Irrational fears, the fear that all blacks are all up to know good.
A color blind society is what we have in America today, and below Stephen Colbert slams this form of racism.
Color blindness is the new racism - certainly you jest NFTOS?
You know the old adage:
I’m not racist but …
I wouldn't pick one up in my cab
I wouldn't want my daughter to marry one
I wouldn't rent my flat to one
I wouldn't employ one
[check out Anita Heiss book "I'm Not Racist, But....]
Stephen Colbert. Video courtesy of Comedy Central.
Why are there such different understandings of the "difference that race makes?" It is partly due to the fact that many Americans - especially white Americans - are deeply invested in the idea that individuals (or groups of individuals) are solely responsible for their own success or failure, and thus they attribute success or failure solely to a person's "effort," "culture," or "values." Perhaps if all Americans were to engage in a more concrete, historically informed discussion about "opportunity" and "achievement" in the U.S., including the role that institutions have played (and continue to play) in shaping people's lives, we might have a very different understanding of "race" and its implications.
There are various shades of "color" in our country, and they must all be kept in perspective, none at the expense of the other, if we want to address seriously the question of how to be an equitable society today, it will almost certainly be difficult one, and it will require effort, awareness, and responsibility. We can not afford to be "colorblind." We need to develop our ability to see "color" for what is, has been, and will be, so we're prepared to deal with its consequences.
Are we ready for a colorblind society? Only if we are ready to deny responsibility for racism.
NFTOS
Editor-In-Chief
Roger West
