My name is Juan Rodriguez and I've been a climber for 20 years, but I've been Mexican my entire life. I've always been proud of my nationality with the exception of a few moments of immaturity in my teenage years - coincidentally around the time I first experienced racism.
Last year I went to the movies to watch a film called The Mule and by pure coincidence, I had just been pulled over on my way to the theatre for failing to turn on my lights when I exited the grocery store. My white female friend at the time thought nothing of the stop until I was asked to step out of the car. Then, for no understandable reason, backup police officers arrived to assist. My friend got an inside look at how quickly a routine stop can change for a person of color. You'll hear more of this story in my video entry, but during the movie, there is a scene where agents pull over a hispanic driver who is instantly nervous about the outcome of the potential interaction with officers despite doing absolutely nothing (yet being suspected of a potential offense involving drugs.) The man's paranoia, apologetic stance, and stammering to the point of barely being able to buckle his seatbelt is exactly the type of thing many people of color experience, few caucasians are aware of and don't understand.
After discussions with a half dozen of my white friends and a phone call with Common Climber editor Stefani Dawn, I decided that it was important to share an experience, even if it wasn't directly related to climbing. Often, critical topics such as race and discrimination are tough to write about because many things (even for professional writers) can be misinterpreted. So, I decided to do a video entry discussing an issue concerning white privilege. It's my hope that my words, story, and voice will reach your eyes and ears and provoke thoughts and discussions that will help us move forward as friends, neighbors, and a community. It's a true honor to be here sharing, and I hope if nothing else, my story broadens your perspective .
Last year I went to the movies to watch a film called The Mule and by pure coincidence, I had just been pulled over on my way to the theatre for failing to turn on my lights when I exited the grocery store. My white female friend at the time thought nothing of the stop until I was asked to step out of the car. Then, for no understandable reason, backup police officers arrived to assist. My friend got an inside look at how quickly a routine stop can change for a person of color. You'll hear more of this story in my video entry, but during the movie, there is a scene where agents pull over a hispanic driver who is instantly nervous about the outcome of the potential interaction with officers despite doing absolutely nothing (yet being suspected of a potential offense involving drugs.) The man's paranoia, apologetic stance, and stammering to the point of barely being able to buckle his seatbelt is exactly the type of thing many people of color experience, few caucasians are aware of and don't understand.
After discussions with a half dozen of my white friends and a phone call with Common Climber editor Stefani Dawn, I decided that it was important to share an experience, even if it wasn't directly related to climbing. Often, critical topics such as race and discrimination are tough to write about because many things (even for professional writers) can be misinterpreted. So, I decided to do a video entry discussing an issue concerning white privilege. It's my hope that my words, story, and voice will reach your eyes and ears and provoke thoughts and discussions that will help us move forward as friends, neighbors, and a community. It's a true honor to be here sharing, and I hope if nothing else, my story broadens your perspective .
Colorblind - A Conversation Video with Juan Rodriguez
A clip from the movie "The Mule" that portrays the fears and experiences of people of color with police.
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Check out more of the "Honoring Diversity" edition.
INSTAGRAM: @antigravityequipment
Check out more of the "Honoring Diversity" edition.