LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WORD 'COLORBLIND'

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WORD 'COLORBLIND'

Let’s talk about the word “colorblind.” I have been seeing a lot of white people claiming to be (or claiming to raise their children to be) colorblind. Please stop.

Here’s why that word is problematic:

  1. You are NOT actually colorblind. If you are blessed with the ability of eyesight, you DO see color. And that’s okay. We all do. So that phrase in and of itself just isn’t true.

  2. What you actually mean is that you don’t treat people differently based on their skin color. But that, too, is highly unlikely. Now stay with me. I realize that by now you probably are feeling uncomfortable and you are probably yelling something back at your phone about how I don’t know you and you DON’T treat people differently based on their skin color. But research tells us otherwise. Our brains are hardwired towards bias against people who look differently than us. If you don’t believe me, google the phrase “neuroscience and bias” and spend a few minutes reading the words and research of people much smarter than me.

  3. Another issue is that colorblind is said as if it’s the goal. The truth is that it is NOT. I’m proud to be black. I don’t want people to look at me and not see that I’m black. I want people to look at me and not associate my blackness with negative stereotypes. I want people to look at me, see my blackness and appreciate it as a part of who I am but recognize that they can’t assume things about me because of it. I want people to view my blackness the same way they view brown hair. It’s a feature of someone but not a reason to treat them differently. You would never tell someone in regard to their hair color, “oh I don’t see color.” That comment would be viewed as ridiculous. It should be the same with skin color.

Just say what you actually mean, which is that you strive to treat everyone equitably.

Okay, so what should you say instead? And how do you combat unconscious bias so it doesn’t affect your decision making? Just say what you actually mean, which is that you strive to treat everyone equitably.

And as for how to combat your unconscious bias (which by the way, WE ALL have, Including me) that’s harder. But step #1 is owning your biases. I recommend taking the IAT - the implicit association test (google it - it’s easy to find). This will shed some light on your individual biases. And then start reading and learning. The following books are a great place to start.

So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo

They Can't Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery

— Courtney Carter
Tagged: social
Older articles Back to Oiselle Blog Newer articles

Comments

Your voice SPEAKS VOLUMES. Thanks for continuing to amplify your voice.

— Adina Crawford

Yes! Thank you Oiselle also for not shying away from this topic. I read “So You Want To Talk About Race” last month and it was SO good, and made me rethink a lot of things I hadn’t considered before. Should be a must-read for HS civics classes.

— Amanda

Thanks for the eloquent real talk Courtney! Diversity is a complex idea that I find really interesting. Love ya – Aly’s Mom

— Catherine Olsen

Another good one is Blindspot, which explores bias generally to help people get a feel for how bias works. Thanks for posting this!

— Kathryn Price

Thanks for being honest, in that bias is not only in one direction. Would love to continue the conversation in light of your candidness!

— Shawn

Loved this article! Thanks!

— kate C.

Here is a link to the Implicit Association Test that Courtney mentioned. https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

It’s a super helpful tool if you want to get started doing this work because heck, let’s face it – we all have biases. In my own journey, I’ve found this helpful because knowing where I have a bias or May not see something that someone else does because of experiences I have or have not had can help me learn. We are all on this journey!

— Shayla Dvorak

MORE STORIES

Core Routine For Runners: The Dozen

Core Routine For Runners: The Dozen

I was introduced to the "The Dozen" in the winter of 2012 by my favorite Oregon running family. I love this set of core exercises for its efficient targeting of core muscle groups, and because no gym equipment is required! You can do this on a grass field, in your hotel room, or really anywhere you can lay on a flat surface.
Reflecting on the Year of the Underbird

Reflecting on the Year of the Underbird

This past August, we launched our Year of the Underbird program: an open application for aspiring Olympic Trials marathoners, with a promise to select 5 women for a 6 month contract encompassing a stipend, gear, storytelling, and community support. As we reach the end of our flight with our selected athletes, we invited each of them to share a few reflections on their past 6 months as teammates.
Black History Month: Celebrating Our Athletes

Black History Month: Celebrating Our Athletes

We are honored to support five exceptional Black women athletes challenging norms in the running industry: athletes, advocates, and powerful voices in the sport. We invited each of them to reflect on their journeys through sport: how their identity has affected their development, and how they hope to impact the rising generation of athletes. Hear from Madie Boreman, Kendra Coleman, Brenna Detra, Carmen Pelar Graves, and Ari Hendrix-Roach.