Blog #2: Color Blindness or Color Brave

 Watching the Ted Talk from Mellody Hobson on Color Blind or Color Brave, was interesting and informative. I personally feel I learn and understand topics better through TedTalks. As she spoke, I took some notes on some points she said that were fire and true. Starting with imagining the big company meeting “around the board everyone is black, you would feel weird”... but if she walked into a different company and “everyone around the board is all white males, when will that be weird too.” I was glazed when she said that because why is it so true especially in today's society. The first thing you think of when you picture a big company, you automatically think it's run by all white males. Which is sad that our mindset goes straight to that because can’t successful business women also be able to run big companies too. And leading around the question her mother asked her after she came back from a birthday party “how did they treat you?”. When we think about why her mother asked that, it was basically preparing for the color blindness society still faces. I also love how she ended it saying this, “Time for us to be comfortable with the uncomfortable talk about race” because I feel no matter who you're around whether you're close or not, the talk about race is considered too much to talk aloud but what happened to freedom of speech, though? In order for society to be comfortable talking about this topic we need to bring awareness and highlight this topic on color blindness. Instead of colorblindness, “we need to be color brave so that every kid knows that their futures matter and dreams are possible.”

Now when we think about this class YDEV 150, where we are trying to be comfortable with the topic on race and identity, the ted talk is related to our identity maps because it shows we all come from different backgrounds, and environments. Everyone has a different story to tell and different ways to show it. Linking both of them together, is giving us more knowledge to back us up but also shielding light on encouraging others to not hide who they are.

With this ted talk, I wanted to make another connection with it on another TedTalk that I watched in one of my classes before. Is my skin Brown because I drank Chocolate Milk? By Beverly Daniel Tatum. I decided to include this because it goes together with the other TedTalk from Mellody on being brave and encouraging others but also Beverly highlights how her son questions if he drank milk, why his skin is brown. Beverly goes on and explains how she had to break down such a big topic on 3 years old, that questioned how he looks.

Blog #1 - Who I Am

After reading Anti-racist by Jewell and Durand, It made me think more about my identity and who I am. I already know and have a general view on who i am but activities like this give you more reason to look deeper. It makes you think beyond just your name but more on race, ethnicity and how society views you. Reading basically explained how everyone has different views on how they categorize people in society. Regardless white or black, we are always put into categories, without doing so. It’s sort of automatic. Our neighborhoods, social media, the school we attend and the friends we have, typically make us all unique in our own way because we all come from different areas. 

As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. We do it without trying. We as humans have some many labels without even wanting them. Little do we know these titles or labels, make us who you are. In the reading, it stated “Your identity grows and changes just like you.” It’s 100% true, meaning there’s always room for change and to become the better version of you.

 

There was an activity at the end of our reading about taking some time and thinking about what makes you who you are. All the labels and words that are used to describe you. I did a similar activity back in high school. I will attach it to this. I told myself I'm going to do something new for this activity but also looking back at it and seeing what changed and what didn't. 

High School Activity 

As I look at the new one and compare it to the old portrait, I see nothing has changed but also since I'm an adult now, I have bigger words to add to it. Little activities like this, I love to get creative and make it into an art piece. So here it is!

My Self Portrait/ Identity Map 

Original Picture to go base off

All About Jadelyn aka. Jade

Well, where do I start. Isn't this supposed to be easy to talk about yourself :) I guess I'll start now!

My name is Jadelyn Santos and I am 21 years old. I live with both my parents and brother. My brothers name is Orlando, who is somewhat not little anymore. My family's background is that we are mix with Puerto Rican and Dominican. I always say, i have the best of best worlds because they both are not that far off from each other but different in there own way. I also have 3 puppies named Jazi, Max and Rubi. They are literally the life of the house, making sure they are the first ones to see who's coming inside. For hobbies and outside of class, I usually go and participate in church and play video games. Along with that, I also do photography and as you read you will read more about it. 

Mi Familia 

My Puppies 

To kick off my summer, i learned how to make buffalo chicken dip, which everyone ended up loving. Shortly then I went to my first ever soccer game at Gillette Stadium with my boyfriend. We saw New England Revolution vs. CF Miami and by the way our team won. I mean of course we did because it was a home game on our turf so we had too. In the beginning of July, I saw Drake in concert along with my boyfriend and his friends, which was so much fun. I am a really big concert person. I like all the craziness that comes with it. So that was an experience on it's own.

Picture from the concert 

First Soccer Game 

Drake Concert 

 Then towards the end of July, I attended Anime Con for the first time. That was amazing. Me, my brother and some other friends, we decided to cosplay our favorite anime. I decided to do my anime twin Akame from Akame ga Kill. Which i exactly looked like her, hair and outfit in all. I also got my 2 Funko pops signed by Bryce Papenbrook, who is the voice actor of Inosuke from Demon Slayer. I highly recommend if you haven't watched Demon Slayer yet, go do so. You will Thank me Later :) 

Anime Con 2023

To sum up my summer, I had the opportunity to be the main photographer for a sweet 16. This also was a great way for me to expose myself to photography jobs and to put name my business out there. My photography business is called Everlasting Jade, which originally started as a family business and the daughter decided to take over and that was me. You can follow us on Instagram @ everlasting.jade to see more of my work. 

The face of Everlasting Jade

Well, This is me. Hope you stick around for the journey.