I know I am joining this discussion late, but I wanted to say something.
CageFree, so far your comments on this thread have promoted colorblindness, the shedding of labels so that people are treated by merit only. This is a dangerous view to impose on others because racism (and other forms of isms like class, gender, etc.) will always exist in this country. If you have taken an American history course, race and racism have been a dominant theme since the founding of this nation. Here are few points below: In the early 1800s, blacks were once considered 3/5th of a human. Provisions allowed southern states to count slaves as 3/5 persons for purposes of apportionment in Congress (even though the slaves could not, of course, vote), expressly denied to Congress the power to prohibit importation of new slaves until 1808, and prevented free states from enacting laws protecting fugitive slaves. It took the Civil War Amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th) to ban slavery, grant citizenship to blacks, AND pass antidiscrimination laws (equal protection and due process clauses). For another 100 years after the Civil War, municipalities passed racial laws to forbid blacks (and other nonwhites where applicable) from living in specific neighborhoods and working in certain occupations.This effect created housing, occupational and school segregation that still hurts blacks economically to this day. For instance, when Social Security was formed, blacks were initially excluded from eligibility. It took Brown v. Board of Education (1954) and successive court rulings to end legal racial discrimination. In the 1960s and beyond, the federal government had to pass federal civil rights and voting rights laws that forbid voter disenfranchisement among blacks and made hate crimes a federal violation. (How ironic that even in the 21st century the Republicans today are pushing voting laws that would disenfranchise minorities and the poor from voting for Obama???) Blacks and other nonwhites today make up a disproportionate percentage of the prison population (especially nonviolent crimes), providing a source of cheap labor for for-profit entities. Since the late 1970s, there has been a nationwide agenda to impoverish minority communities through redlining, war on drugs, the defunding of educational and social service programs, and the attack on affirmative action. Some of the poorest public school districts in this country educate black and brown youth. These schools are under-resourced, have unsafe conditions, and are brainwashing kids for low-paying, menial occupations. As you can see, the plantation system keeps evolving to keep blacks (and other nonwhites) at the bottom of the economic and political ladder.
As a black female, I refuse to believe that colorblindness is the answer once you understand the history of this nation. I learned about my identity and cultural heritage as a means of survival and empowerment. In my youth, I can remember struggling with being the only black person in a classroom and my privileged peers were unaware of social inequality because they had the privilege to not think about it. Therefore, CageFree, it is naive to think that everyone should treat each other in a colorblind perspective for two reasons: it denies that racism exists and assumes the voices of the marginalized are not important.
President Obama has received more racial slurs than any sitting president because he doesn't look white nor does he have a English-sounding name. As long as you have ignorant fools that continue to downplay his accomplishments, race and racism will still continue to be prevalent in American society.
I dress simply, and for comfort and enjoyment. My personal style is "boho", I guess, if you had to term it as something - a lot of long flowy skirts, which I pair with simple colored tops, tunics, and sweaters; linen pants with peasant woven tops; maxi dresses worn with sweaters; tweed skirts and sweaters with boots in the winter; accessories are scarves, necklaces, earrings, occasionally rings, and hairsticks/other hairtoys (( have very long hair, which I always wear in an updo for work/school). I get complimented often on my appearance when I go to conferences, and have never had anyone say I look unprofessional - but at the same time, I am not and never have been a slacks and blazer or suit or business casual kind of gal, and I think dressing in a way that doesn't represent you makes you feel uncomfortable and fraudulent. You need to find a style that works with your view of who you are both as a student and as a person and, ultimately, as a professional teacher, if that's where you are going. It takes time, trial and error to cultivate a look that works for you across the board, but when you do figure it out, it gets very easy to maintain.
