Question

Discuss any two manifestations of colorblind racism. Why is a colorblind perspective problematic?

Answer 1

Colorblindness is a racial ideology that posits to minimise discrimination based on skin colour by treating individuals as equally as possible by disregarding race, culture, or ethnicity as markers of identification and focusing on the similarities between people such as based on moral principles or ethics.

At its face value, colorblindness seems like a good and benign perspective. However, critical theorists argue that such a perspective does not help to resolve personal and social skirmishes of racial prejudice as colourblindness only reinforces people’s discomfort in addressing and accepting differences. Instead of creating a liberal and equalitarian space where ethnic differences may be valued as a part of cultural diversity, colourblindness tends to substantiate a hegemonic view where a person’s choice to racial identification may be misjudged as an abnormal social act. colorblindness has helped make race into a taboo topic that socially privileged people choose to not openly discuss out of ‘politeness’. This however leads to an inability to discuss, understand and ultimately to solve the racial problems in society.

From the point of view of the privileged ‘White’ population, colourblindness would be a completely rational viewpoint however, any evaluation of a social discourse needs to be assessed in terms of the groups which are kept silent or under represented. It is here that the colourblindness perspective becomes arguably problematic as it tends to negate the traumatic experiences of racial prejudice of the coloured minorities, rejects their cultural heritage, and invalidates their unique perspectives.