Thoughts on Colorblind Ideology

The following reflections are in reference to the article Colorblind Ideology is a Form of Racism by Monnica Williams Ph.D., posted on the Psychology Today website.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/colorblind/201112/colorblind-ideology-is-form-racism
What are your views on Colorblind Ideology?
Views of Margo Isabel
Colorblindness is a very difficult concept to understand if you spend most of your day in a White majority community, and potentially live in a white majority neighborhood.  Accepting or rejecting colorblind ideology, I believe, depends on your experiences engaging with difference. The stance I take on colorblindness is a professional and personal one – one that reflects my view as an educator and as a white woman, who throughout her life, has been actively engaged with multiple ways of viewing and experiencing the world. The article above on colorblind ideology from Psychology Today defines Colorblindness as: “… 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.” In my view colorblindness is both disrespectful and unresponsive to the individual and collective needs of those who form a community. By being blind to ones color, culture, ethnicity, ability, disability, gender, or sexuality, we are ignoring an important part of a persons identity. By ignoring community members’ identities, those individuals may feel invisible, misunderstood, and sometimes rejected. This sense of exclusion, especially in adolescents, can be very damaging to their self-identity, which ultimately leads to an array of problems for the individuals as well as for the community. Many times these problems remain invisible, although they are fermenting under the surface. A true inclusive and culturally responsive community rejects colorblind ideology.  Those who support a colorblind mentality unintentionally alienate many members of the community. These individuals leave, rebel or silently suffer.We are a school family. We are not treated equally, nor should we be. We lead differently; we teach differently; and we learn differently. We are trained, guided, and supported as we explore and experiment with different pedagogical tools and methodologies. We are expected to differentiate and meet the needs of a vast range of intellectual and cognitive abilities.  However, are we trained, guided and expected to represent, lead, engage, and expose one another to multiple perspectives and worldviews? Some may say yes; some may say no; others are unsure – it remains a grey area. We are a diverse school family – we need to work together to ensure that all individuals feel like true members, and not as guests in our school home.  Our students will not enter a colorblind society – preparing them to enter a diverse society should be intentional; it should be part of our curriculum, program, traditions and professional preparation. Thoughts on Colorblind Ideology
Views of Barry L. Davis - friend and colleague 
“Can’t we just get over this race thing?” “Why do you guys always bring this up?” “I have friends who are (place the appropriate color here), and they don’t always talk about race, they’ve moved on, why don’t you?” These are all questions that I have heard recently, leading me to believe that the Pink Elephant in the room is still race.  When I hear these comments, or people say that they are colorblind, I feel invisible. The one aspect of who I am that has impacted my entire life is being dismissed. I was black first. If I were left on the street of Harlem when I was born, those who found me would say they had found a black male.

When I hear people say that they don’t see race or they have a colorblind ideology, I can only hope that they really mean something else. Perhaps they mean that they see and appreciate race, and don’t see it as a negative thing. However, in my heart I believe a colorblind viewpoint to be a copout, a way to say,  “move on, we’re over this?” I have never heard a person of color say that they do not see color. Color is such a large part of our daily existence, especially living in an environment where we are the minority. To ignore my color is hurtful. It shows me that you don’t understand, see, or appreciate part of who I am.
As is mentioned in the article, as long as blind means not being able to see something, colorblindness can only be seen in a negative light. In the article, multiculturalism is suggested as a remedy or alternative to colorblindness. I see this as just another way to minimize the importance of race and color, a way to peacefully include color into the diversity dialog. In the end, it still minimizes who we are, as well as our history and experience in society.

The Can Man

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 Post Three of series  “It is not enough to be compassionate, you must act.”14th Dalai Lama

The Can Man by Laura Williams

I think back to my childhood, the frequent visits to New York City, and the can men and bag ladies. I watched them, was a bit fascinated by their lives. I did not quite understand; I don’t remember asking, and I don’t remember receiving an explanation. I did know that they were “poor,” possibly did not have a home, and needed those can deposits to survive and those bags to protect their sole possessions. That is all I knew….would it have been helpful as an 8 year old or 14 year old to know more?  Why were they poor? What causes poverty? As I reflect back, I must say YES, I wish when I was young I had had the opportunity to explore at a deeper level what it means to be poor in the U.S.A. Perhaps this would have led me to DO something about it. Through this story, there are many important themes that could be explored with elementary school children. It is important as teachers to step out of our comfort zone and not solely stick to the easier themes of the book. If we don’t dig deeper into the tough themes, will these future adults have the same questions that I did, and will we have lost an opportunity to encourage young children to begin to understand the need for systematic changes in our society. Which of these themes do you think is the easiest? Are you willing to explore the most difficult one?

THEME 1: Who are the poor in our nation and how did they get there? Understanding the Can Man’s story will help students realize that anyone can walk in his shoes. That many times the circumstances of life lead to poverty no matter how well prepared and hard working you are. Let’s work to break the stereotypes and misconceptions that surround poverty.

THEME 2: What do we need vs. what do we want?  In my immediate environment, our children/students feel they “need” everything. They need an iPhone, car at 16, the most recent style of Nike shoes, or a pre-ordered copy of the latest book of the Harry Potter series. How do we help children understand the difference between needs and wants? What are true needs and why are they not easily met? Through the story Tim realizes that a skateboard is not a need but a want.

THEME 3: How do relationships and direct experiences help us to understand different perspectives? Do we encourage our students and children to develop relationships with people from all walks of life?  It is the relationship that Tim had with the Can Man that led him to empathize with him and to understand where he was coming from.