Beyond Colorblindness: Why "Not Seeing Race" Falls Short

What is Racial Colorblindness and Why Does It Matter?

"I don’t see color; I treat everyone the same." For years, many well-meaning white Americans – especially white women – have heard or said some version of this. This concept of racial colorblindness grew from an ideal of equality. For many well-meaning white women, the thinking has been: if we just stop focusing on race, maybe racism will go away. It’s often rooted in a genuine desire to create a better, more unified world. There’s a belief that if we focus on what makes us the same instead of what makes us different, we can create harmony. It’s kind of like a version of toxic positivity—if we don’t talk about the negative stuff, we can just focus on the good. But the truth is, when we ignore the hard stuff—like racism, bias, and tension—it doesn’t actually go away. It just stays buried beneath the surface, unaddressed and unresolved. In this post, we’ll dig into the history of colorblind ideology, why it’s problematic, and how we, as white women, can move beyond it toward more genuine allyship.

A Brief History of Colorblind Ideology

The idea of a “colorblind” approach to race has a long (and complicated) history in American life. One early reference comes from Justice John Marshall Harlan’s famous dissent in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – the case that upheld racial segregation. Harlan wrote, "Our Constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens." At the time, this was a radical call for equality under the law. His words planted a seed: the notion that true justice means treating everyone the same regardless of race.

Fast forward to the Civil Rights Movement, and that seed began to blossom. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech gave this idea its most famous line: "not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Many white followers of King interpreted his words as an endorsement of a colorblind ideal. But after the legal victories against segregation, the meaning of colorblindness began to shift. By the 1970s and 1980s, opponents of affirmative action started using "colorblindness" as a rallying cry. What had once been a progressive ideal (treat all races equally under law) was co-opted by conservatives to argue against programs designed to address racial inequality.

This shift continued. After Barack Obama was elected, there was popular talk of a "post-racial" America. Many assumed we had finally moved beyond race. But racial disparities and the resurgence of white nationalist rhetoric soon proved that simply declaring ourselves colorblind didn’t make racism disappear.

The Harmful Impact of Ignoring Race

On the surface, treating everyone "the same" sounds fair. Who wouldn’t want a world free of racial bias? The problem is, we don’t live in that world yet. Racial colorblindness in practice often means ignoring the very real inequities and barriers that affect people of different races. It’s a mindset that says, "If I don’t talk about race, everything must be equal."

On the podcast, Dr. Raedene Copeland, this week's expert guest, says it clearly: "We [say] we just see you as equal, when all the evidence persists that that is not true." Claiming not to see color can become a form of denial. It also stops important conversations before they even begin. If a white person insists "I don’t see race, we’re all just human," it can shut down any discussion about why certain racial groups might be disproportionately affected by poverty, policing, or health disparities.

Colorblindness also erases individual identities and lived experiences. When someone says "I don’t see your color," a person of color doesn’t feel flattered – they often feel invisible. As Dr. Copeland shared, "I want my culture to be seen. I don’t want you to erase that."

There’s also a power dynamic. Colorblindness tends to benefit those in majority or privileged groups while disadvantaging minorities. Dr. Copeland emphasizes that colorblindness only "works" one way: it's usually the dominant (white) group telling others that race shouldn’t matter. She gives a striking example: Imagine telling a white person, "I don’t see that you’re white – you could be Black or Asian." Most white people would find that ridiculous or even offensive. But white people regularly say this to people of color and expect it to be taken as a compliment.

What Colorblindness Misses: Intersectionality Matters

We also need to talk about intersectionality – how different aspects of our identity overlap and compound. The term, coined by scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw, refers to how race, gender, class, and more shape our experiences. Colorblindness not only ignores race; it ignores how race intersects with other identities.

White feminists in the past sometimes assumed that "women’s issues" were the same across the board – but women of color faced additional racial barriers that white women did not. Jonelle explained it well to her white women peers, in the episode, comparing it to gender conversations with men: "Trying to explain to them, we’re not on an equal playing field because you still have the upper hand in society." The same goes for race. Many white women have genuinely believed that ignoring race was a way to level the playing field—that focusing too much on racial differences would only create more division. But just like with gender dynamics, ignoring those differences doesn't erase the imbalance of power that already exists. Pretending not to see race doesn't eliminate racism—it just keeps us from recognizing how deeply it still shows up in our systems, our language, and even our own subconscious assumptions. If we want true equality, we have to be willing to see the whole picture—even the parts that are uncomfortable or hard to name.

Reflection Questions to Challenge Colorblind Thinking

●      When have I said or thought, "I don’t see color"? What was I trying to communicate?

●      How do I react when conversations about race come up? Do I avoid them?

●      What parts of my identity intersect with privilege? Where do I benefit from the status quo?

●      Can I think of a time when not acknowledging race caused harm?

●      How can I learn to appreciate differences instead of erasing them?

Moving from Reflection to Action

If any of those questions stirred something in you, that's a good thing. It means you're leaning into growth. Here are a few ways you can take what you're learning and put it into real action:

●      Start small. Share what you're reflecting on with a friend or in your journal. Say the awkward thing out loud and sit with it.

●      Learn more. Dig deeper into the history of race in America—beyond what we were taught in school.

●      Practice talking about race. Try having conversations even when you’re unsure of the right words. Discomfort is part of growth.

●      Pay attention to power and representation—in media, in workspaces, in your own life. Whose stories are centered? Whose are missing?

●      Embrace differences. Instead of pretending we’re all the same, celebrate what makes us different. See color, honor culture.

●      Get involved. Support racial justice efforts, vote for inclusive policies, donate to organizations doing the work.

It doesn’t have to be perfect. What matters is that we keep showing up, keep learning, and waking up together.

-Jonelle