What to Do Instead of Saying “I Don’t See the Race”
In the past year, racial injustice perpetrated against black and Asian Americans has reached new heights. Since the start of the pandemic, hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased by 149% . At the same time, protests around the world following the assassination of George Floyd by police have once again highlighted a long history of brutal police surveillance of black Americans . Despite the apparent violence, many people believe that the best answer to these systemic problems is to assume that we all live as if we don’t “see” race – as if different skin colors really don’t matter.
In a survey conducted at Ohio State University, associate professor of psychology Philip Mazzocco found that 73% of participants considered themselves to be color blind by race. Another poll by the Pew Research Center found that 56% of people said black “lowers your chances of success” in the United States. These two outcomes cannot coexist peacefully, that is, racially color blindness in a society that still discriminates on the basis of race slows the progression of ending racism. Here are some ways to change the mindset of color blind people and embrace the practice of active alliance.
Recognize the historical influence of race in America
The Psychological Science Association defines racial color blindness as “the belief that membership in a racial group should not be taken into account, or even noticed – as a strategy for managing diversity and intergroup relationships.” This ideology arose within the Civil Rights Movement as a result of a misunderstood reaction to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech . Dr. King looks into a world where people are “judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” This statement was not presented to encourage rejection of race, but rather as a call to action: Dr. King asked all of us to do the job of eliminating racial bias and discrimination in our country and in our own perceptions.
To achieve what Dr. King suggested, we must turn to the race at its core, not live as if it has no meaning or consequences. Colored people are reminded of their race all the time. Personal example: When I was an intern at a well-known theater company, a human resources representative mistakenly passed my letter of internship to another black woman who had worked full-time at the institution for many years. The company’s mistake only reinforced the stereotype that all black people are alike. While the oversight was theoretically minor and easy to fix, our identity as employees was questioned and our morale dropped.
In truth, racial color blindness benefits only those who have the privilege of not thinking about race in their daily lives. Those who are unlikely to be discriminated against can afford the luxury of buying or renting houses, walking into stores, or interacting with law enforcement, regardless of their skin color. As Monnica T. Williams, Ph.D. notes in Psychology Today , “[c] blindness creates a society that denies the negative racial experiences of [people of color], rejects their cultural heritage, and negates their unique views.”
Without critical discussion of this issue, micro-aggression and racist systems will persist.
Understand the consequences of racial color blindness
After his survey at Ohio State University, Mazzocco suggested that there are four types of racially color blind people in the United States:
- Protectionist (high prejudice, low awareness): They believe that interracial inequality is minimal, or that it is the fault of a minority culture. They will likely say that minorities who complain of abuse are “playing the racial card.”
- Egalitarian (low prejudice, low awareness): They want racial justice and think they have largely achieved it. As a result, they feel that it is no longer necessary to discuss racial issues.
- Antagonistic (strong bias, high awareness): They know that there is a problem with racial justice, but they are comfortable with it because they believe it is their privilege as whites to be loved in society. They insincerely use claims of color blindness to counter programs like affirmative action, saying that government policy should not favor one race.
- Visionary (low bias, high awareness): They agree that there is a racial justice issue and believe the way to overcome it is to stop emphasizing racial boundaries and differences and focus primarily on what people have in common.
These descriptions detail behavior that is detrimental to the establishment of true racial equality. An egalitarian approach denies all parties the opportunity for discussion that could help redress systemic racial injustice, while an antagonistic approach can erase all our gains.
Engage in anti-racist activities instead
Instead of giving up on the idea of race, acknowledge your privileges and use your knowledge to create an anti-racist environment. Learn the history of racially motivated abuse in this country. Analyze situations in which you may have been involved that made someone of another race feel uncomfortable, and learn to resist and change harmful behaviors and ways of thinking. If you choose not to “see” the alien race, you may be ignoring the way you hurt them. Admitting these facts is not an accusation – the Jostle blog provides an outline of the major racist systems in which you might be involved without even knowing it. Study micro- and macroaggressions and correctly assess their own implicit biases, and do the job of undoing them.
Racism is unacceptable, so make sure it is recognized where it occurs. Anti-racism openly recognizes the race and history of racism in this country, but is ineffective if it is not a conscious practice. There are several resources to help you get involved in anti-racism work. Hollaback Organization ! offers seminars and trainings on bystander intervention . You can learn how to intervene when a hate crime occurs and how to keep people of color alive. Anti-racism work is not only about participating in a group or participating in a rally (although doing so does help). Anti-racism can start by changing your mindset, becoming aware of your own and others’ actions, and learning how to be an effective ally.
As explained in Ibrahm X Candy’s book How to Become Anti-racist, just because you believe you are “not racist” does not mean that you are making an effort to end racism. Candy provides tools for anti-racist work, including in the book’s tutorial , in which the author notes that “he argues that in order to be anti-racist, all forms of bigotry must be resisted. Why is confronting other fanatics so important to fighting racism? »The book will set you on the right path to recognizing the reality of race while actively combating racism.