The fallacy of colorblind post-raciality

by Carmen Van Kerckhove

AC360, Anderson Cooper’s blog on CNN.com, just published a piece I wrote for them yesterday in reaction to a recent poll in which only 3 out of 10 respondents admitted to “some feelings of racial prejudice.” Here’s an excerpt:

It has become increasingly fashionable to bandy about the words “post-racial” and “colorblind” when discussing race in America.

Apparently, many Americans have convinced themselves that they even if racism does still exist, they are not part of the problem. When asked the question “If you honestly assessed yourself, would you say that you have at least some feelings of racial prejudice?” in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, only three in ten respondents answered yes.

The other seven must be afflicted by “colorblindness,” that odd phenomenon that drives people to insist that they “just don’t notice race” and claim that they don’t care whether people are “black, brown, green, or purple.”

To read the rest, head on over to their blog and of course, join the discussion in the comments section there!