As time moves forward, I can’t help but feel like we’re only going backward. Racism and social injustices seem to be at the forefront of America, and to some degree, I still can’t figure out why. I know that racism is extremely prevalent, and people can get away with saying anything controversial, offensive, and biased remarks claiming it to be hypothetical or freedom of speech. Being what’s known as color-blind is, especially, on the rise because of its subtlety.
What is Racial Colorblindness?
Color-blind racism or colorblindness is “the racial ideology that posits the best way to end discrimination is by treating individuals as equally as possible, without regard to race, culture, or ethnicity.” There is no single definition of color-blind racism considering colorblindness is a concept and can be interpreted in various ways. This is one of them. People who are not of color, can’t and won’t ever be able to experience hardships to the same degree as those of color. That being said, Remarks such as “I don’t see color” or “race doesn’t matter” only illuminate the issue at hand by actively choosing to acknowledge it, but not enough to make the change. This way of thinking only creates barriers and tells underrepresented minority groups that they don’t matter when the fact of the matter is race affects opportunities, the way you are viewed in society, income, education, and so on.
Is color-blind racism the new form of racism?
The idea that race is irrelevant would be ideal in a perfect utopia. This form of racism was once believed to be beneficial, but the sad reality is not seeing color doesn’t make the issue go away. It is important to judge people based on their character and shared interests, not the color of their skin. Let’s face it, when you become blind to something, you become unable to see, lacking perception.
The role of Colorblindness in society
A color-blind racial perspective embodies the view that the United States has moved beyond race and racism and that the color of someone’s skin does not matter in today’s society.
People will try their hardest to be as inclusive as possible, but fail to neglect the harm they are doing in the process. Celebrities are often under fire for this kind of behavior because they want to keep their fans happy at all costs.
The Negative Effects of this kind of blindness
- Greater chances of racial bias
Where to go from here
The first step in making change is realizing it in the first place so that is a good first step. To make things a bit further
- Learn about your differences, biases,
- Understanding Multiculturalism as an alternative
Racism will always exist in society, whether it be blatant or unnoticeable. Although racial issues can be difficult to discuss, especially around people with opposing views, being color-blind isn’t the way to resolve these underlying issues.
