I really liked the quote on page 183 by Ralph Ellison, and I believe that it connects with many of the ideas that we have talked about in class. Ralph says, “I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me… That invisibility…occurs because of a peculiar disposition of the eyes of those whom I come in contact. A matter of the construction of their inner eye.” This gets at the idea that we only see what we want to see. We tend to point out all of the actions of a particular group that support the stereotypes that we have placed on them, and we forget all of the actions that contradict and break the common stereotype. This has to do with internal beliefs and ideas that permeate and define our worldview. Until we are changed internally, we will not be able to change our views of other groups.

Another idea that the quotes points out is the idea of invisibility. This class is teaching us to see the invisible, or those that have been forced to keep their identity hidden in fear of what society will think about them and do to them. We are learning about artists who are trying to break the mold and step out of the box that society has put them. This struggle was seen in the Hide/Seek exhibit. Should they hide their identity? Or should they tell the whole world? How can people accept and love you for you if they don’t accept every single part of you? This internal struggle reminds me of the metaphor about turning mirrors into windows. Are they going to continue to keep their identity so that only they know about it or are they going to turn that mirror into a window where the whole world can look inside and see it? I think we need to stop refusing to see people and look through their windows in order to accept and love them for who they are.