"I never had an occasion to question color, therefore, I only saw myself as what I was... a human being"

Sidney Poitier reflected on his upbringing and identity by emphasizing a profound absence of self-consciousness about race that he experienced as a child. His words evoke a sense of innocence where the complexities and burdens associated with racial identity did not intrude on his self-perception. Growing up in the Bahamas, Poitier was immersed in an environment where his own skin color was the norm rather than an anomaly, allowing him to develop a sense of self that was rooted in universal human experiences, rather than filtered through the social lens of race.

He speaks to the natural state of being, suggesting that concerns about racial differences are learned rather than inherent. There’s an implicit commentary on the way society constructs and imposes meaning onto physical characteristics, and how this imposition can fundamentally shape or even distort identity. Because he never encountered situations that forced him to grapple with his color, his self-understanding remained unfragmented and holistic. He was simply a person among other people, unburdened by the negative connotations or external definitions so frequently assigned to race.

Poitier’s experience contrasts sharply with societies where racial divisions are constantly reinforced and where individuals are frequently defined and circumscribed by the color of their skin. It’s an observation that both mourns the loss of such uncomplicated self-regard and points toward a vision of humanity where external categories become irrelevant. His words hope for a world in which individuals are not first and foremost defined by race, but by their shared humanity. Implicit is the notion that such a world is possible, rooted in contexts where the preoccupation with color has not yet pervaded the social fabric. Ultimately, Poitier celebrates the freedom of living as a human being unencumbered by externally imposed hierarchies, illustrating the inherent dignity in recognizing oneself and others through the widest, most inclusive lens of all.