Why "Colorblindness" is Harmful to Anti-Racism Efforts

Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks,?said?at a town-hall event on Tuesday night that he doesn’t see color when it comes to race. Schultz indicated that “as somebody who grew up in a very diverse background as a young boy in the projects, I didn’t see color as a young boy and I honestly don’t see color now.” Schultz?hails?from Brooklyn, New York growing up in housing projects in Canarsie. Schultz, who is a?possible contender?for the 2020 presidential race, likely used the phrase “I don’t see color” to explain that he is not prejudiced and embraces diversity. What many people do not understand is that the mantra is quite problematic to diversity and inclusion efforts. The idea of not seeing skin-color is nice in theory, but in actuality it’s inaccurate. Anyone who is able to see can discern and recognize one skin color from the next. To say you don’t see color is a misnomer. How can you possibly fix something that you don’t believe you actually see? If you are conducting training to help individuals move past their racial biases, it’s important to understand that the goal is?not?to be color-blind. The goal is actually to see and recognize skin color but to control and regulate your innate impulse to make decisions based on such characteristics. Being able to first recognize this is critical. We all see color. To say one doesn’t is just not accurate. We have to first, recognize that each of us, no matter our color, have preconceived notions and expectations about different racial groups. Recognition and acknowledgment are crucial.

Last week, Liam Neeson shared his experience of coming to this realization while promoting his new film “Cold Pursuit.” Neeson?indicated?that when he was informed by a close female friend that she was raped by a Black man, he went on a mission to find a Black person to exert his revenge on. Neeson explained in the?interview?that he had to come to the realization that this mindset of hate was absolutely asinine. Whether or not Neeson has evolved past his former transgressions is difficult to gauge for those who do not know Neeson on a personal level, however in order to begin the evolution past racist ideology, one has to first recognize their limiting beliefs and the generalizations they hold about other groups. Adopting the mindset that these blatantly obvious characteristics of each person hold no basis and don’t affect our behaviors is not digging at the deeper issue. It is okay to see color; however, decision-making should not be based on such characteristics.

Another reason why this phrase is counterproductive is that it diminishes the unique differences and experiences racial groups face. Each of us is different and by saying that one of the most obvious and conspicuous characteristics about a person is something you ignore is dismissive and trivializing. Ideally, we would live in a utopian society where there were rainbows and butterflies and skin color was not a factor in our decision-making, but the unfortunate reality is that it is. Racism has not been eradicated but rather has changed and become more covert and insidious. Recent incidents at?Yale,?CVS, and?Starbucks, to name a few, have shown us that skin color is not something that is easily forgotten or ignored. Accepting this reality will allow each of us to not only recognize the stereotypes we have adopted and normalized but to also make conscious steps towards changing them.?Research?indicates that most people hold some sort of racial bias. If we want to deconstruct a system of power and privilege based on skin color, important discussions about the deep-seated racial bias that each of us holds must be addressed. It is also important to recognize and understand that people of color can hold negative stereotypes about the dominant group but can also internalize the stereotypes of their own group. When aiming to have productive discussions about race in our society, acknowledgment and acceptance of our own biases and prejudice is a powerful catalyst to change. Saying you don’t see color disregards the privilege and power of the dominant racial group of society, therefore diminishing feelings of bias, prejudice, and racism experienced by people of color. We need to abolish the idea that a colorblind society is the goal and learn to recognize our prejudice and biases in order to strengthen our decision-making capabilities.

This article was originally published in Forbes in February 2019.

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