A Colorblind World
Introduction:
Racial issues are often uncomfortable to discuss due to the controversy and turmoil sparked between two or more parties. At its face value, colorblindness may seem like it is a good thing, however, it is the very thing that is limiting our attention from problematic situations. Here in the 21st century we can all agree that racism, discrimination of any kind, or bigotry is fallacious and unacceptable. There are many ideas that have been constructed to address the issues on race relations here in the United States. The newest tactic relies on colorblindness. Colorblindness, is a noun that has several meanings that vary based of it contexts. It could mean a vision deficiency, which is the decreased ability to see color or differences in color. This definition refers to the complete inability to distinguish colors of the spectrum. To the naked eye, objects only appear as shades of gray, black, and white, while the shades may vary depending on lightness and darkness. Color blindness, in a cultural context, can also be referred to as race blindness. This is a sociological term indicates the disregard of racial characteristics when making a conscious or unconscious decision. Typically, color-blind operations such employment, including: hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, trainings or benefits use no racial data or profiling and make no classifications, categorizations, or distinctions based upon race. It was because of those that chose to be colorblind, the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude” (library of Congress). Although the amendment was ratified in 1870, it still took decades for all states to recognize and obey the law. Almost forty years later the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, also known as the NAACP, was formed to ensure the “political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination” (NAACP.org). The NAACP stands today as the nation’s oldest, largest and most widely recognized civil rights organization.
January 2009, President Barack Obama signed his first piece of legislation into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This bill on wage discrimination had been on the NAACP’s priority list since 2007 when the US Supreme Court handed down the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company.
The shift towards inclusiveness is what we as Americans seek regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Colorblindness is another way to politely turn a blind eye to a situation that needs you at the front and center. Difference such as economic or political ones may very well be the source of how to you can shape the conversation.
16 July 2009 President Obama addressed the NAACP for their 100th anniversary centennial convention in New York City.
With many notable figures present, NAACP leaders from across the country journeyed to New York – a city filled with historical civil rights moments beginning with the foundation of the NAACP. This speech signified: the presence and impact the NAACP has made over the last 100 years, the difference made when those with power hold themselves to a higher standard to fight for things that may often be controversial or cause turmoil, and the work that we as Americans must continue to do. The President begins his speech by saying, “what we celebrate tonight is not simply the journey the NAACP has traveled, but the journey that we as Americans have traveled over the past one hundred years”. By acknowledging that the speech was not entirely for those that are part of NAACP or have any affiliations with the organization, the President allowed the conversation to spread among all Americans. He does this knowing that those in that room alone cannot fix the conversation on colorblindness. Obamas call to action rhetoric speaks to every minority and majority by providing steps on how to acquire change in the world. Here in America, change derives from its people, the very citizens he says “that protested lynching, rallied against violence, and walked instead of taking the bus”. These are the people that must have the same drive and sense of urgency and recognize that many conflicts are dealt with differently due to a person’s race, color, or ethnicity. It’s being “color conscious” that will help not only help strengthen the conversation on race but it will also help bridge the barriers that still remain.
The NAACP takes the approach on being color conscious. They do this by ensuring “the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination” as stated in their mission statement (NAACP.org). In the early 1900’s “white liberals that included Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard, both the descendants of abolitionists, William English Walling and Dr. Henry Moscowitz issued a call for a meeting to discuss racial justice” (NAACP.org). They chose to be color conscious by familiarizing themselves with the racial injustices African Americans faced. They used their platform and voice along with many other prominent black figures such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrel to foster growth while eliminating race prejudice. Many of these figures are discussed in Obamas address to the NAACP where he says, people like W. E. B Du Bois and those mentioned are “reformers united, not by color but cause”.