Color theory: Race is a Powerful Illusion - Paperback

by Aeeshah Clottey (Author), Kokomon Clottey (Author)

"Color Theory" is semi-rewrite and a republished of the book, "Beyond Fear" that we wrote in 1998. In this version, we have changed the name of "Beyond Fear" to "Color Theory". We dared to believe that race and the devastating effects of racism could be healed. We asked our readers to consider that the concept of "race" is an illusion. We have spent years in conversation with many people sharing our view that the concept of race does not exist. We had the audacity to believe that we are all human beings and that we are different, only the color of our skin, our language and our culture. We learned very quickly that the world was not ready to explore the concept of color, language or culture; in 1998 when our book, "Beyond Fear" was published. The idea that race is an illusion that we made up is an idea that we the people have chosen not to examine - and accept.

In 1998, Bill Clinton, the President of the United States of America called for a dialogue on race. We only engaged in the dialogue superficially. In 2008 the citizens of the United States elected Barack Obama the first President of color to lead what many consider the most powerful Nation in the world. The citizens of the United States expressed that the United States was in a post-racial world. However, we continued to hold our monthly Racial Healing Circles, hoping that indeed we were in a post-racial world. Then in 2016 the Citizens of the United States of America elected Donald Trump to be the President and his constituency began to express ideas grounded in racism, fear and division. The last Wednesday of November, 2016 - the Racial Healing Circle that we had been holding monthly for the past 30 years was packed. Most participants' came to tell their story about their inability to move beyond fear, due to their own belief in fear and division.