Saying you're "color blind" in reference to race is now sometimes getting interpreted as a bigoted thing to say, and I really don't think that's fair.
Let me carve out a big exception right away. I think many genuinely racist people say they are "color blind" and "don't care one way or another what race a person is," and then proceed to say outwardly bigoted things that totally override their claim of "color blindness" (and they are often accompanied by a large "Tucker Carlson Tonight" banner). In these instances, saying you're "color blind" is really just a lie. Let's not make it more complicated than that. The person is just being blatantly dishonest about their racism with you and I don't really want to talk about this scenario any further.
The more fruitful scenario I want to talk about is when a genuinely non-racist person says they are color blind and gets hit back with a response of, "Just being 'color blind' isn't good enough. You have to be actively anti-racist."
And I totally get the genesis of that response. We live in a country where discrimination and unconscious bias still permeate through nearly ever part of society, and as long as that's true, we need to continue acknowledging these disparities as a means to helping overcome them. Social justice has to be fought for, not just waded into over time.
But I also find it hard to say being genuinely color blind "isn't enough." Because being color blind is still the end goal. Sure, you're not doing anything to actively change the perspective or behaviors of other Americans or institutions, but I think as long as you're genuinely not racist, you're in the "Solution" side of the column. You're doing your part. Could you do more? Yes. Should you do more? Probably. But am I going to shame you for "just being color blind"? No.
Because let's remember: there's still a lot of active racists in the country. Genuine bigots roaming around in their natural habitat of [insert Southern state name here]. One theme that comes up a lot in my writing here is how I think people tend to over-criticize people who did something but could have done more and under-criticize people who could have done something but did nothing at all. This is another perfect example. The color blind people are not the problem. The actual racists are the problem. And while we all are pointing fingers at each other arguing whether each of us is anti-racist or only color blind, there are other people who are actively denying Black people housing loans or open job positions based on their race alone. And they're the enemy.
We're in this sort of death spiral notion that until every single American is genuinely color blind, nobody can be color blind. And I totally understand and even support this sentiment. But I still can't help but feel we're mislabeling the enemy a bit by saying that.
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