color blind

if anybody in the united states of north america had lulled themselves into the belief that racism was an issue laid to rest by MLK in the sixties, this convenient illusion was harshly broken by the footage and stories that came out of New orleans after the flood. Just as the rest of our country would like to turn its back on the gulf coast in the belief that everything has been taken care of (mission accomplished!), most people would like to close their eyes once again to the many tangled issues that surround race in this country, and in our little part of it particularly. Luckily a small group of artists are attempting to keep us on track. Ron Bechet, Willie Birch , Jacqueline Bishop, Dawn Dedeaux are putting together a loose group, provisionally called "ColorBlind". they are looking for ideas and practical actions that might help bring awareness and understanding to this important issue.

Although race in the south has historically pitted those of african descent against those of european descent, any discussion of race in our city today must include the vietnamese, central american and south american communities. all other categories we use to divide ourselves (class, gender, etc,) must be brought into the mix.
Somehow we have to bypass the shorthand of stereotypes and assumptions our culture uses to simplify things, so we can see each other as we really are. This is not a simple task, since we have to continuously and critically deconstruct the fiction we write for others, and, even tougher, for ourselves.


There will be a second public meeting sometime in August. For more info and to share ideas, contact
Ron, Willie, Jacqueline, & Dawn.