating that there is one. She said countless times that her goal is not to complain or blame. She knows the automatic responses. She makes a great point. Ignoring race does not solve the problem, it is only a modern and acceptable method of hiding it. We don't yet live in a world which would afford us this privilege.
You had me until about 5:49 this is a major strawman of what color blindness really is. It’s not “Pretending that we don’t notice race”, it’s rather the idea that race shouldn’t be an integral part of one’s identity. Therefore, it doesn’t entail “ignoring the problem” of racism, because we can acknowledge that people do discriminate on the basis of race. These ideas aren’t mutually exclusive.
"Imagine if I walked you into a room and every single person around the boardroom were black, you would think that were weird. But if I walked you into a company and everyone around the table is a white male, when will it be that we think that's weird too?" That's actually really eye opening, I'm gonna borrow that quote.
@@iraangelus5864 Because they think it’s weird that black people could be business executives. You wanna know the cure for racism? Stop talking about it and treat people as individuals, which they are, and hire the best people for the job. If that happens to be people who happen to be black or white or women so be it🤷♂️. Equality of opportunity for those who are capable of generating revenue.
@@tcskips it is easier said than done. Racism is real, from what I’ve took away from the video is that if we do stop talking about racism than this would create other problems. But I get what you are trying to say.
blacks make up ONLY 12% of Americans. whites make up 60%. it is simple math why that would seem strange. there are simply more whites. if you went to China, it would be EXTREMELY strange to see anything BUT chinese. it would be strange if you had a conference room full of whites in China. its just simple math not racism
This woman's words were very careful and very deliberate. It almost sounds bad like she was walking on eggshells not to offend anyone but the truth is; it wasn't that at all. She kept emotion out of it and continued the conversation, because you can't accomplish the goal if the people you're trying to reach become closed off. This is a very bright woman.
Mellody Hobson is pure class. Color is least important factor in life but is given so much emphasis. Love, compassion, kindness and helping one another should be our focus.
I love this! Saying that you don't "see" color is encouraging the right attitude and the wrong attitude at the same time. This attitude towards race displays a person's efforts to treat people equally; but it ignores the hierarchical social, economic, and psychological realities created around race. It is not okay to be racist, but it is okay to "see" color; we need to.
I've always admired Mellody Hobson, but this Ted Talk makes me admire her even more. I don't feel that using statistics to make a point is a negative against anyone, but rather gives us a measure of what it is like to be a person of color, or white, in today's society. The goal is to be color brave as she puts it so eloquently, and be inclusive at every opportunity.
Mellody, thank you for addressing this issue! It would be great if people of all color/race would be open to having these discussions. We started to have open discussions about race at my workplace and it has been eye-opening for me. I am lucky to work at such a great place that fosters diversity and encourages these discussions. I realize also that when I see racial disparity/discrimination I need to speak up. Thank you for the sharing your story and thoughts to a broad audience.
I wish someone would speak to the damage done by laws in the past forcing hiring by race and not necessarily capability. This put a shadow on minorities in the workforce during the boomer generation and provided an excuse for some hired minorities to feel safe from being fired regardless of their productivity. Many in charge now grew up with this paradigm. The millennial generation and younger are well on their way to practice hiring by qualifications and not race (what I consider color blind), but for older generations who grew up with the affirmative action programs and were forced to hire the less qualified person because they were a minority or a woman ((this really did happen), it is hard to forget. As a white boomer woman, I see a lot of progress in race equality, but resentment for the reverse discrimination is still alive and well, unfortunately. Can someone speak to this? A black boomer friend of mine used to express frustration with feeling like she had to often defend her qualifications, and I found that sad, as she was excellent. Reverse discrimination really did happen, please do not ignore it any longer. Healing will only come by being color brave, and that includes my comments sincerely put here.
Great talk Melody. My immediate reaction is that what she said was intelligent, thoughtful, and brave. But as I look down at some of the dissenting comments I just become baffled. She is misquoted, shunned for her experiences, and also an suggestion that she may need to see a psychiatrist. To me the demeaning comment show fear - fear of this topic and a fear of acknowledging the experience of some people in this great land of opportunity. As a nation we must stop pretending that racism is imaginary - Institutional racism is alive and well. Again, Melody shared on this topic very eloquently - We need more people in power to speak out in this same manner - brave and calm!!
I saw people dissenting with rational arguments. Where is this mob of people denying racism that you see? I only see people that are against quota's, for perfectly understandable reasons. I'm not attacking you, just give me a good argument, and feelings don't count, as they're not rational.
The only thing to stop racism, is understandig the idea that we are all the same. We all have diff experiences and uniqueness on our own. There's nothing to compare to, either it is skin color, facial aesthetics or financial status
So much love for the power and eloquence of this presentation. It's a discussion that needs to be had more often and in more places. Well played Mellody.
OMG, I've finally found the part of youtube where intelligible, respectful discourse happens in the comments section. I was so happy I had to log in and say that.
Racism is indeed very uncomfortable;but until we address the problems then we'll move forward. How many times has America tried to ignore racism,but it always keep popping up in a different cycle! It's a real issue,and we should educate everyone on it!
So is deliberately trying to blame Eastern and Central Europeans for systematic racism of Black Americans even feasible? Seriously did Polish people that came from Europe systemically invent and put you into slavery? A culture of Europeans themselves that actually historically experienced slavery themselves thanks to the Ottoman Empire. Should I as a Central European be asking Arab people for reformation and or to feel Arab guilt? The answer is no, and so should you as a culture and a race should do the same of those whom had once enslaved you. Color blindness is not being arrogant of the past but instead letting go of it instead of letting it control you.
@@dantasticmania8728 saying racism exist is not blaming a group of people for racism. For example, mellody didn't do that in the video. And the color blind Dodge is really destructive. Because it makes people believe that there isn't racism, or that everyone else is colorblind as well
Thank you Mellody Hobson, one day soon we will live in a world where it won't be based on color but based on intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom of which we all bestow. Although I personally don't have much respect for whites/ Caucasians because of what they have done to our people even in today's time. I learned I must not be angry with them because I will be shackled down in anger and pain not allowing me to grow to best of my ability. Thank you for being a leader. Thank you for questioning the "norm".
What a wonderful TED talk. As a white woman I appreciate her words of wisdom on how I can become more aware of racial issues by simply looking around the room and noticing who is missing. I want to do my part to help create a more inclusive environment for our children.
I had the honor to see/hear her speak at the KNOW YOUR RIGHTS CAMP in New Orleans! Very inspired by her works and in support of her standing with Colin K. :)
nope, it just means you are in an echo chamber. this talk was garbage. most women dont want to be in upper management; they dont want to work the 80 hour week necessary. we have had literally generations of feminists discover that working for someone else around the clock is not liberation....thats why women drop out of the labor force when they have kids....men would drop out too if there was a financial, and socially approved, reason for doing it.
NeverOddOreveN How do you know what women want? There are so many fallacies within your statement. For instance, in your statement, there's the expectation on women to become mothers and fall into the typical mold of the husband being the breadwinner. What if a woman is a lesbian? Who takes care of the children then? What if someone didn't want to have children at all? To say women aren't willing to do the work is completely unfounded. Don't try to rationalize something you have no understanding of. Also, we want equality, not "liberation".
^He is saying that because it is the socially pressured role for a man to take a job while a woman raises children it is more likely that he will fill that role instead of being the stay at home. It is arguably an easier role that he claims he would take if it was more socially acceptable, and anyways... Mothers need to stop working when pregnant for the health of their child. Nature and tradition started these roles, not "the man," please bring your feminist bullshit somewhere else. I am for equality not feminism.
This is the most inspiring thing I have EVER watched. "Be color brave" "We have to be uncomfortable to be comfortable." " Be brave for the kids who are dreaming" Beautiful! Her words her beautiful and has inspired me to start doing something about racism.
Esse assunto me toca profundamente, por meu marido e por mim que também sou afetada pelo problema, até porque o Brasil é uma espécie de subcolônia estadunidense. O que é bom para eles, é para nós; o que é ruim para eles, é para nós. Isso sem generalizar muito, mas bastante.
Some of the comments on this video make me sad. Can't some of y'all take what she said and try to apply it to your life without trying to play devils advocate? Is it so hard to believe that race plays a huge role in the everyday lives of people?
I chose to read the comments to see if anyone felt the same as I did after the amazing speech but all I saw was a bunch of nit pickers...I’ll know next time to just give it a thumbs up and continue my day.
Color blindness is the best approach. Martin Luther King’s dream should still be our dream. There is a more recent TedTalk by Coleman Hughes that is a must watch and is far better than this one. See also the recent All-In Summit talk by Coleman and his subsequent interview on the All-In Podcast.
I wish we all had more conversations about race. Even Trevor Noah of the Daily Show said he wished we had conversations about race like they do in South Africa. I have had conversations with my friends about race and I think it has made me a better person. It's hard to see all of the trouble they have when you're white and it's not a problem for you.
Pardon me if she did clarify and I missed it, but I cant quite work out whether she is for or against outright 'positive' discrimination at selection stage. I work in business talent management, and it needs to said that in a free-market environment with a decent level of competition between firms, hiring based on any factor that isnt directly related to PROVEN ABILITY to perform optimally in the tasks at hand, is an extremely bad idea. Those of us that do believe in increasing the representation of under-represented groups, are acting much more wisely if we promote targeted upskilling programmes and access-enhancement programmes as the preferred mechanisms for achieving better representation, because believe me, all kinds of so called 'positive' discrimination (at selection stage) are extremely dangerous and damaging to the competitive advantage of a company. Fortunately 'positive' discrimination is illegal in many countries, including mine (the UK), where it is classed as straightforward discrimination before the law. If this ever changed, I would seriously consider moving my business to another country. Optimal competence is everything in business ... and anyone who has ever started their own business knows this.
We should all be a person of good character and lead with courage even if it contradicts the norm. To be honest, if we all just do the right thing, then we would all be creating a better place and environment for ourselves and those to come. What's right can be smart and what's smart can be wrong. What really matter is actions and motives behind a decision is fair and done with compassion. There are many people in influential positions and responsibilities that are only concerned about their reputation and not their character which is observed from their deeds. Nice job Melody and thank you for sharing your experiences with TedTalk!
I like this woman. She is, in my opinion, spot on. Part of the "training" for me in my sharkness is to be "COMFORTABLE IN UNCOMFORTABLENESS" Acknowledge it, adapt to it and accept...being uncomfy brings growth. Look for it. Push for it...go find it and allow uncomfy to happen.
Great talk. I’m a white female, with red hair. I was always treated badly by kids growing up and no one told me I could do things. In fact My educated parents told me that I needed to be realistic. That I couldn’t or wouldn’t be this or that. My grandfather asked me at my college graduation if I was going to be a secretary. Don’t get me wrong. I love my family. But I didn’t choose a career I wanted. I chose a career that was average and would pay the bills. Because that was what I was told I could do. I wish my parents and grandparents were more encouraging like yours were.
@Karl Lentz lol he was a billionaire she’s worth 100 million lol he asked her out as well 😂😂😂 how stupid are you pale faces I wish hitler finished you people
11:13 It is true. I feel this expectation for me to be a "great role model" from young people 6 days a week. Thanks for acknowledging the challenge ahead of us.
I truly want to believe that Mrs Hobson gave this speech with the intention of let going of the fear of race, may it be the topic of black towards white or white towards black (choose any race you have enough information on). Once we loose the 'fear' of talking about this topic only then we can really be comfortable in this radius. Today we stand at yet another important election in South Africa and we are celebrating 20 years of democracy. This morning I was just thinking about America and I thought to myself, did they become this phenomena of a country because of the percentage of white domination in businesses in parliament etc. long after segregation, civil rights? could be could also not be the case. I have a strong believe that you hand the opportunity of the position to the person that can best represent your business of any kind and him or herself and colour SHOULD be irrelevant. We should also bare in mind that we - black, coloured, white should stand in our truth and take up our righteous opportunities to sit at that board meeting, to be that teacher, to own that business. We ourselves should be brave in our own colour and our own possibilities. But we can only get there once we loose the fear of talking about race, only then. Thank you for shedding light on this important subject once again.
It’s always interesting how these conversations always show the lack of diversity in expanding one’s mind outside of their own identity or perspective. This in fact is still relevant and will continue to be as long as those choose to act as if diversity doesn’t affect the whole group instead of just one race. The small pox example was really the best way to dumb it down for those who don’t understand it’s not just about race it’s about the lack of diversity in perspectives and possible outcomes of the quality of life and change.
I'm a Latino who grew up in Mississippi with a community that was around 60% African American and 40% White American. Regarding racism that I experienced I can say for every 1 White racist act I experienced 4 by African Americans. Also, race was brought up WAY more by African American than by Whites. I literally had to fight multiple times for a seat on the bus from 7th to 12th grade as African American kids would say that white kids couldn't sit with them (even though I'm Latino I was seen as White by Blacks). They would make White kids sit on the floor or on the stairs of the bus. My bus was stopped multiple times and police were called as the African American kids would be extremely hostile and violent to everyone even themselves. I had a Black Cop put his gun an inch from my face while my hands were on the steering wheel and yelled at me racist remarks and that he was going to kill me, all over my tail light being out on my car. My wife is African American, and her dad didn't want us to get married because I'm not Black and he refuses to see our daughter because she is not fully Black. These are just a few experiences that I had with African Americans. My point is this, white people are not the only ones taught about race nor are white people the only ones that discriminate due to race. African Americans can and do teach racism and hate and this needs to be addressed as well in order to have a better Country for our children.
I'm seeing a lot of people echoing "if you're giving special treatments to the minorities, this is not equality because then it is unfair to the whites". If one is truly concerned of equality, one is to consider the context of history. We don't achieve equality by simply echoing "we are all inherently equal, therefore everyone should get equal chance". The problem is, due to the context of history, we weren't treated and perceived equally. So if one is truly concern of equality, one can't say that everyone should get equal chance because clearly after all the oppression and racism in the past, we aren't equal - some collective group weren't treated equally as the other. Notably the perception and mistreatments in the past are still in the subconscious minds of most today, which then affects decision making. While we are getting better at raising awareness towards diversity, we have only just began to fix this issue of the past. We're at the time of healing the wounds of inequality. This is a big part of what it pertains to be not color blind - being aware of the context of history so that you dont say that everyone is equal, therefore everyone gets equal chance because again, the truth is while we want to think that everyone is equal, we are not and we need to fix this. True equality is the goal, but in order to get there, we need Equity.
Thank you for cherishing your love for swimming and the insight that you gained from having a personal coach Mellody Hobson. You are being evicted color blindness. How can you & I create space for color bravery?
I loved this. Never thought about looking at color blindness as a negative. I want to be like her when I grow up. 😊 This was powerful and strong and as a Latina very much appreciated.
Sitting here reading all of these comments is pretty frightening. It lets us realize that change will not happen because you ignorant people don't want to/ fail/ cant/ will not understand the issues that Mellody Hobson is discussing. Its really sad, the equivalent of screaming at a brick wall.
If you discriminate for one person because of their race you are, by definition, discriminating against another person because of their race. When discussing an issue of race like this I find it useful to swap the places of the names of the races, eg. 'black' and 'white'. Like instead of saying, 'black people should be given preferential treatment at job interviews because of their race', say, 'white people should be given preferential treatment at job interviews because of their race'. How acceptable does it sound now? I totally agree that this is a conversation that very badly needs to be had. But I'm not sure how helpful it is to include examples of the racism some white people have perpetrated. There are examples of bad behaviour from all over. Let's try to sort out the present and the future rather than recriminating about the past. As soon as the word 'race' is mentioned whites expect an attack and go on the defensive. Mellody succeeded because she was taught to aspire to anything irrespective of race. Let's encourage everyone to aspire to merit success. (sorry for being so cliched).
I quite like the system we have here in the UK, the law is set up such that employment and services must be provided equally to everyone. Generally, as minorities tend to be disadvantaged, this acts in favour of minorities, however, in theory it applies every bit as much to the majority as everyone else. If there are 90% white employees in a company then the advantage to minority groups are no greater or lesser than the advantage would be to white people if the company were comprises of 90% minorities. The system naturally tends towards equilibrium, and in theory all are entirely subject to the same advantages and disadvantages as everyone else; discrepancies only exist in practice due to those inequalities that already exist.
Sometimes white males are given preferential treatment at job interviews because of their race; it's called the "good ole boy" system. Affirmative action simply opens the door for women and ethnic minorities - they still have to have the qualifications to GET the job and KEEP the job. Affirmative action does not exist for people who don't discriminate, it exists for those who habitually give preferential treatment to race over merit. As for your comment about the necessity of her sharing examples of prejudice - everyone has a story, and she was simply telling her experience. That's like telling a rape victim not to talk about the gender of the person who raped him/her lol. All she's saying a "dialogue" needs to happen... there's no reason to go on the defense as you put it. Let's encourage everyone to aspire to merit success - yes, I totally agree but let's also make sure the playing field is level too!
In America, specifically, I don't think that we can talk about racism without first addressing how White Privilege plays a role in this. Racism in America is based on white privilege - the unnoticeable rewards that Whites get because of their skin color. This has been evident ever since the Europeans came to this country.
... I'm having trouble in comprehending what's wrong with seeing everyone as a living person not bias of their skin color. This whole thing seems to contradict itself. I have friends of all races, and we talk about their cultures comfortably, although I KNOW they're different, I prefer to say I'm "Colorblind" because I like to see people for their personality. I'm also afraid someone will call me racist for saying "It was the black guy over there." Isn't it just SLIGHTLY good to be colorblind in some situations...? When is it okay to be non-colorblind around people who hate their own race?... I am SO confused. Can someone explain this to me with examples or something...? I thought colorblind was saying "all men are created equal". Not "I'm ignoring your skin color".
"Imagine if i walked you into a board room of a major corporation like Exxon Mobil, and every single person around the board room were black, you would think that were weird. But if i walked you into a fortune 500 company, and everyone around the board room were white, when will we think that's weird too?" - Mellody Hobson
"Judge not by the color of skin but by content of character." I do not talk about race because it does not matter to me. We live in a meritocracy, after all. The more you make race an issue, the more of an issue it will become.
Chris Sparzo meritocracy is a sham! Reference: ua-cam.com/video/BLEvJUNfyBY/v-deo.html especially after the college admissions scandal. This is what inherited wealth looks like for the top 20%,” Reeves said. “You don’t save your money and give it to your kids as a bequest. You spend it on your kids so they don’t need the bequest. It’s an upfront investment.” But as universities tilt their admissions toward the wealthy, Reeves said, they aren’t just leaving talented low-income students behind. They’re also lifting mediocre rich students up. A 2005 study found that wealthy middle-schoolers with the lowest standardized test scores were more likely to graduate from college than poor middle-schoolers with the highest scores. Students with average SAT results are nearly six times more likely to be admitted to top-tier universities if their parents are alumni. One of Reeves’ studies found that 43% of the members of upper-class households had skills and intelligence that predicted lower incomes The 'Glass Floor' Is Keeping America's Richest Idiots At The Top - HuffPost www.huffpost.com/entry/the-glass-floor-is-keeping-americas-richest-idiots-at-the-top_n_5d9fb1c9e4b06ddfc516e076
Chris Sparzo why do you people like quoting MLK so much without knowing he had more to say?? For instance... Martin Luther King:“White America must see, that no other ethnic group has been a slave on American soil. That is one thing that other immigrant groups haven’t had to face. The other thing is that the color, became a stigma. American society made the N$&@“ color a stigma. America freed the slaves in 1863, through the Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lincoln, but gave the slaves no land, and nothing in reality. And as a matter of fact, to get started on. At the same time, America was giving away, millions of acres of land in the west and the Midwest. Which meant that there was a willingness to give the white peasants from Europe an economic base, and yet it refused to give its black peasants from Africa, who came here involuntarily in chains and had worked free for two hundred and forty-four years, any kind of economic base. And so emancipation for the N@&$” was really freedom to hunger. It was freedom to the winds and rains of Heaven. It was freedom without food to eat or land to cultivate and therefore was freedom and famine at the same time. And when white Americans tell the N$&@“ to “lift himself by his own bootstraps”, they don’t oh, they don’t look over the legacy of slavery and segregation. I believe we ought to do all we can and seek to lift ourselves by our own boot straps, but it’s a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps. And many N$&@“ by the thousands and millions have been left bootless as a result of all of these years of Oppression and as a result of a society that deliberately made his color a stigma and something worthless and degrading. MLK had more to say than “I Have A Dream ua-cam.com/video/2xsbt3a7K-8/v-deo.html
She uses more than a few disingenuous rhetorical devices to illicit applause, though. Like the way she quotes statistics out of context then pretend that she's not trying to imply anything but is just saying them "because they are real", whatever that was supposed to mean. Yeah, I wouldn't applaud that either, nor her assertion that it's "weird" to see white males overrepresented within certain spheres. It's not weird to see different demographics unequally represented within different spheres of life. I don't get up in the morning and think to myself that, as someone very interested in video games, clearly there must in north america be some racist agenda against non-asians within the gaming community, considering how vastly overrepresented they are for a minority who only make up 5-6% of the general population. Different groups of people behave differently, and as it so happens humans tend to band together with people who are similar to ourselves, which includes race and culture, and we then like to emulate our peers. The rich get richer not just because they're rich, but because they have rich friends helping them out, and the poor - well - they have poor friends. This situation will probably never change if people are left to our own devices, outside of revolutions and such. Incidentally, I'm not saying I'm happy with the way things are. They just are the way they are, because people are people. You don't need racism to explain the discrepancies she's unhappy with (though certainly there is racism, but it's not the sole or likely even the main reason, as she implies it is).
I may have missed the point but the speaker mentioned two things that seems odd and a little3 daft. She spoke how the CEO of ESPN wanted diversity instead of ruthlessly taking only the best person for the job. In addition she mentions the small pox milkmaids and uses these examples for an argument on solving problems with a diverse group. But this does not always work, sometimes the best person for the job could well be of a specific ethnic group Ethiopian marathon runners for example. But to turn down a person for a job role in favour of diversity will result in a less effective group. Just because the search for the smallpox cure got lucky does not mean physicists at the LHC will find a new particle quicker by having a wide ranging group. In some situations you have to throw out everyone but the best to achieve the group goals. In that case you need colour blindness. Overall while heartwarming this did come across as a subtle militant black woman more than a genuine solution idea. Colour/gender blindness is the only solution as you stop seeing any form of race and just see humans.
I really like this speech. I also like the term Colorbrave as opposed to Colorblind in the it is to your own advantage to invite those individuals who dont look like you, act like you, think like you, or come from where you come from so that you can enrich your life by developing through so many different racial perspectives. That is the message I got. ( I don't run or coporation lol)
I had a visceral physical reaction to this talk. Impactful, engaging, and inspiring. I will be thinking about this discussion for months and years in the future. I highly recommend listening to this for anyone from any walk of life.
Great talk, I absolutely agree with the point: Politically correct color "blindness" helps solve nothing - if it's just a way of ignoring the issues we're facing. Actually I don't think current humans are even able to be color *blind* - race is so ingrained in our cultures. Maybe in a couple hundred more years of globalization and integration. So dialogue , not silence, is needed on race issues.
Someone comment "I don't see why t's getting all the "NEGATIVITIES" Really? You don't see why? She is talking about "EQUALITY" in the workplace! How many you think will agre with that? She is not promoting to hire unqualify a black person.. she is just saying to be mindful of this situation. I find her speech legit. People just like to twist words to make up for their ignorance. And if you want to know the truth watch the full documentary. 1-13 of MAAFA 21 on youtube.
It's truly amazing that some of us are taught and convince not to see color. Imagine you, a melainated person saying they don't see color. A person that stereotyped, disrespected, and demonized because of their color, and they're telling you that they don't see color!? You got to be crazy!!!! Lol Be proud of who you are and stay humble and honorable. This is kind of hard to ask for in the USA but people manage quite well. It's all mental folks." Respect is universal Disrespect is dishonor Racism is a taught habit from the parent to the seed. Food for thought
As a society we should not judge people by the color of their skin but rather by the content of their character as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said. A color blind society is better because it doesn't push the racial differences into our thought process, rather it a persons character at the forefront. We should not make decisions based on skin color at all, that is racism at its core. In the Latin American countries race is not an issue like it is here in the States because they are already color blind. We have a long way to go because people keep pushing race based thinking into our society ( and gender for that matter).
This was a really interesting talk. I was searching for more empirical evidence vs anecdotal support for some of her points. And although I admire her achievements, I couldn't help but note: By her own estimation, she succeeded because of internal drive and family support (and she's incredible!) Wouldn't it make sense to take this talk to kids within communities that could benefit from development of the same drive? Instead of asking others to "help them" which sort of reinforces the stereotype that the population referred to is "weak" or "helpless." I'm "brown" myself, and have of course experienced prejudiced behavior. I definitely benefit from changing attitudes in American society. No one has recently tried to beat or maul me just because they hate brown people : ) (although they have in the past). But I benefit the MOST from my own work, my own resilience and creativity, and my own determination. I got into college because I earned an incredible ACT score and then worked my butt off. I have NEVER used any kind of "affirmative action." I want to see THIS kind of thought process develop in needy communities. And that requires speaking to a different kind of audience than the TED crowd.
Hmmm...+Jon Madison, and Brilliantbeing ...You both seem passionate about taking a productive perspective in this conversation. I am glad you feel that way! I agree with your statement that bias and implicit prejudice exist in all of us. And I agree with Jon's implication that I will, if I have not already, experience the fallout from this. (although that made me laugh! I've experienced everything from death threats from the Klan to simple unnecessary rudeness. I'm brown, I grew up in the South, oldest of 7 kids...and we were homeless- literally on-the-sidewalk-homeless- most of our lives. I get it.) I THINK that I want what both of you AND Ms. Hobson want: I want a strong community of people to have the opportunity to rise to greatness. My point (and not everyone will agree with this- fair play)--I think that the need for equal opportunity, and for unbiased offering of opportunity is clear. However, in my opinion , it is time to begin asking more of ourselves, and our own community. For instance: I am working on starting an urban shelter for homeless women and children that will emphasize education, self-reliance, and maintenance of dignity. I want to begin the hard work of helping poverty-stricken communities develop the will and the mental ability to build their own opportunity. I agreed with parts of this talk and I disagreed with others. And you will no doubt feel the same way about my opinions. *grinning* Right now I'm completing a Masters degree in the Health Sciences and will apply to a PhD program after that. Regardless of the biases in this world, I have had to rely on my own grittiness (and a little luck) to succeed. I will teach my children to recognize both their own biases and the biases of others. But mostly I will teach them to persevere, to use their creativity and brilliance, and to find ways to break down walls. THAT is more important to me than teaching an affluent crowd how to set aside their prejudices. I consider it power.
@@abrown2617 It isn't always possible to create your own opportunities. Not everyone starts at the same starting line, or plays on the same level playing field. When opportunities are more equally accessible, then you're right that it's up to each of to do the work.
There is a difference between awareness and looking for problems that don't exist. How did they great you is a prime example. Does it exist? Does it occur on a regular basis? Yes. But it comes from both sides.
Can we learn to deal with negative emotions? Is it possible we can learn how to be anti fragile and not try to fire/cancel someone when we subjectively feel offended?
The ULTIMATE source of conflict isn't colour, race, gender, age, position, or geography. It is the (Seemingly) ever present, Psychopathic, knuckleheads in all of the above; colour, race, gender, age, position, and geography.
Thank for Educating the World on the Notion of "Colour Blindness" all around Us and choose "Colour Bravery" for the Sake of Future Generations behind Us! Thank You!! Melody God BlessYou!!
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Saying you desire race neutral policies is not the same as saying you don’t see race or even more so you don’t value racial differences. It’s just saying that by removing race as a factor it minimizes bias. Encouraging people to constantly highlight their differences just reinforces the natural tendency of “us vs them”. Instead we should form personal relationship with difference races and find commonality. Commonality is abundant among us all if you are looking for it.
"Be comfortable being uncomfortable."
Probably the best take-away.
Joey Espinosa LMAO u just helped me solve my hw for school
Diversity tends to help remove " groupthink". I see it in my own job all the time. You don't know what you don't know when you surround yourself with people who use the same lens you do to look at the world. Sometimes to get on the other side of a problem, you need another perspective, a fresh set of eyes.
+TheFlyingKaramazovBrothers Here's the thing: so much of who we are is influenced by culture and/or experience. That colors who we are, how we look at the world ( pun intended). People from the same background tend to look at a problem the same, tend to have shared experience etc. Also, I think humans tend to be tribal and are attracted to people just like themselves... and IMO, the best tertiary education is one that stunts our most primal xenophobic tendencies... Thanks for the response.
+TheDtfamu89 Sounds like excuses
TheDtfamu89 Oh boi, here we go again...
in my experience when the 'we're gonna take a chance on this not as qualified candidate' is hired, they have never surprised me with some magical dairy farm vaccine, regardless of race. they never catch up with the group or purposefully hold themselves back so they don't have to take on more responsibilities. people are totally fine with the immorality of I can work as little as possible without getting fired, continue to perform the minimum amount just above being let go and get paid the same as the person that has to pick up my slack.
Agreed @TheDtfamus89
The only time people get uncomfortable talking about race is when Coleman Hughes calls the left out on their racist attitudes and challenges their race hustle..
Mic drop
What I tell my people (Black People) is that education is the single most important thing they'll ever do in this world. We can't wait for white America to shape up. We have it in us to form our own businesses. Stop waiting for white people to validate your existence! I'm an African American and I learned at a young age that going to college is the most important thing I can do for myself and I jumped on it and ran with it graduated from it and now!........ I own my own business lock, stock and barrel. No one tells me what to do or think because I'm the boss.
I could say your attitude is close to perfection in my opinion.
I'm (mostly) white and I agree with you whole heartedly.
Lock, stock and barrel :)
This! I absolutely agree with this!
how is your business doing? Can we connect?
I’m so glad to have been introduced to the lady, she’s dynamic, informative, and a hella a role to all women of color at all ages. As I read through the comments to see if anyone else was as moved as I was. But some of the comments conformed my great grandmothers saying “it takes all kinds to make the world go around”, wow. Who’s she married to, her dress and the disbelief that this occurs.
A great talk, I don't see why it's getting all the negativity.
She isn't blaming anything on racism, she is simply stating that the disparity still exists. She is talking about the problem, and stating that there is one. She said countless times that her goal is not to complain or blame. She knows the automatic responses.
She makes a great point. Ignoring race does not solve the problem, it is only a modern and acceptable method of hiding it. We don't yet live in a world which would afford us this privilege.
You had me until about 5:49 this is a major strawman of what color blindness really is. It’s not “Pretending that we don’t notice race”, it’s rather the idea that race shouldn’t be an integral part of one’s identity. Therefore, it doesn’t entail “ignoring the problem” of racism, because we can acknowledge that people do discriminate on the basis of race. These ideas aren’t mutually exclusive.
very true.
"Imagine if I walked you into a room and every single person around the boardroom were black, you would think that were weird. But if I walked you into a company and everyone around the table is a white male, when will it be that we think that's weird too?"
That's actually really eye opening, I'm gonna borrow that quote.
Do you think black people aren’t capable of being business executives?
@@tcskips what does that have to do with that comment?
@@iraangelus5864 Because they think it’s weird that black people could be business executives. You wanna know the cure for racism? Stop talking about it and treat people as individuals, which they are, and hire the best people for the job. If that happens to be people who happen to be black or white or women so be it🤷♂️. Equality of opportunity for those who are capable of generating revenue.
@@tcskips it is easier said than done. Racism is real, from what I’ve took away from the video is that if we do stop talking about racism than this would create other problems. But I get what you are trying to say.
blacks make up ONLY 12% of Americans. whites make up 60%. it is simple math why that would seem strange. there are simply more whites. if you went to China, it would be EXTREMELY strange to see anything BUT chinese. it would be strange if you had a conference room full of whites in China. its just simple math not racism
This woman's words were very careful and very deliberate.
It almost sounds bad like she was walking on eggshells not to offend anyone but the truth is; it wasn't that at all. She kept emotion out of it and continued the conversation, because you can't accomplish the goal if the people you're trying to reach become closed off.
This is a very bright woman.
Brilliant and bravery at its best⚘
George Lucas did well
Yep
***** I have never heard a black man say this, sounds like some non sense.
Yes, he did! Sold Star Wars to Disney for 5 billion dollars! Married a finance expert.
YES HE DID
Mellody Hobson is pure class. Color is least important factor in life but is given so much emphasis. Love, compassion, kindness and helping one another should be our focus.
coming back to this tedtalk because it is so relevant today.
Same here.
Me also
I totally agree with you Kamieko.
It's always been relevant.
Yeah, the racial discrimination she's promoting is the reality today. Some people actually believe it's a virtue.
I love this! Saying that you don't "see" color is encouraging the right attitude and the wrong attitude at the same time. This attitude towards race displays a person's efforts to treat people equally; but it ignores the hierarchical social, economic, and psychological realities created around race. It is not okay to be racist, but it is okay to "see" color; we need to.
Yes being around people from different countries races and cultures can shift your entire world view and strengthen your social intelligence
I've always admired Mellody Hobson, but this Ted Talk makes me admire her even more. I don't feel that using statistics to make a point is a negative against anyone, but rather gives us a measure of what it is like to be a person of color, or white, in today's society. The goal is to be color brave as she puts it so eloquently, and be inclusive at every opportunity.
Mellody, thank you for addressing this issue! It would be great if people of all color/race would be open to having these discussions. We started to have open discussions about race at my workplace and it has been eye-opening for me. I am lucky to work at such a great place that fosters diversity and encourages these discussions. I realize also that when I see racial disparity/discrimination I need to speak up. Thank you for the sharing your story and thoughts to a broad audience.
@CourtofRecord fetch 🦴
I wish someone would speak to the damage done by laws in the past forcing hiring by race and not necessarily capability. This put a shadow on minorities in the workforce during the boomer generation and provided an excuse for some hired minorities to feel safe from being fired regardless of their productivity. Many in charge now grew up with this paradigm. The millennial generation and younger are well on their way to practice hiring by qualifications and not race (what I consider color blind), but for older generations who grew up with the affirmative action programs and were forced to hire the less qualified person because they were a minority or a woman ((this really did happen), it is hard to forget. As a white boomer woman, I see a lot of progress in race equality, but resentment for the reverse discrimination is still alive and well, unfortunately. Can someone speak to this? A black boomer friend of mine used to express frustration with feeling like she had to often defend her qualifications, and I found that sad, as she was excellent. Reverse discrimination really did happen, please do not ignore it any longer. Healing will only come by being color brave, and that includes my comments sincerely put here.
Great talk Melody. My immediate reaction is that what she said was intelligent, thoughtful, and brave. But as I look down at some of the dissenting comments I just become baffled. She is misquoted, shunned for her experiences, and also an suggestion that she may need to see a psychiatrist. To me the demeaning comment show fear - fear of this topic and a fear of acknowledging the experience of some people in this great land of opportunity. As a nation we must stop pretending that racism is imaginary - Institutional racism is alive and well. Again, Melody shared on this topic very eloquently - We need more people in power to speak out in this same manner - brave and calm!!
I saw people dissenting with rational arguments. Where is this mob of people denying racism that you see? I only see people that are against quota's, for perfectly understandable reasons.
I'm not attacking you, just give me a good argument, and feelings don't count, as they're not rational.
Don't be BAFFLED: #ThisIsAmerica after all. Ignorance and Knowledge exist hand in hand.
I love her voice, her passion, her wisdom and indeed, there will only be a true wealth when all the colors, religions, genders etc...are represented.
I thought I was the only one. I found her voice to also be soothing.
The only thing to stop racism, is understandig the idea that we are all the same. We all have diff experiences and uniqueness on our own. There's nothing to compare to, either it is skin color, facial aesthetics or financial status
So much love for the power and eloquence of this presentation. It's a discussion that needs to be had more often and in more places. Well played Mellody.
i agree on the eloquence part fully,so many take aways..love her from south africa.
OMG, I've finally found the part of youtube where intelligible, respectful discourse happens in the comments section. I was so happy I had to log in and say that.
Racism is indeed very uncomfortable;but until we address the problems then we'll move forward. How many times has America tried to ignore racism,but it always keep popping up in a different cycle! It's a real issue,and we should educate everyone on it!
The color blind dodge is one of the most insidious ploys of a racist society.
So is deliberately trying to blame Eastern and Central Europeans for systematic racism of Black Americans even feasible?
Seriously did Polish people that came from Europe systemically invent and put you into slavery?
A culture of Europeans themselves that actually historically experienced slavery themselves thanks to the Ottoman Empire. Should I as a Central European be asking Arab people for reformation and or to feel Arab guilt? The answer is no, and so should you as a culture and a race should do the same of those whom had once enslaved you.
Color blindness is not being arrogant of the past but instead letting go of it instead of letting it control you.
@@dantasticmania8728 saying racism exist is not blaming a group of people for racism. For example, mellody didn't do that in the video. And the color blind Dodge is really destructive. Because it makes people believe that there isn't racism, or that everyone else is colorblind as well
Thank you Mellody Hobson, one day soon we will live in a world where it won't be based on color but based on intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom of which we all bestow. Although I personally don't have much respect for whites/ Caucasians because of what they have done to our people even in today's time. I learned I must not be angry with them because I will be shackled down in anger and pain not allowing me to grow to best of my ability. Thank you for being a leader. Thank you for questioning the "norm".
What a wonderful TED talk. As a white woman I appreciate her words of wisdom on how I can become more aware of racial issues by simply looking around the room and noticing who is missing. I want to do my part to help create a more inclusive environment for our children.
Nice virtue signal
I had the honor to see/hear her speak at the KNOW YOUR RIGHTS CAMP in New Orleans! Very inspired by her works and in support of her standing with Colin K. :)
Good talk, but the comments here demonstrate that many people just don't get it.
Pity.
nope, it just means you are in an echo chamber. this talk was garbage. most women dont want to be in upper management; they dont want to work the 80 hour week necessary. we have had literally generations of feminists discover that working for someone else around the clock is not liberation....thats why women drop out of the labor force when they have kids....men would drop out too if there was a financial, and socially approved, reason for doing it.
Thank you for making my point.
NeverOddOreveN How do you know what women want? There are so many fallacies within your statement. For instance, in your statement, there's the expectation on women to become mothers and fall into the typical mold of the husband being the breadwinner. What if a woman is a lesbian? Who takes care of the children then? What if someone didn't want to have children at all? To say women aren't willing to do the work is completely unfounded. Don't try to rationalize something you have no understanding of. Also, we want equality, not "liberation".
^He is saying that because it is the socially pressured role for a man to take a job while a woman raises children it is more likely that he will fill that role instead of being the stay at home. It is arguably an easier role that he claims he would take if it was more socially acceptable, and anyways... Mothers need to stop working when pregnant for the health of their child. Nature and tradition started these roles, not "the man," please bring your feminist bullshit somewhere else. I am for equality not feminism.
For real!
This is the most inspiring thing I have EVER watched. "Be color brave" "We have to be uncomfortable to be comfortable." " Be brave for the kids who are dreaming" Beautiful! Her words her beautiful and has inspired me to start doing something about racism.
Esse assunto me toca profundamente, por meu marido e por mim que também sou afetada pelo problema, até porque o Brasil é uma espécie de subcolônia estadunidense. O que é bom para eles, é para nós; o que é ruim para eles, é para nós. Isso sem generalizar muito, mas bastante.
Some of the comments on this video make me sad. Can't some of y'all take what she said and try to apply it to your life without trying to play devils advocate? Is it so hard to believe that race plays a huge role in the everyday lives of people?
For anyone who doesn't know, lookup Mellody Hobson. She is a POWERHOUSE! 🤩
I chose to read the comments to see if anyone felt the same as I did after the amazing speech but all I saw was a bunch of nit pickers...I’ll know next time to just give it a thumbs up and continue my day.
Wow. She is an amazing human being. That small pox anecdote is gold. It demonstrates the value of diversity of experience and perspectives.
Color blindness is the best approach. Martin Luther King’s dream should still be our dream. There is a more recent TedTalk by Coleman Hughes that is a must watch and is far better than this one. See also the recent All-In Summit talk by Coleman and his subsequent interview on the All-In Podcast.
Wow! What a talk! from Colour Blind to Colour Brave... ! All Love and Light from Amsterdam Holland Mellody!
I have nothing to add to this conversation, except that her dress is freaking 👌👌👌
The fact that I was led here via a book means something. Excited to watch. Here we go!
I wish we all had more conversations about race. Even Trevor Noah of the Daily Show said he wished we had conversations about race like they do in South Africa. I have had conversations with my friends about race and I think it has made me a better person. It's hard to see all of the trouble they have when you're white and it's not a problem for you.
Pardon me if she did clarify and I missed it, but I cant quite work out whether she is for or against outright 'positive' discrimination at selection stage. I work in business talent management, and it needs to said that in a free-market environment with a decent level of competition between firms, hiring based on any factor that isnt directly related to PROVEN ABILITY to perform optimally in the tasks at hand, is an extremely bad idea. Those of us that do believe in increasing the representation of under-represented groups, are acting much more wisely if we promote targeted upskilling programmes and access-enhancement programmes as the preferred mechanisms for achieving better representation, because believe me, all kinds of so called 'positive' discrimination (at selection stage) are extremely dangerous and damaging to the competitive advantage of a company. Fortunately 'positive' discrimination is illegal in many countries, including mine (the UK), where it is classed as straightforward discrimination before the law. If this ever changed, I would seriously consider moving my business to another country. Optimal competence is everything in business ... and anyone who has ever started their own business knows this.
Nope. That's not what she said. Her call to action was simply asking us to be color brave and not color blind
Judging by the comments it seems as if Mellody indeed has touched the third rail. Willful ignorance is at an all-time high.
I know this is a serious speech but I have to say, her outfit was so cute. XD
Great speech though. I'll try to be more like that.
lol i was thinking the same thing. really nice dress.
I'm gonna find the outfit for my wife.
We should all be a person of good character and lead with courage even if it contradicts the norm. To be honest, if we all just do the right thing, then we would all be creating a better place and environment for ourselves and those to come. What's right can be smart and what's smart can be wrong. What really matter is actions and motives behind a decision is fair and done with compassion. There are many people in influential positions and responsibilities that are only concerned about their reputation and not their character which is observed from their deeds.
Nice job Melody and thank you for sharing your experiences with TedTalk!
Thank You For Your Honesty, It's a Shame that still after 8 years of this Video We Still deal With This Issue. Bless YOU & Bless US ALL!!!
" We cannot afford to be colour blind we have to be colour brave" Queen Melody Hobson.
I like this woman. She is, in my opinion, spot on.
Part of the "training" for me in my sharkness is to be
"COMFORTABLE IN UNCOMFORTABLENESS"
Acknowledge it, adapt to it and accept...being uncomfy brings growth. Look for it. Push for it...go find it and allow uncomfy to happen.
Great talk. I’m a white female, with red hair. I was always treated badly by kids growing up and no one told me I could do things. In fact My educated parents told me that I needed to be realistic. That I couldn’t or wouldn’t be this or that. My grandfather asked me at my college graduation if I was going to be a secretary. Don’t get me wrong. I love my family. But I didn’t choose a career I wanted. I chose a career that was average and would pay the bills. Because that was what I was told I could do. I wish my parents and grandparents were more encouraging like yours were.
@Karl Lentz lol he was a billionaire she’s worth 100 million lol he asked her out as well 😂😂😂 how stupid are you pale faces I wish hitler finished you people
11:13 It is true. I feel this expectation for me to be a "great role model" from young people 6 days a week. Thanks for acknowledging the challenge ahead of us.
I truly want to believe that Mrs Hobson gave this speech with the intention of let going of the fear of race, may it be the topic of black towards white or white towards black (choose any race you have enough information on). Once we loose the 'fear' of talking about this topic only then we can really be comfortable in this radius. Today we stand at yet another important election in South Africa and we are celebrating 20 years of democracy. This morning I was just thinking about America and I thought to myself, did they become this phenomena of a country because of the percentage of white domination in businesses in parliament etc. long after segregation, civil rights? could be could also not be the case. I have a strong believe that you hand the opportunity of the position to the person that can best represent your business of any kind and him or herself and colour SHOULD be irrelevant. We should also bare in mind that we - black, coloured, white should stand in our truth and take up our righteous opportunities to sit at that board meeting, to be that teacher, to own that business. We ourselves should be brave in our own colour and our own possibilities. But we can only get there once we loose the fear of talking about race, only then. Thank you for shedding light on this important subject once again.
We are all the same race, just different colors, languages, and ethnicity within it.
It’s always interesting how these conversations always show the lack of diversity in expanding one’s mind outside of their own identity or perspective. This in fact is still relevant and will continue to be as long as those choose to act as if diversity doesn’t affect the whole group instead of just one race. The small pox example was really the best way to dumb it down for those who don’t understand it’s not just about race it’s about the lack of diversity in perspectives and possible outcomes of the quality of life and change.
So extremely well articulated and discussed!
I'm a Latino who grew up in Mississippi with a community that was around 60% African American and 40% White American. Regarding racism that I experienced I can say for every 1 White racist act I experienced 4 by African Americans. Also, race was brought up WAY more by African American than by Whites. I literally had to fight multiple times for a seat on the bus from 7th to 12th grade as African American kids would say that white kids couldn't sit with them (even though I'm Latino I was seen as White by Blacks). They would make White kids sit on the floor or on the stairs of the bus. My bus was stopped multiple times and police were called as the African American kids would be extremely hostile and violent to everyone even themselves. I had a Black Cop put his gun an inch from my face while my hands were on the steering wheel and yelled at me racist remarks and that he was going to kill me, all over my tail light being out on my car. My wife is African American, and her dad didn't want us to get married because I'm not Black and he refuses to see our daughter because she is not fully Black. These are just a few experiences that I had with African Americans. My point is this, white people are not the only ones taught about race nor are white people the only ones that discriminate due to race. African Americans can and do teach racism and hate and this needs to be addressed as well in order to have a better Country for our children.
Well said. Hope more Black people will read your comment.
You are my hero. Thanks for everything you are doing 💐❤️🇺🇸
damn I cry while every single TED video!! Awesome speech!
This could be a symptom of an underlying issue.. You might want to see a psychiatrist..
Jordan Stocker or she could be gifted as a compassionate human being.
Jordan Stocker How easily the brainwashed are led astray...
Great speech! I love Melody. Sooo inspiring.
I'm seeing a lot of people echoing "if you're giving special treatments to the minorities, this is not equality because then it is unfair to the whites". If one is truly concerned of equality, one is to consider the context of history. We don't achieve equality by simply echoing "we are all inherently equal, therefore everyone should get equal chance". The problem is, due to the context of history, we weren't treated and perceived equally. So if one is truly concern of equality, one can't say that everyone should get equal chance because clearly after all the oppression and racism in the past, we aren't equal - some collective group weren't treated equally as the other. Notably the perception and mistreatments in the past are still in the subconscious minds of most today, which then affects decision making. While we are getting better at raising awareness towards diversity, we have only just began to fix this issue of the past. We're at the time of healing the wounds of inequality. This is a big part of what it pertains to be not color blind - being aware of the context of history so that you dont say that everyone is equal, therefore everyone gets equal chance because again, the truth is while we want to think that everyone is equal, we are not and we need to fix this. True equality is the goal, but in order to get there, we need Equity.
Anybody else having to watch this for a discussion forum that's due in an hour at 11:59pm? Lmao
😂😂😂 ME !!!!
No way lol😂
Lmdao a day late actually
Thank you for cherishing your love for swimming and the insight that you gained from having a personal coach Mellody Hobson. You are being evicted color blindness. How can you & I create space for color bravery?
“Ruthlessly Realistic” amazing
Brilliant! Sent shivers down my spine. And, it will serve as inspiration for me to be color brave. Thank you!
Outstanding! Wonderful speech and widen my understanding
I loved this. Never thought about looking at color blindness as a negative. I want to be like her when I grow up. 😊 This was powerful and strong and as a Latina very much appreciated.
Touchy subject but a finesse in handling it. Racism is an American fact but, if each person becomes the change they want to see...
Good talk but the comment section illustrates how deep the problem goes....
Great video and thank you for putting yourself out there.
Good job Mellody! At school people are uncomfortable talking about that subject.
Sitting here reading all of these comments is pretty frightening. It lets us realize that change will not happen because you ignorant people don't want to/ fail/ cant/ will not understand the issues that Mellody Hobson is discussing. Its really sad, the equivalent of screaming at a brick wall.
Thank you so much for bringing this up when you did. I know that it's unlikely you will see this comment. But my gratitude runs deep.
If you discriminate for one person because of their race you are, by definition, discriminating against another person because of their race.
When discussing an issue of race like this I find it useful to swap the places of the names of the races, eg. 'black' and 'white'. Like instead of saying, 'black people should be given preferential treatment at job interviews because of their race', say, 'white people should be given preferential treatment at job interviews because of their race'. How acceptable does it sound now?
I totally agree that this is a conversation that very badly needs to be had. But I'm not sure how helpful it is to include examples of the racism some white people have perpetrated. There are examples of bad behaviour from all over. Let's try to sort out the present and the future rather than recriminating about the past. As soon as the word 'race' is mentioned whites expect an attack and go on the defensive.
Mellody succeeded because she was taught to aspire to anything irrespective of race. Let's encourage everyone to aspire to merit success. (sorry for being so cliched).
I quite like the system we have here in the UK, the law is set up such that employment and services must be provided equally to everyone. Generally, as minorities tend to be disadvantaged, this acts in favour of minorities, however, in theory it applies every bit as much to the majority as everyone else. If there are 90% white employees in a company then the advantage to minority groups are no greater or lesser than the advantage would be to white people if the company were comprises of 90% minorities. The system naturally tends towards equilibrium, and in theory all are entirely subject to the same advantages and disadvantages as everyone else; discrepancies only exist in practice due to those inequalities that already exist.
Sometimes white males are given preferential treatment at job interviews because of their race; it's called the "good ole boy" system. Affirmative action simply opens the door for women and ethnic minorities - they still have to have the qualifications to GET the job and KEEP the job. Affirmative action does not exist for people who don't discriminate, it exists for those who habitually give preferential treatment to race over merit. As for your comment about the necessity of her sharing examples of prejudice - everyone has a story, and she was simply telling her experience. That's like telling a rape victim not to talk about the gender of the person who raped him/her lol. All she's saying a "dialogue" needs to happen... there's no reason to go on the defense as you put it. Let's encourage everyone to aspire to merit success - yes, I totally agree but let's also make sure the playing field is level too!
In America, specifically, I don't think that we can talk about racism without first addressing how White Privilege plays a role in this. Racism in America is based on white privilege - the unnoticeable rewards that Whites get because of their skin color. This has been evident ever since the Europeans came to this country.
I would like to see her debate Thomas Sowell.
I had to listen to "Where are your uniforms" about four times before understanding what that question was about.
Such a fiercely beautiful and brilliant young woman! Thank you for this talk.
This talk never gets old I’ve listened to it at least 2 dozen times
... I'm having trouble in comprehending what's wrong with seeing everyone as a living person not bias of their skin color.
This whole thing seems to contradict itself. I have friends of all races, and we talk about their cultures comfortably, although I KNOW they're different, I prefer to say I'm "Colorblind" because I like to see people for their personality. I'm also afraid someone will call me racist for saying "It was the black guy over there."
Isn't it just SLIGHTLY good to be colorblind in some situations...? When is it okay to be non-colorblind around people who hate their own race?...
I am SO confused. Can someone explain this to me with examples or something...? I thought colorblind was saying "all men are created equal". Not "I'm ignoring your skin color".
"Imagine if i walked you into a board room of a major corporation like Exxon Mobil, and every single person around the board room were black, you would think that were weird. But if i walked you into a fortune 500 company, and everyone around the board room were white, when will we think that's weird too?" - Mellody Hobson
Anybody who understands statistics will understand why it's not and never will be "weird" (given the population demographic will stay the same).
Kind hard for 13% of the population to dominate board rooms across America.
Well if you come to some Samsung corporation in Japan it would be all asians.
Well, she actually said 'white male'. Women are around 50% of the world population, so why aren't there more women, then?
ShadowsAndLight Because equality of oputirnities doesnt mean equality of outcome.
Watching in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic......coronavirus & racism
"Judge not by the color of skin but by content of character."
I do not talk about race because it does not matter to me. We live in a meritocracy, after all. The more you make race an issue, the more of an issue it will become.
That's exactly what contributes to the problem. Color blindness might feel good to you but it does not help solve the problem.
@@joshray2117 So you would disagree with MLK then?
Chris Sparzo meritocracy is a sham! Reference: ua-cam.com/video/BLEvJUNfyBY/v-deo.html
especially after the college admissions scandal.
This is what inherited wealth looks like for the top 20%,” Reeves said. “You don’t save your money and give it to your kids as a bequest. You spend it on your kids so they don’t need the bequest. It’s an upfront investment.”
But as universities tilt their admissions toward the wealthy, Reeves said, they aren’t just leaving talented low-income students behind. They’re also lifting mediocre rich students up. A 2005 study found that wealthy middle-schoolers with the lowest standardized test scores were more likely to graduate from college than poor middle-schoolers with the highest scores. Students with average SAT results are nearly six times more likely to be admitted to top-tier universities if their parents are alumni. One of Reeves’ studies found that 43% of the members of upper-class households had skills and intelligence that predicted lower incomes
The 'Glass Floor' Is Keeping America's Richest Idiots At The Top - HuffPost
www.huffpost.com/entry/the-glass-floor-is-keeping-americas-richest-idiots-at-the-top_n_5d9fb1c9e4b06ddfc516e076
Chris Sparzo why do you people like quoting MLK so much without knowing he had more to say?? For instance...
Martin Luther King:“White America must see, that no other ethnic group has been a slave on American soil. That is one thing that other immigrant groups haven’t had to face.
The other thing is that the color, became a stigma. American society made the N$&@“ color a stigma. America freed the slaves in 1863, through the Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lincoln, but gave the slaves no land, and nothing in reality. And as a matter of fact, to get started on.
At the same time, America was giving away, millions of acres of land in the west and the Midwest. Which meant that there was a willingness to give the white peasants from Europe an economic base, and yet it refused to give its black peasants from Africa, who came here involuntarily in chains and had worked free for two hundred and forty-four years, any kind of economic base.
And so emancipation for the N@&$” was really freedom to hunger. It was freedom to the winds and rains of Heaven. It was freedom without food to eat or land to cultivate and therefore was freedom and famine at the same time.
And when white Americans tell the N$&@“ to “lift himself by his own bootstraps”, they don’t oh, they don’t look over the legacy of slavery and segregation. I believe we ought to do all we can and seek to lift ourselves by our own boot straps, but it’s a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his own bootstraps.
And many N$&@“ by the thousands and millions have been left bootless as a result of all of these years of Oppression and as a result of a society that deliberately made his color a stigma and something worthless and degrading.
MLK had more to say than “I Have A Dream ua-cam.com/video/2xsbt3a7K-8/v-deo.html
It's sad
You can see society's response merely from looking at the reaction of the audience
Alot of them didn't clap for her
She uses more than a few disingenuous rhetorical devices to illicit applause, though. Like the way she quotes statistics out of context then pretend that she's not trying to imply anything but is just saying them "because they are real", whatever that was supposed to mean. Yeah, I wouldn't applaud that either, nor her assertion that it's "weird" to see white males overrepresented within certain spheres.
It's not weird to see different demographics unequally represented within different spheres of life. I don't get up in the morning and think to myself that, as someone very interested in video games, clearly there must in north america be some racist agenda against non-asians within the gaming community, considering how vastly overrepresented they are for a minority who only make up 5-6% of the general population.
Different groups of people behave differently, and as it so happens humans tend to band together with people who are similar to ourselves, which includes race and culture, and we then like to emulate our peers. The rich get richer not just because they're rich, but because they have rich friends helping them out, and the poor - well - they have poor friends.
This situation will probably never change if people are left to our own devices, outside of revolutions and such.
Incidentally, I'm not saying I'm happy with the way things are. They just are the way they are, because people are people. You don't need racism to explain the discrepancies she's unhappy with (though certainly there is racism, but it's not the sole or likely even the main reason, as she implies it is).
Simulacrum You're wrong. The rhetorical device you used is terrible, and does nothing to further your argument.
One of the best speeches in the last 100 years, nah 1000 years.
I may have missed the point but the speaker mentioned two things that seems odd and a little3 daft. She spoke how the CEO of ESPN wanted diversity instead of ruthlessly taking only the best person for the job. In addition she mentions the small pox milkmaids and uses these examples for an argument on solving problems with a diverse group.
But this does not always work, sometimes the best person for the job could well be of a specific ethnic group Ethiopian marathon runners for example. But to turn down a person for a job role in favour of diversity will result in a less effective group. Just because the search for the smallpox cure got lucky does not mean physicists at the LHC will find a new particle quicker by having a wide ranging group. In some situations you have to throw out everyone but the best to achieve the group goals. In that case you need colour blindness.
Overall while heartwarming this did come across as a subtle militant black woman more than a genuine solution idea. Colour/gender blindness is the only solution as you stop seeing any form of race and just see humans.
Would it be possible to get Korean subtitles for this video? I would love to share it with some Korean high school students!
+Elizabeth Philipp find a Korean friend that speaks English
Look at the info drop down and it has a link for translation.
Appreciate the talk. Keep the fight!!!
This really deserve a full house standing applause! So well said, so true!
I really like this speech. I also like the term Colorbrave as opposed to Colorblind in the it is to your own advantage to invite those individuals who dont look like you, act like you, think like you, or come from where you come from so that you can enrich your life by developing through so many different racial perspectives. That is the message I got. ( I don't run or coporation lol)
I had a visceral physical reaction to this talk. Impactful, engaging, and inspiring. I will be thinking about this discussion for months and years in the future. I highly recommend listening to this for anyone from any walk of life.
Great talk, I absolutely agree with the point:
Politically correct color "blindness" helps solve nothing - if it's just a way of ignoring the issues we're facing. Actually I don't think current humans are even able to be color *blind* - race is so ingrained in our cultures. Maybe in a couple hundred more years of globalization and integration. So dialogue , not silence, is needed on race issues.
Someone comment "I don't see why t's getting all the "NEGATIVITIES" Really? You don't see why? She is talking about "EQUALITY" in the workplace! How many you think will agre with that? She is not promoting to hire unqualify a black person.. she is just saying to be mindful of this situation. I find her speech legit. People just like to twist words to make up for their ignorance. And if you want to know the truth watch the full documentary. 1-13 of MAAFA 21 on youtube.
Powerful Heart Moving Speech
It's truly amazing that some of us are taught and convince not to see color.
Imagine you, a melainated person saying they don't see color.
A person that stereotyped, disrespected, and demonized because of their color, and they're telling you that they don't see color!?
You got to be crazy!!!! Lol
Be proud of who you are and stay humble and honorable. This is kind of hard to ask for in the USA but people manage quite well. It's all mental folks."
Respect is universal
Disrespect is dishonor
Racism is a taught habit from the parent to the seed.
Food for thought
As a society we should not judge people by the color of their skin but rather by the content of their character as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said. A color blind society is better because it doesn't push the racial differences into our thought process, rather it a persons character at the forefront. We should not make decisions based on skin color at all, that is racism at its core. In the Latin American countries race is not an issue like it is here in the States because they are already color blind. We have a long way to go because people keep pushing race based thinking into our society ( and gender for that matter).
Wonderful talk. A much needed look at the difference between Color Blind and Color
Brave.
This was a really interesting talk. I was searching for more empirical evidence vs anecdotal support for some of her points. And although I admire her achievements, I couldn't help but note:
By her own estimation, she succeeded because of internal drive and family support (and she's incredible!)
Wouldn't it make sense to take this talk to kids within communities that could benefit from development of the same drive? Instead of asking others to "help them" which sort of reinforces the stereotype that the population referred to is "weak" or "helpless."
I'm "brown" myself, and have of course experienced prejudiced behavior.
I definitely benefit from changing attitudes in American society. No one has recently tried to beat or maul me just because they hate brown people : ) (although they have in the past).
But I benefit the MOST from my own work, my own resilience and creativity, and my own determination. I got into college because I earned an incredible ACT score and then worked my butt off. I have NEVER used any kind of "affirmative action." I want to see THIS kind of thought process develop in needy communities.
And that requires speaking to a different kind of audience than the TED crowd.
Sadly, you may have missed the crux of Mellody Hobson's discussion.
Jon Madison Well stated.
Hmmm...+Jon Madison, and Brilliantbeing ...You both seem passionate about taking a productive perspective in this conversation. I am glad you feel that way!
I agree with your statement that bias and implicit prejudice exist in all of us. And I agree with Jon's implication that I will, if I have not already, experience the fallout from this. (although that made me laugh! I've experienced everything from death threats from the Klan to simple unnecessary rudeness. I'm brown, I grew up in the South, oldest of 7 kids...and we were homeless- literally on-the-sidewalk-homeless- most of our lives. I get it.)
I THINK that I want what both of you AND Ms. Hobson want: I want a strong community of people to have the opportunity to rise to greatness.
My point (and not everyone will agree with this- fair play)--I think that the need for equal opportunity, and for unbiased offering of opportunity is clear.
However, in my opinion , it is time to begin asking more of ourselves, and our own community. For instance: I am working on starting an urban shelter for homeless women and children that will emphasize education, self-reliance, and maintenance of dignity. I want to begin the hard work of helping poverty-stricken communities develop the will and the mental ability to build their own opportunity.
I agreed with parts of this talk and I disagreed with others. And you will no doubt feel the same way about my opinions. *grinning*
Right now I'm completing a Masters degree in the Health Sciences and will apply to a PhD program after that. Regardless of the biases in this world, I have had to rely on my own grittiness (and a little luck) to succeed. I will teach my children to recognize both their own biases and the biases of others. But mostly I will teach them to persevere, to use their creativity and brilliance, and to find ways to break down walls. THAT is more important to me than teaching an affluent crowd how to set aside their prejudices. I consider it power.
A Brown All power to you with your urban shelter - sounds great!
@@abrown2617
It isn't always possible to create your own opportunities. Not everyone starts at the same starting line, or plays on the same level playing field. When opportunities are more equally accessible, then you're right that it's up to each of to do the work.
Happy Birthday Mellody Hobson 🎂🍾04-03-2022!
There is a difference between awareness and looking for problems that don't exist. How did they great you is a prime example. Does it exist? Does it occur on a regular basis? Yes. But it comes from both sides.
Can we learn to deal with negative emotions? Is it possible we can learn how to be anti fragile and not try to fire/cancel someone when we subjectively feel offended?
The ULTIMATE source of conflict isn't colour, race, gender, age, position, or geography.
It is the (Seemingly) ever present, Psychopathic, knuckleheads in all of the above; colour, race, gender, age, position, and geography.
Thank for Educating the World on the Notion of "Colour Blindness" all around Us and choose "Colour Bravery" for the Sake of Future Generations behind Us!
Thank You!! Melody God BlessYou!!
A very accomplished and leaned in woman. I admire her bravery for ignoring the status quo and speaking up and out. Bravo!
The question is simple: why did a multi-millionaire business woman get mistaken for "the help"?
Everytime I hear this it's so inspiring !!!!!!