Is the Emphasis on a Color-Blind Society an Answer to Racism?Essay Preview: Is the Emphasis on a Color-Blind Society an Answer to Racism?Report this essayIs the emphasis on a Color-Blind Society an Answer to Racism?Racism is a topic that has always been controversial for a countless number of years. It has been a serious topic since the beginning of America. Everyone has been a victim of racism at least one time in their life; no matter what race they may be. But what is racism? Racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that ones own race is superior and has the right to rule others. People have been trying to find a “cure” to racism for a very long time. “What is the answer to racism?” is a question that is asked a lot. Some people say that a color-blind society is the answer.
I have found many other things about how much we love and use the word “racism” that I like and that is most certainly untrue. The term was originally coined in 1932, a few years after the Nazis seized power in Germany. And today, “racism” is a modern-day version of “White-supremacist,” the term that has come to mean any attempt to destroy racial groups or ideologies. Racism and the term are frequently conflated. But this is not the case. Racism is, in fact, a deeply personal issue, one that often leads people to believe that “racism” is an entirely unimportant issue, one that is all of a sudden and always going to be seen as part, or not part, of their identity. This belief is often seen as based on a perception of a group (eg, white folks) as having very little or no influence in the life of the individual. Yet, this kind of “ideology” is still seen to be somewhat significant to some. Here is an example, one that I found and read over a thousand times, from a variety of sources:There are several reasons for the belief in the superiority of white people:1) White people don’t really have as much control over blacks, and the average adult male controls about 30 percent of the population2) White people are often very ignorant of the differences in IQs among the various races (i.e., the average IQ is usually below 30). And, finally, there are a number of common themes being tossed around about the subject of race and privilege that many Whites feel are wrongheaded. These are: White people are lazy and stupid, and have no real social knowledge; they have an extremely low standard of living; they have low social abilities, or are just not able to cope with their own issues; they live in “boredom” (think of all the time and space wasted on garbage, including the time they spent with their children or grandchildren, rather than on their own business); they are poor, miserable, lazy and even very racist2). The social aspects of our society as a whole are not quite as common, and people usually have only an instinctive “to” to the issues posed by an individual individual. A “white” individual will believe that there should be some group that behaves like “the rest” and “that thinks like the rest” and some group that acts like “the rest” and does not (i.e., acts as if everyone else is doing this to them!). This individual will believe that racism is the root of all of all bad things. It is so. Some people are just as hard of a liar as others, but the very feeling of racism or a “white” privilege is what fuels all good feelings, and that’s what makes it so frustrating to the majority of humans.The truth is, despite the strong support from our mainstream media, no matter what their race is and who they are, and despite their common sense about how to navigate such situations, whites have a hard time imagining that they are anything like that. And while we may be willing to admit that, for the vast majority, racism is bad, we still tend to believe it. We still believe our ancestors were more fortunate than others, but we also believe there is a lot we could have done much better and we should have done more. Because we tend to place our faith in the idea that we are a different type of person, we tend to
I have found many other things about how much we love and use the word “racism” that I like and that is most certainly untrue. The term was originally coined in 1932, a few years after the Nazis seized power in Germany. And today, “racism” is a modern-day version of “White-supremacist,” the term that has come to mean any attempt to destroy racial groups or ideologies. Racism and the term are frequently conflated. But this is not the case. Racism is, in fact, a deeply personal issue, one that often leads people to believe that “racism” is an entirely unimportant issue, one that is all of a sudden and always going to be seen as part, or not part, of their identity. This belief is often seen as based on a perception of a group (eg, white folks) as having very little or no influence in the life of the individual. Yet, this kind of “ideology” is still seen to be somewhat significant to some. Here is an example, one that I found and read over a thousand times, from a variety of sources:There are several reasons for the belief in the superiority of white people:1) White people don’t really have as much control over blacks, and the average adult male controls about 30 percent of the population2) White people are often very ignorant of the differences in IQs among the various races (i.e., the average IQ is usually below 30). And, finally, there are a number of common themes being tossed around about the subject of race and privilege that many Whites feel are wrongheaded. These are: White people are lazy and stupid, and have no real social knowledge; they have an extremely low standard of living; they have low social abilities, or are just not able to cope with their own issues; they live in “boredom” (think of all the time and space wasted on garbage, including the time they spent with their children or grandchildren, rather than on their own business); they are poor, miserable, lazy and even very racist2). The social aspects of our society as a whole are not quite as common, and people usually have only an instinctive “to” to the issues posed by an individual individual. A “white” individual will believe that there should be some group that behaves like “the rest” and “that thinks like the rest” and some group that acts like “the rest” and does not (i.e., acts as if everyone else is doing this to them!). This individual will believe that racism is the root of all of all bad things. It is so. Some people are just as hard of a liar as others, but the very feeling of racism or a “white” privilege is what fuels all good feelings, and that’s what makes it so frustrating to the majority of humans.The truth is, despite the strong support from our mainstream media, no matter what their race is and who they are, and despite their common sense about how to navigate such situations, whites have a hard time imagining that they are anything like that. And while we may be willing to admit that, for the vast majority, racism is bad, we still tend to believe it. We still believe our ancestors were more fortunate than others, but we also believe there is a lot we could have done much better and we should have done more. Because we tend to place our faith in the idea that we are a different type of person, we tend to
I dont think that emphasis on a color-blind society is the answer to racism. The main reason is because society has never been color-blind. For hundreds of years, America has treated race as if it is the most important thing about a person. Race was the main focus in the slave trade, slavery, and the civil rights years. Sadly, race is still the main focus today as well. Being color-blind is something that America has never done so it would be nearly impossible to put emphasis on it. Trying to make America color-blind is like trying to get a cat to bark. It is absolutely ludicrous to try to use color-blindness to stop racism. America doesnt even know what being color-blind entails. It would be extremely difficult for our society to become color-blind. All we know is judging people by color because it has been that way since day one. I can proudly say that society has come a long way when it comes to racism. The civil rights movement helped end the segregation and earn all rights for African-Americans.
Saying, lets just be color-blind, is a way of brushing the root of the problem under the blanket. Society is structured in a way that puts certain groups in hierarchies above one another. Racial oppression is not solved by refusing to acknowledge its existence.
Racism is a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that ones own race is superior and has the right to rule others. Racism has been a massive factor in the world since the 1700s. Many people have tried to find solutions for racism throughout the years but have failed. While some areas maybe racism free, others are filled with both hatred and discrimination due to the color of peoples skin. It is said that a color-blind society is the answer to racism. Implementing a color blind society will not solve the racism problem and will only bring a rise to social issues.
In a color blind society there is still “black and white”, rich and poor, small and big. Racism is about way more than the color of someones skin.