Mellody Hobson’s speech “Color Blind or Color Brave?” is one of the first things that came to mind when I was given the prompt. In my opinion, racism and any type of discrimination is a significant issue in society which should be discussed more frequently as a way to educate people and alleviate ignorance. Although this topic may cause controversial arguments to emerge, I believe it is important to counter every argument that tries to undermine the urgency of this issue. Hearing about the racist encounters that people of color are faced with in their everyday lives would make those who know about the preexisting issue care more and those who are not familiar with it more aware. Since I have seen people I care about be discriminated against either because of their race or religion, I feel very strongly about this topic and would love to try to make a difference somehow. Although I know that  solely my writing in this class won’t be able to make a difference in society, I believe that writing about this issue will allow me to at least inform those who read it and make them realize the merit in Hobson’s argument. Her use of rhetorical devices in her speech is very effective, but her use of pathos and logos are most prominent. I know that those who have experienced racism would be able to relate and empathize when hearing about her personal experiences at work and at school as a seven year old girl. Her use of statistical evidence to support her claims about racism in the workplace and the faultiness in being “color blind” is also very effective since most people do not know much about it. In my opinion, the main reason why people are still so uninformed and ignorant about this ongoing issue is because of the discomfort that comes along with talking about it. However, as Hobson states, it is important for everyone to become “comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Her speech: https://www.ted.com/talks/mellody_hobson_color_blind_or_color_brave