The political incorrectness of being “color-blind”

January 21, 2025

color-blindFair warning: You might consider this post politically incorrect.

My doctor’s longtime assistant was preparing to give me a flu shot as we chatted away about a million things, including a trip she was taking to the islands. She’d just gotten a head full of braids for the trip and looked just gorgeous. I’ve known her for years and we do chatter away on my visits. But once I saw the braids, I almost joked “Are you Black or is this just cultural appropriation?”

First, I’ll point out that I have a lot to say about cultural appropriation, but that’s for another time. What stood out to me at that moment, though, was the fact that I really didn’t know her race. Not only did I not know it, her race had never registered with me.

In this situation, I was truly color-blind.

Is this even possible?

Her skin i a beautiful brown and her hair curly, but race had never entered my consciousness. Why was that? Could it be because I knew her outside of any social or political context?

As I looked at her braids, I now saw that she could be any race at all.

Hold that thought.

Is color blindness racist?

This idea of color blindness is controversial. Some say when people claim to be “color-blind”, it makes people blind to racism, allowing us to avoid its realities.

I think that fails to give us credit for being able to hold both concepts at the same time. To understand racism and also not notice race. Some of us, anyway.

But there can be a bigger criticism: Quoting Heather McGhee: “Some see it as a form of racial denial that took one of the aspirations of the civil rights movement — that individuals would one day “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” — and stripped it from any consideration of power, hierarchy or structure….

…The moral logic and social appeal of color blindness is clear, and many well-meaning people have embraced it. But when it’s put into practice in a still-racist world, the result is more racism.

Well, maybe that’s true. I don’t know.

All I can tell you is that for the first time in my life I experienced a special aha! moment. I knew what it felt like to recognize that someone’s race was clearly not a factor in an interaction. In that moment, I was truly color-blind.

I’m not denying racism or that it’s a racist world, institutionally, socially and in every other way. I understand that. I don’t deny it or deny white privilege. I just had a glimpse of a different world and it was powerful. So powerful it was notable.

That doesn’t mean I want our policies to be based on the idea that everyone is color-blind. They’re not.

But it IS possible to be color-blind in any interaction. I know this because it happened to me.

What about age-blindness?

My bestie is 95. And while I tease her about her age, I just don’t see her as old. As far as my interactions with her go, we are peers. This, despite that she is almost 20 years older than I.

Here’s the point. It’s a powerful thing to take in someone holistically. To not see the demographics or any of the things that separate us. To only see their totality based on the things that bring us together.

For me, in my doctor’s office, it was about the other person’s upcoming trip and her beautiful braids. For my bestie it’s about our common love of writing and our long shared history.

Our world is confusing

I’ve seen people in my city suggest that homeless people should be harmed to scare them off. A political candidate who humiliates and mocks people to make himself look bigger and crowds that cheer that behavior on. Our world is confusing. People can not be trusted to act nicely. So much of humankind is savage, brutal and just plain unkind. There’s a pervasive lack of compassion in our society. A knee-jerk tendency to act out of fear.

But as far as I am concerned, in my personal life I want to focus on our commonalities. On the ways all humans are similar. On what brings us together, not what pulls us apart.

And if you have a problem with that?

Too bad.

10 comments on “The political incorrectness of being “color-blind”
  1. Laurie Stone says:

    Such an interesting issue. I’d love to see a world where differences are celebrated, but alas, we are not in that world at all, especially now.

  2. Mona Andrei says:

    Well said! I’ve heard people say that they don’t feel seen when people don’t acknowledge their race. And while I appreciate everyone for their individuality – whether it be their race, culture, or even diet – I’m like you. I focus on what we have in common while AT THE SAME TIME appreciating them for our differences.

  3. Donna says:

    I raised my children to be color blind. I thought it was right then and I feel that way now.
    The result has been a diversity of friends which they love and their children benefit from. This works for me. As for cultural appropriating isn’t that what influencers are? The fact your friend wanted cornrows means she was looking forward to going to the beach and cornrows are perfect for easy care. Plus they look amazing. That’s all.

    • You raised your children to appreciate all cultures and diverse peoples, but “color-blind” is something else entirely, and therein lies the controversy. That is a nuance that has little to do with diversity.

      Also not sure I get how influencers are defined by cultural appropriation. Influencers are actually marketing people who sell products and sometimes thoughts. But. mostly products/services. That’s how they make their living. So not sure I understand the connection.

      I do have thoughts about cultural appropriation to share one day. The fact that my friend had braids was likely culturally appropriate for her as well as being fun beach hair. (I think it takes a while to do them so not that easy!) There’s a lot to say on that topic!

  4. Meryl says:

    Great post, Carol. All wee stated and food for thought.

  5. Rita says:

    Nice job. Thanks for doing the round-up while you’re on vacation. Your vacation sounds wonderful. I wish I was there. But, wouldn’t it be nice if you could just transport yourself someplace and didn’t have to go to the trouble of traveling there.

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  1. […] t’s a difficult subject, but this week Carol Cassara is addressing it on her blog, The Political Incorrectness of Being Color Blind. […]

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