color blind?
I wanted to share some powerful and compelling words about racism from an article (by Derald Wing Sue) I’m reading for class. I’d love to hear any thoughts you all might have about this. The only rule for the comment section on this (and any) topic is KINDNESS (and as much humility as you can access)…
“‘HOW WE VIEW THE WORLD IS NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT WE SEE, BUT ABOUT WHAT WE DO NOT SEE.’”
“White men occupy approximately…
80% of tenured positions in higher education and
92% of the Forbes 400 executive/CEO–level positions
White men constitute…
80% of the House of Representatives,
84% of the U.S. Senate,
99% of athletic team owners,
and [until this year] 100% of U.S. Presidents…
These statistics are even more disturbing when one sees that White men comprise only 33% of the U.S. population! Where, I ask, are the persons of color, and where are the women? If one assumes that people of color and women are equally capable and qualified, the disparity can only be caused by an uneven playing field favoring White men…
In my research on the causes and effects of bias and discrimination, I have come to realize that color blindness uses “Whiteness” to mimic the norms of fairness, justice, and equality by “whiting” out differences. It is a default key that perpetuates the belief in sameness and equality. In essence, color blindness is really a denial of differences. A denial of differences is really a denial of the unfair power imbalance that exists in society. A denial of power imbalance allows Whites to deny their unearned privilege and advantage in society. And by couching racial discrimination in the rhetoric of equal treatment and opportunity, White Americans perpetuate the false illusion that equality exists and that they serve no role in the oppression of others.
In my work on racism awareness training, I have come to realize that many of my White students pretend not to see color because, whether consciously or unconsciously, they are motivated by the need to appear unbiased and by fears that what they say or do may appear racist. Whether knowingly or not, color blindness allows Whites to deny the experiential reality of minorities by minimizing the effects of racism and discrimination in their day-to-day lives. It further allows many Whites to deny how they benefit from their own Whiteness and how their Whiteness intrudes upon persons of color.”
I wonder what we will choose to see.
“‘HOW WE VIEW THE WORLD IS NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT WE SEE, BUT ABOUT WHAT WE DO NOT SEE.’”
“White men occupy approximately…
80% of tenured positions in higher education and
92% of the Forbes 400 executive/CEO–level positions
White men constitute…
80% of the House of Representatives,
84% of the U.S. Senate,
99% of athletic team owners,
and [until this year] 100% of U.S. Presidents…
These statistics are even more disturbing when one sees that White men comprise only 33% of the U.S. population! Where, I ask, are the persons of color, and where are the women? If one assumes that people of color and women are equally capable and qualified, the disparity can only be caused by an uneven playing field favoring White men…
In my research on the causes and effects of bias and discrimination, I have come to realize that color blindness uses “Whiteness” to mimic the norms of fairness, justice, and equality by “whiting” out differences. It is a default key that perpetuates the belief in sameness and equality. In essence, color blindness is really a denial of differences. A denial of differences is really a denial of the unfair power imbalance that exists in society. A denial of power imbalance allows Whites to deny their unearned privilege and advantage in society. And by couching racial discrimination in the rhetoric of equal treatment and opportunity, White Americans perpetuate the false illusion that equality exists and that they serve no role in the oppression of others.
In my work on racism awareness training, I have come to realize that many of my White students pretend not to see color because, whether consciously or unconsciously, they are motivated by the need to appear unbiased and by fears that what they say or do may appear racist. Whether knowingly or not, color blindness allows Whites to deny the experiential reality of minorities by minimizing the effects of racism and discrimination in their day-to-day lives. It further allows many Whites to deny how they benefit from their own Whiteness and how their Whiteness intrudes upon persons of color.”
I wonder what we will choose to see.
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