True Colors is definitely the type of program that one should suspend any personal bias before they sit down to watch it. It’s a very positive note that looks over the contribution and rise of many individuals through the years despite the fact that they’ve had a much harder time at being successful than many. Let’s be entirely honest here, life in the United States was, for many decades and for centuries, dominated by Caucasian people in many different ways. In recent decades things have been changing in a big way and the continued diversity has been eye-opening and very refreshing since those that come from different backgrounds and different countries have helped to create a varied landscape of success that has been entertaining and uplifting in a very big way. The idea that it’s been harder, that they’ve had to face greater chances of failure, and that said individuals have had a much longer road ahead of them is unfortunately true since in a country that has been dominated by a status quo for so long, change is often resisted and it’s often much more difficult to attain the desired success that one seeks. But if anyone is paying attention, many people of color and those that have come from different ethnic backgrounds have found great success, and these stories are continuing to build and increase in number as those that were able to show the way and served as the pioneers for others that would come later have continued to stand as examples.
People can lean into a political discussion concerning this, but in truth, it’s more of a human issue than a political one since it speaks to allowing people to follow their dreams, to do as they want, and to also ensure that the right people are being selected for one position or another within society where they desire to be. If there’s one immutable fact that society should be able to rally around, it’s that the right person for the job, based on skill, merit, and their level of talent and learning should typically be the one that reaps the success. Unfortunately this isn’t always the case and it’s saddening to be certain that so many opportunities have been lost through the many decades and centuries that the United States have been in existence. As of the modern era though the feeling is very much the same, that those who have the skills, the talent, and the drive to succeed should typically be those that are selected to earn the renown that they desire. In recent years there have been more and more POC, black, Latinx, and many others that have found genuine success as they’ve sought it out, and True Colors is about highlighting their journey as well as their success when it comes to how far they’ve come and what they had to go through.
There are plenty of cynics that will go on to wonder just why the show is highlighting POC’s and not other individuals that have had a difficult road to get to where they want to be. But the answer is pretty simple in light of this show: it’s not about them this time. This show is narrowing its focus and in doing so is making it clear that those that are being given the attention are those that weren’t expected by many to succeed at one point, for one reason or another, or were seen as anomalies in a system where POC’s are either not seen to succeed in certain venues or have been shown a decided lack of representation. The argument against this, that POC’s have in fact been quite successful in many ways, is valid enough, but it’s still interesting to see just how those of color were led in a way by those that came before them, and those that fought to find their place and earn their success. There’s no denying that anyone and everyone that has succeeded in life is important in some way, but this show is focusing on a specific group of people, as many others have over the course of history, and appreciating these folks for what they’ve done, what they’ve gone through, and how they’ve continued to help pave the way for others is the point at this time, no more and no less. Accepting this and giving at least a nod of recognition and respect is often better than complaining over why more people aren’t being represented in a show of equality. In fact, many people that might say such a thing would have missed the point.
The world is made up of many individuals that come from different backgrounds, different countries, have differing origins, and yet all want essentially the same thing, to succeed at something and to thrive. Sometimes it’s best to just pay your respects and admit that their stories are worth telling.
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