Colorblindness Is The New Racism

 Three talking points:

1. “Whites may observe the discriminatory treatment of non-whites and consider only the disadvantages that flow from being non-white without having to consider any of the benefits of appearing to be white.”

2.”Individual concepts of race may differ and cause concern that one’s views may offend others. This fear leads to a tendency to avoid discussing race all together.”

3. “Where did you attend law school?”

Argument Statement:

Armstrong and Wildman argue that being “colorblind” and not acknowledging white privilege does not eliminate racism but can actually make it worse. They recommend practicing “color insight” instead and taking note of your race and the race of others around you rather than ignoring it. Open, honest, respectful discussions will help people better recognize and understand privilege as well as inequality. 

Connections:

Mellody Hobson’s talk on being “color brave” stressed the importance of having uncomfortable conversations with each other about race in order to promote equality. She encouraged people to closely monitor their environment and seek out diverse relationships. She believes that diversity makes everything better. I liked the example she gave of how the small pox vaccine was discovered.  

Links:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culturally-speaking/201112/colorblind-ideology-is-form-racism?msockid=20fb62bb63a86085065a743d629f6141

https://www.numberanalytics.com/blog/understanding-colorblindness-in-racial-contexts