Reaching the end of racism does not necessarily mean that the recognition of different races must also come to an end. In the essay, "The Conservation of Races," W.E.B. Dubois expressed that he believed African Americans should hold on to their identities. He believed that Blacks should not assimilate into American culture but rather they should separate themselves and establish their own institutions, such as the Negro Academy for example. During the time period which this essay was written I feel it was necessary and also mandatory for African Americans to separate since segregation was in full swing. I also feel that if African Americans did not separate they would not have been able to hold on to their identities. So I do agree with this part of Dubois's essay. If African Americans had fully assimilated into American culture many of the contributions the race has given would not have ever existed.
For a group to hold on to its race as part of its identity is not necessarily racist. In class the question was posed about whether eliminating racism required a colorblind society. The answer is, no it does not. There is a strong necessity for groups to identify with their race and for other groups to recognize other races exist. Not to do so would mean completely ignoring history. To ignore race would also take away a person's identity. When someone asks me to describe myself one of the first things I say is that I am an African American female. To say that I am an African American means something specific yet special. It means I am a part of a group with a history and a story of which I am proud. The same applies to everyone else as well. Everyone identifies himself according to which race he belongs. Our race is our identity. If the end of racism meant ignoring race completely, there would be no such thing as diversity, which is something on which we pride ourselves.
We believe that diversity helps us to learn about one another. Even at Rhodes we strive to have diverse campus in order to prepare us for our futures. We have to be able to cooperate with people who are different from us if we want to survive in this world. None of us are made the same. As stated in class, if we do not recognize race in order to distinguish ourselves there will just be something else we use in order to identify ourselves because we know and love that fact that all of us are different. Our race is who we are; it is what makes us unique. Without my race, who am I? Who are you? I am not a racist but my race is my identity
