UNITED COLORS OF COMMUNITY
UNITED COLORS OF COMMUNITY
By Priya Das
What is the color of community? What are the colors of its people? How do societal norms color people’s actions? Are our lives black and white, are our dreams in color, does our future look gray or resplendent? How much of us is red-white-blue and do we have to prove it every day?
There is so much that colors signify…white for purity in one culture and mourning in another; red for battle in one and weddings in a second; saffron or green for religions in some; purple for royalty... This country was first labeled as Red (Indian) when first discovered; then became White, then Black was introduced; now it’s Brown and more; additional strands of White and Black too.
“How much of us is red-white-blue and do we have to prove it every day?”
We founded Mosaic America as a social change organization with a mission to build resilient multicultural communities. Our perspective is forged in the stories of the various colors we represent and want to share. As its co-founder, sometimes I have to remind people that White is a color too; at other times, I have had to remind myself that Brown matters too, in a country that first recognizes White and Black. We have to ALL learn to approach the canvas of our future with a palette that contains all the colors.
Authentic representation is the foundational block of our mission. As a society, we must make and keep place for as many representative colors- the cost of admission to American society cannot be homogeneity; the price to become American cannot be a forsaking of our personal history, identity, or culture.
“...the cost of admission to American society cannot be homogeneity; the price to become American cannot be a forsaking of our personal history, identity, or culture.”
Surely, the radiant example of innovation that Silicon Valley is, we can do better. Let us stand up side-by-side as we are for a start! And then, like a gorgeous mosaic, include everybody as they come! That is why Mosaic America exists, to urge people to create a colorful, multicultural weave and hold America up as the place where everybody belongs.
So it is in this context that I admit, I googled De Colores. I have always been fascinated by the power of song to propel change. As I kept reading, what struck me was that this song was not just about action, but about reflection. Also surprising was its soft cadence. Since it was a song associated with revolution, I had expected it to be strident. Instead, it spoke of new beginnings, of the child and parents. It did not make a narrative out of wrongs; rather, it was a gentle urging to weave a new chapter.
“It did not make a narrative out of wrongs; rather, it was a gentle urging to weave a new chapter. ”