greeted with boos and other unflattering catcalls before she had sung one note. Even the judges had facial expressions that seemed to confirm that they had already formed some very low expectations of her talent, based on appearance alone.

Or consider this. We tell our children that when it comes to getting a job, honesty, integrity, strong work ethic and a willingness to learn are some of the essential characteristics. But, we also tell them to mind how they dress for the interview because the hiring supervisor will also be judging them based, at least in part, upon their physical appearance.

And have you ever noticed that you rarely see people who are obese in jobs that are highly visible to the public? Restaurant servers, airline ticket agents, bank tellers and others usually seem to be within average weight ranges. Is that just some weird coincidence? Somehow, I doubt it.

And what about short men? I've worked for a large insurance company for nearly twenty-five years and have worked in and visited branch offices all over the United States. In all that time and in all those locations I cannot recall ever seeing a member of the executive management team in any of those locations who was less than six feet in height.

So, if we're still showing preferences for tall, attractive, well dressed, physically fit individuals in occupations where those traits are not necessary to perform the job, why are we kidding ourselves into thinking that we've suddenly become a colorblind society completely oblivious to race?

Now, I'm not of the mindset that racism is lurking around every corner waiting to attack at a moment's notice. I've had a successful life as an African-American both personally and professionally and I can also name dozens of fellow African-American friends and colleagues who have as well. But I also know that when people look at me they are going to form some sort of initial impression and unfortunately, for some of the more unenlightened who remain among us, that impression is going to be negative, for no other reason than the color of my skin.

I'm not whining about this, mind you, just stating it as a simple fact. And over the years I have learned what I need to do to compensate for that person's inability to view me simply as an individual. In most cases, by presenting myself as polite, intelligent, thoughtful and well-spoken I am able to very quickly overcome their initial concerns.

In my mind this is no different than the steps that any of us take, regardless of our color to make a favorable impression; things like making sure that our clothing is neat, clean and appropriate, that our hair is combed and that there is no spinach stuck between our teeth. Or the people who have cosmetic surgery because they recognize the realities of age discrimination. Or those who work out because of an awareness of the very real biases against the obese.

Do I wish that my color (and all of the other superficial external differences I've mentioned) didn't matter? Of course. But by remaining aware that prejudgments based on skin color remain a possibility I am able to do what I need to do to fight against them. Pretending that they aren't a factor, however, just isn't a very viable option.

Learn more about this author, Robin Landry.
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