what is colorblind racism

Colorblind racism is a form of racism that denies the existence of racism and emphasizes equal opportunities available to all racial groups. It is the belief that treating individuals as equally as possible, without regard to race, culture, or ethnicity, is the best way to end discrimination. However, within the context of enduring structural and systematic racism, racial colorblindness serves as a device to disengage from conversations of race and racism entirely. Colorblindness tends to individualize conflicts and shortcomings, rather than examining the larger picture with cultural differences, stereotypes, and values placed into context. In a colorblind society, white people, who are unlikely to experience disadvantages due to race, can effectively ignore racism in American life, justify the current social order, and feel more comfortable with their relatively privileged identity as a human. Colorblind racism is not always overt, and it can be perpetuated through words and actions that ignore the experiences that racism has created for people.