General Discussion

shawn703

(2,704 posts)

113. "In a colorblind society"

Mon Jul 29, 2013, 04:17 PM

Jul 2013

Then the author proceeds to list ways that our society is NOT colorblind.

If society was truly colorblind, there would be no racism, no disadvantages experienced due to race, no negative racial experiences.

I get the larger point though, that white people can delude themselves into thinking that as long as they are "colorblind" that all is well in the world and there's nothing more to be done - like hundreds of years of oppression can be wiped out by waking up one day and saying "I'm colorblind!" And that all minorities have to do is to wake up one day and declare themselves colorblind too and we can all sing kumbayah.

I don't know that I believe a colorblind society isn't a noble ideal, even though it's probably something I won't see in my lifetime. To get there you'd have to eliminate all the problems listed above.

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Colorblind Ideology is a Form of Racism [View all] BainsBane Jul 2013 OP

My children will be taught to be color-blind. Socal31 Jul 2013 #1

I disagree BainsBane Jul 2013 #2

Teaching them not to be racist isn't the same thing as teaching them to be color-blind. nomorenomore08 Jul 2013 #4

Well, people's advantages or disadvantages due to race are not assumptions. reusrename Jul 2013 #59

It serves to reinforce the status quo. nt Deep13 Jul 2013 #3

Exactly. That is the entire problem with "color-blindness" in a nutshell. nomorenomore08 Jul 2013 #5

The author is reinforcing the status quo... Pelican Jul 2013 #55

Wrong. The author is claiming that people already do that... Deep13 Jul 2013 #61

So... Pelican Jul 2013 #62

No, but pretending one isn't influenced by racism BainsBane Jul 2013 #147

My kids have friends of several races and treat them all the same. Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #6

no, that isn't the point at all BainsBane Jul 2013 #10

The diffrience... Lancero Jul 2013 #7

You look at a person and think he/she is a different color than I am. mick063 Jul 2013 #8

denial is not a river in Egypt PowerToThePeople Jul 2013 #9

Colorblindness is a philosophy grounded in naive optimism for an America that does not exist LostOne4Ever Jul 2013 #11

Isn't racism treating people differently due to their skin color? Skip Intro Jul 2013 #12

Read the article BainsBane Jul 2013 #13

Did. Don't buy it. Hell, even MLK dreamed of a colorblind age... Skip Intro Jul 2013 #14

So does that mean people need to become like you to be accepted? BainsBane Jul 2013 #16

Exactly. When people say they want "a color-blind society" they usually mean *on their terms* nomorenomore08 Jul 2013 #34

You are Boudica the Lyoness Jul 2013 #17

MLK dreamed of it, he didn't say it was a reality. intheflow Jul 2013 #23

He dreamed of a FUTURE where people would be judged on the content of their character LostOne4Ever Jul 2013 #54

How can we aspire to something that we're asked to consider racist today? lumberjack_jeff Jul 2013 #108

Everyone would love a colorblind society- but selfish, foolish libertarian types think bettyellen Jul 2013 #146

If they think that if their color-blind actions will create reality... how is that racist? lumberjack_jeff Jul 2013 #150

Because they are basically pretending that their inaction helps, and so, hindering progress. bettyellen Jul 2013 #151

Misreading the Dream: Color-Blindness and the Distortion of Martin Luther King Jr. gollygee Jul 2013 #67

I agree, and suggesting that those who see people through a color blind lens Puzzledtraveller Jul 2013 #71

but nobody is blind, are they? kwassa Jul 2013 #20

Racism LostOne4Ever Jul 2013 #50

Stephen Colbert is a genius at exposing this. backscatter712 Jul 2013 #15

To me, color-blindness means "I don't see you". kwassa Jul 2013 #18

Or to be more specific... backscatter712 Jul 2013 #21

Do I have to start caring about people's religion, too? Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #24

Could you have Fiddler on the Roof without Judaism? n/t backscatter712 Jul 2013 #25

False analogy. Race is visible, religion usually is not. kwassa Jul 2013 #141

Yarmulkes? Turbans? Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #142

That will only get you Orthodox Jews and Sikhs. kwassa Jul 2013 #144

Colorblindness is the Conservative reaction to race sweetloukillbot Jul 2013 #29

Not just that we're all alike gollygee Jul 2013 #73

very well said BainsBane Jul 2013 #22

(1) All popular notions of race are vacuous from a scientific PoV; (2) these notions have arisen struggle4progress Jul 2013 #19

Best post of the thread! nomorenomore08 Jul 2013 #36

There is only one race Cronus Protagonist Jul 2013 #26

That's unfortunate BainsBane Jul 2013 #27

You assume much, inaccurately too Cronus Protagonist Jul 2013 #28

That doesn't change the fact that race effects people's lives BainsBane Jul 2013 #30

Sorry, I'm not an American Cronus Protagonist Jul 2013 #31

But whatever you call it - "bigotry" or anything else - ignoring it won't make it go away. nomorenomore08 Jul 2013 #35

Do you think I don't see the argument? Cronus Protagonist Jul 2013 #41

But how can you deal with racism if you refuse to discuss "race" at all? nomorenomore08 Jul 2013 #42

It is NOT "racism", it IS bigotry Cronus Protagonist Jul 2013 #48

Seems to me "bigotry" is the general category and "racism" is a specific manifestation. nomorenomore08 Jul 2013 #49

Correctamundo! Racism exists, but separate races among humans do not. Brewinblue Jul 2013 #38

Thanks! Cronus Protagonist Jul 2013 #45

Thanks to you as well Cronus. Brewinblue Jul 2013 #57

You posted an awful lot of angry replies after trashing the thread. Orrex Jul 2013 #68

Really? Cronus Protagonist Jul 2013 #69

Nope. Why do you ask? Orrex Jul 2013 #78

Rec. You would have done better to post this in one of the minority forums here Number23 Jul 2013 #32

I don't know... I think there have been some quite good responses on this thread. nomorenomore08 Jul 2013 #37

I'll cross post it tomorrow nt BainsBane Jul 2013 #43

Honestly LostOne4Ever Jul 2013 #56

posting on a liberal site doesn't make one a liberal JI7 Jul 2013 #60

k&r Starry Messenger Jul 2013 #33

I see it more as being non-judgmental of each of our differences. uppityperson Jul 2013 #39

Read the article, didn't find it persuasive LittleBlue Jul 2013 #40

What I think the author isn't getting. Kurska Jul 2013 #44

I think you have it backwards BainsBane Jul 2013 #46

I disagree, you can believe race is a factor while not personally allowing it to be a factor for you Kurska Jul 2013 #47

You made the point I was just thinking of Puzzledtraveller Jul 2013 #72

Agree. n/t lumberjack_jeff Jul 2013 #110

Racist to treat people equally... Pelican Jul 2013 #51

You are deliberately looking to misunderstand BainsBane Jul 2013 #52

Another person trying to shill that race is so important... Pelican Jul 2013 #53

If I had to treat everyone differently based on their race I would be spinning.... dkf Jul 2013 #58

That's the problem with this OP. What if you don't know someone's race? Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #66

Well that would be patronizing as hell, so good thing no one actually said that. n/t gollygee Jul 2013 #74

Yeah. That's not really what the OP is saying. DirkGently Jul 2013 #88

I agree Puzzledtraveller Jul 2013 #70

BainsBane JustAnotherGen Jul 2013 #63

I think it's a particularly pernicious lie BainsBane Jul 2013 #64

I just answered a dumb ass poll about this JustAnotherGen Jul 2013 #79

Heh heh. You wrote "ass poll" Orrex Jul 2013 #82

Perhaps I am naïve REP Jul 2013 #86

That last line explains the issue gollygee Jul 2013 #101

Take that tangible a step further JustAnotherGen Jul 2013 #107

That's a good point gollygee Jul 2013 #109

Another terrific point Orrex Jul 2013 #112

OK, call me niave, but what is it about the perms that's specific to black women? Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #115

It's the opposite JustAnotherGen Jul 2013 #117

Oh, ok, I knew about the segregated AA hair products, its just that most... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #121

I fall in that category JustAnotherGen Jul 2013 #122

There's nothing wrong with acknowledging differences, but to avoid embarrassment... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #123

Also, and I'll be completely honest here, I spend like 10 bucks, maybe 15, every few months... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #125

How about I'm color blind I don't care about color we are all different uppityperson Jul 2013 #137

take what you need JustAnotherGen Jul 2013 #140

You are absolutely right gollygee Jul 2013 #65

Saying things that are self-evidently nonsense is a good way to attract posters, but silly even so. Donald Ian Rankin Jul 2013 #75

Reading the article helps BainsBane Jul 2013 #76

It's hard for me to respond to content-free snark with anything other than content-free snark. Donald Ian Rankin Jul 2013 #81

If you have nothing to say, why say anything at all? kwassa Jul 2013 #143

I think that's Colbert's angle when his character claims he DirkGently Jul 2013 #77

K&R Solly Mack Jul 2013 #80

I'm confused because I don't understand what differences are supposed to be highlighted... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #83

There is no such thing as biological race BainsBane Jul 2013 #87

Race is a cultural construct, that is true, but being a particular race, or percieved... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #95

That is certainly true BainsBane Jul 2013 #97

The problem is I think, the way people use words... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #102

Color blindness is claiming not to see race BainsBane Jul 2013 #103

Colbert's parody is funny if you take it literally, like he does, for the sake of comedy... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #105

True, but that doesn't mean the ones associated with race make any less of a contribution BainsBane Jul 2013 #111

That's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about assumptions, based on perceptions of race... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #119

I certainly see that people are different, superficially, but I certainly don't make assumptions... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #106

I suspect that the people lecturing the most over this pretty much only know white people, Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #91

Why don't you read the comments by African American posters in this thread BainsBane Jul 2013 #93

Good point BB - but they don't want to do that JustAnotherGen Jul 2013 #114

Wrong gollygee Jul 2013 #99

I find this thread very annoying Boudica the Lyoness Jul 2013 #84

I found the article and thread annoying as well, having multiracial children in my extended... Humanist_Activist Jul 2013 #90

What about this says don't treat people like human beings? BainsBane Jul 2013 #92

This thread is strawman central gollygee Jul 2013 #94

Do you mean my thread? BainsBane Jul 2013 #96

I mean the responses to your thread gollygee Jul 2013 #98

It's a heady subject BainsBane Jul 2013 #100

I should have said Boudica the Lyoness Jul 2013 #124

Apparently "colorblindness" is DU's new "benevolent sexism". Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #85

There is nothing benevolent about a lie BainsBane Jul 2013 #89

For me, Richard Wright illustrated the flaw of 'colorblind' behavior. LiberalAndProud Jul 2013 #104

"In a colorblind society" shawn703 Jul 2013 #113

Exactly. Right on point. kwassa Jul 2013 #145

"pretending we're colorblind ..." napkinz Jul 2013 #116

And a big fat +1 to that! gollygee Jul 2013 #120

Excellent point BainsBane Jul 2013 #136

I treat all people the same. However, I see MineralMan Jul 2013 #118

I think you describe doing exactly what the article advocates BainsBane Jul 2013 #128

That is how I was raised. MineralMan Jul 2013 #130

Making assumptions about people's experiences based upon their physical appearance, Nye Bevan Jul 2013 #134

That's not what the article "lectures" you to do at all BainsBane Jul 2013 #139

Of course. Generally, you learn from the person. MineralMan Jul 2013 #149

Really sad to see this only has 25 recs on DU, of all places. mattclearing Jul 2013 #126

Not only does it have only 25 recs gollygee Jul 2013 #127

Nearly everyone I have met who claimed to be colorblind... Bjorn Against Jul 2013 #129

Nobody responded to my thread gollygee Jul 2013 #131

I did not see your thread before but I gave you a reply Bjorn Against Jul 2013 #132

You noticed that too BainsBane Jul 2013 #135

Certainly interesting, but not at all surprising. Bjorn Against Jul 2013 #138

Is that right?? Number23 Jul 2013 #148

I'm fine with multiculturalism;... badtoworse Jul 2013 #133