Now, let's explore the effects of colorblindness on black people and people of color. Also, let's examine the historical and legal origins of colorblindness in the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson.

Historical Basis

Let’s turn to a video in which constitutional law professor Patrick Shin outlines the historical basis for colorblindness. Professor Shin discusses Justice Harlan’s dissenting opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson specifically.  

Key Points

The video discusses how "colorblind" frameworks perpetuate systemic racism by denying the significance of race in shaping individual and collective experiences. The concept of colorblindness often masks the existence of racial inequalities, making it harder to address systemic issues like discrimination, access disparities, and social inequities.

It was argued that while colorblindness might seem inclusive, it effectively erases the cultural and historical contexts that inform racial identity and ignores the structural barriers faced by marginalized groups. By failing to acknowledge race, colorblind policies and attitudes can reinforce the very systems they claim to oppose, as they prevent targeted interventions to address racial disparities.

Quiz

I hope the quiz on Justice Harlan and colorblindness deepened your learning and understanding on the concept of colorblindness. It is important for us to note that saying “we do not see color” or any other difference, is a choice each of us makes – consciously and unconsciously. Many times, it is the biases we hold that we have learned and inherited about our relationship with difference that drives how we either affirm and celebrate or dismiss and deny those differences in others.