Colorblindness is the racial ideology that posits the best way to end discrimination is by treating individuals as equally as possible, without regard to race, culture, or ethnicity (Williams, 2011).
This belief amounts to a dismissal of the lived experiences of people of color and also suggests that racism does not exist so long as one ignores it.
Within the context of enduring structural and systematic racism, racial colorblindness serves as a device to disengage from conversations of race and racism entirely. (Asare, 2017)
Why Colorblindness Acts to Perpetuates Racism (Camp Kupugani, 2020)
The word "blind" means not being able to see. This means that in terms of racial colorblindness, a person is also choosing to not just see race or skin color, but also the racial disparities, inequities, history of violence, and current trauma perpetuated within a racist society
BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) will explain that race and ethnicity does matter, as it affects opportunities, perceptions, income, and so much more. A BIPOC person cannot remove their skin color and racial identity. It is something they see and live with every day.
When race-related problems arise, colorblindness tends to individualize conflicts and shortcomings, rather than examining the larger picture with cultural differences, stereotypes, and values placed into context.
A colorblind approach allows us to deny uncomfortable cultural differences.
In a colorblind society, White people, who are unlikely to experience disadvantages due to race, can effectively ignore racism in American life, justify the current social order, and feel more comfortable with their relatively privileged standing in society.
What Does Color Racial Colorblindness Look Like?
#AllLivesMatter