Growing up before the social justice infection in America truly took hold, I was always taught that the way to approach racial differences was to be "colorblind," a concept inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s approach of judging someone by their character, not the color of their skin.
To be sure, I think that's not a horrible approach to things. It's certainly much better than what mainstream culture has been obsessed with doing nowadays, which is the exact opposite of Dr. King's advice and making race the first and most important thing about a person.
But after having several conversations over the course of years with my black friends, it's safe to say that neither of these approaches is truly the best way to approach racial differences. In fact, the left has used the idea of "colorblindness" to make an argument about how America is actually racist and uncaring about race.
Take, for instance, Sunny Hostin of "The View" who tried to shame a black man for his ideas of being "colorblind" in society, accusing him of being co-opted by the right for his views and saying that there are people in the black community accusing him of being a "charlatan."
Sunny Hostin to author Coleman Hughes: "Your argument for colorblindness, I think it’s something that the right has co-opted, and so many in the Black community, if I’m being honest with you ... believed that you are being used as a pawn by the right and that you are charlatan of… pic.twitter.com/9i37tHs9z2
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) March 28, 2024
Given, this is Hostin we're talking about, which means the people she's referring to are probably a few people in her inner leftist circle, but she brings up a point that I'd like to address.
Colorblindness isn't a bad concept, but it does utilize a form of erasure in order to push for peace.
It's okay to recognize that someone is white, black, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, etc. because there's a lot of history and story that led up to their very existence in their racial makeup. There's a family history there to be proud of. There are a lot of cultural differences that add to the melting pot that gives us that unique American flavor.
I think that recognizing someone isn't a bad thing and that colorblindness actually eliminates a lot about a person.
However, the left's problem is that they take this concept and make it the most important thing about them. You'll notice this pattern with the left as a general rule. If a little is good, then a whole dump truck must be better.
This is obviously and demonstrably a mistake because it makes someone's race the most important thing about them, not their personality, ethics, or even their skill or merit. This concept is the basis on which DEI is formed. Funny enough, this color-obsessed concept becomes far more racist than anything the left claims is a social race sin. It strictly focuses on the skin and completely dismisses the person inside it, boiling them down to a useful tool they can use to accomplish their ends.
History repeats itself.
It's okay to recognize race. It's part of the human experience to be different in all sorts of ways from the person standing next to you. That difference in cultural makeup is part of what drives humanity forward as ideas and methods meet, mix, blend, and become something completely new.
Where we trip up is believing that someone's race or culture is the only thing good or useful about them. It's here that the left needs to check itself and its own very rabid racism.
(READ: Black Communities Are Disproportionately Affected Negatively by Democrats)
