I will never forget the time when a white colleague said to me, “When I look at you, I don’t see color. I don’t see you as a black person.” He was saying, “Race doesn’t matter to me. I am not a racist.” But I heard, “I am denying a big part of who you are and your experiences.”

He pissed me off.

When I asked him to explain his statement, he said he wanted me to belong. To be part of a team.

He’s not the only one who had bias without intention. One time, a white colleague asked me out on a date. He shocked the hell out of me when we sat to eat our dinner. He was interested in dating black women because then they would take care of his every need.

“Thank you for your honesty. But I don’t want to see you again.” I marched out of the restaurant like a woman running away from a burning fire.

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To your inspiration,

Banchi