Colorblind is the New Racism - Armstrong & Wildman
"Whites often aspire to colorblindness, believing that colorblindness promotes equality."
Though I will take a step back and try to remain as objective as possible, this quote resonated with me so strongly and I believe this short anecdote bolsters the argument Armstrong and Wildman attempt to make.
In 11th grade I learned the term "colorblind casting" in regards to the film "Much Ado About Nothing." Though the cast is primarily white, Don Pedro, the prince of Aragon is placed by Denzel Washington, a prominent African American actor. I remember the teacher explaining "colorblind casting", saying that the director cast the film based off talent alone. I thought it was a positive notion, not only casting the most talented, but also showing a person of color in a position of royalty. (See trailer below).
At the time, I took being colorblind as promoting equality, just as Armstrong and Wildman claimed. But am I actually perpetuating a component of white privilege?
Armstrong and Wildman argue that colorblindness is a tool used to avoid examining how race impacts opportunity.
According to the authors, white people function within the societal norms. This sense of normality is the benchmark set by how the average white person lives within society. This encompasses the inherent and often unacknowledged privileges white people have. As stated in the article, whiteness is the default assumption and "...whites can claim they do not discriminate because they often do not think in racial terms."
They go on to explain that racism does not exist to Whites that don't see whiteness as a race. The problem with this notion is that failure to acknowledge privilege diminishes the ability to have discussions about the disadvantages that coincide with being a person of color.
One example Armstrong and Wildman reference is the prohibiting of segregation in public schools. Though this was law was established to close the educational gap between white students and students of color, the clear "...inequality in opportunity and caliber of education remains rampant."
Armstrong and Wildman go on to state that educators fail to name and examine whiteness and how it affects various systems of society, particularly education and the legal system. The authors name the incomplete understanding of white privilege as an issue. They also go on to name the solutions to colorblindness acting as a form of racism.
Rather than continuing colorblindness, Armstrong and Wildman suggest using "color insight." Color insight is a method that seeks to include context in racial discussions rather than exclude it.
According to Armstrong and Wildman, the following steps must be taken in order to develop color insight:
- Considering context for any discussion about race
- Examining systems of privilege
- Unmasking perspectivelessness and white normatives
- Combating stereotyping and looking for the "me" in each individual.
The authors go on to name that it is up to teachers to educate students about the importance of how privilege operates and how these systems keep people of color from obtaining privilege.
In my previous posting, Privilege, Power, and Difference - Allan G. Johnson, Johnson argued that those without privilege cannot disrupt the systems in place without the help of those benefiting from privilege.
The same can be said for Armstrong and Wildman. Color Insight means that both educators and students must discuss and breakdown the operations of privilege while still in school so that they may identify and combat racism in society.
I wonder how many more examples of colorblindness we'll discover as we proceed through our journey. In addition to the courts attempt to eliminate bias, Hollywood has also used colorblindness to open up roles to the best qualified actor, (and Denzel is always a fine choice) without regard to race. I guess I could be accused of feeling defensive, but I disagree with "Armstrong's notion that colorblindness is a tool used to avoid examining how race impacts opportunity." I am sorry, but what happened to the notion, innocent until proven guilty? I don't think most white people subscribe to colorblindness in order to avoid anything. I'm pretty sure that many whites are trying to find a way to be more inclusive and accepting of others, and perhaps subscribing to colorblindness was thought to be a means to that end? I get Armstrong's view on this and I do accept that color insight is a better alternative.
ReplyDeleteI like your personal connection of colorblind casting to the film industry and the link to the trailer ¨Ḿuch Ado About Nothing. Before reading these articles and participating in this class, as a medical professional, colorblindness had a whole different meaning to me that certainly was not associated with race or privilege. I like the way you briefly summarized the reading; highlighting the main points. I agree with the authors that the concept of privilege should be spoken about through education.
ReplyDeleteI like how you drew upon the importance of teachers in this post. To be honest, my first time confronting this exact problem was in a morality class my junior yera in high school. The teacher, who was actually a christian brother, asked us if people could be racist to a white person; if you agreed you stood on the left side of the room, if you disagreed you stood on the right side of the room. From there, Brother let us debate it on our own, adding his two cents when necessary. I have been debating doing something similar with my students for sometime, just to allow them a platform to express themselves and get a better understanding for how to explain their stance on the issue. Your post really resonated with me and reminded me of the importance we all have of teachers not just in educating our students with content knowledge but empowering them to speak their truth in a whole, connected way. Thank you for that!
ReplyDeleteFirst a caveat. I LOVE that version of Much Ado. I think it is hilariously funny and very well cast. I haven't heard Kenneth Branaugh (director) talk about the casting as "colorblind" per se, but it is certainly a choice that offers excellent fodder for this conversation. The contemporary example, of course, is Hamilton in which the founding fathers of our nation are all played by people of color. Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, etc. I have debated this a great deal with A&W on my shoulder... does this casting decision erase race or offer us important insight into how race matters? Great way to frame this diccussion, Vinny!
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