Confronting Tough Issues of Race

Dec. 5, 2006 — -- Pretending everyone is colorblind is a running joke on America's comedy shows.

"Now I don't see race, people tell me I'm white and I believe them because I belong to an all-white country club," Steven Colbert recently quipped on his show, "The Colbert Report."

Robin Roberts discusses your questions about race in a LIVE WEB CHAT, today at noon E.T.

Colbert's Comedy Central colleague Dave Chapelle gets laughs playing a blind white supremacist unaware of his own color

"Good Morning America" wanted real women to weigh in on the issue of race. "GMA's" Diane Saywer and Robin Roberts gathered together a panel of three black and three white women --- among them, mothers, college professors and journalists -- to talk about the truth.

The women agreed right away that among the first things people notice about each other are gender and race, and that's OK.

Sawyer brought up the first topic: do a lot of white Americans feel they're being tested by black Americans by having to watch every word lest they be accused of racism ? She asked, "What if I said something really insensitive and boneheaded?"

"It would be my responsibility to say to you, 'Diane, that's a racist remark and I'm offended by it, so don't do that again,'" said Glenda Dubois, who is black.

"But Glenda aren't we quick to say that was a racist remark?," Roberts asked.

"Right. How can I ever talk again if you think that that actually sounded like a racist remark?," Sawyer continued.

"I think most people are less likely to say ... that was just offensive, period," Mitzi Miller said.

All the women agreed that people have to give each other the benefit of the doubt.

They also agreed that there is a tendency to feel more comfortable around people of the same skin color. Is that discrimination?

Miller said feeling comfortable isn't a black versus white issue, it's a green issue.