Why We Don't Want a Colorblind Society

Let’s talk about something fraught with tension, something that makes a large number of people both angry and uncomfortable: let’s talk about race. Or, let’s talk about a way to talk about race. Starting with the word “colorblind.”

Colorblindness is a racial ideology that seeks to overcome racism by encouraging people to refuse to see differences in ethnicity and culture. Essentially, it is a refusal to acknowledge diversity and identity. It’s not difficult to understand why this can be very offensive to people who have strong ties to their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities. Colorblindness denies groups the ability to celebrate their heritage, all for the sake of avoiding having to talk about race.

I don’t think that adopting colorblindness is proof that someone is racist. In fact, I think it’s a defense mechanism used by those who are unsure about how to go about talking about racism in a productive way. Whether this is because they are unable to recognize their own privilege and biases (which, to a degree, we all have), lacking the correct language and knowledge necessary to encourage conversations about race just exacerbates the discomfort that arises when confronting such issues.

Race matters a lot in this country. It is woven into the fabric of our country’s history. Denying the need to have conversations about race is asinine. But we can’t throw around theories about colorblindness or neglect to educate one another on how to talk about race.  Instead of championing avoidance, let’s learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable.  Otherwise, we will lose touch of the wonderful multiculturalism that makes up our communities.