A Critique of "Our Constitution Is Color-Blind"

CRT goes beyond disciplinary boundaries to analyze race and racism within both historical and contemporary contexts, drawing on scholarship from ethnic studies, women's studies, sociology, history, law, psychology, film, theatre and other fields.

“CRT goes beyond disciplinary boundaries to analyze race and racism within both historical and contemporary contexts, drawing on scholarship from ethnic studies, women's studies, sociology, history, law, psychology, film, theatre and other fields (Delgado, 1984, 1992; Olivas, 1990; Gotanda, 1991; Harris, 1994; Garcia, 1995; Gutiérrez-Jones, 2001).”

Color-blind racial ideology has historically been conceptualized in the U.S. as 'race is irrelevant' and therefore it should be disregarded.

“Color-blind racial ideology has historically been conceptualized in the U.S. as 'race is irrelevant' and therefore, it should be disregarded (Gotanda 1991, 268).”

By subscribing to the racial ideology of color-blindness, we are perpetuating a parallel trend that Gotanda originally critiqued-the idea that race is an immutable fact.

“In this sense, by subscribing to the racial ideology of color-blindness, we are perpetuating a parallel trend that Gotanda (1991) originally critiqued -the idea that race is an immutable fact.”

The implication of passivity and the use of blindness within the racial ideology of color-blindness locates the problem and the power within an individual; one can simply ignore race, and racism will go away.

“The implication of passivity and the use of blindness within the racial ideology of color-blindness locates the problem and the power within an individual; one can simply ignore race, and racism will go away (Gotanda 1991).”

Nonrecognition fosters the systematic denial of racial subordination and the psychological repression of an individual's recognition of that subordination, thereby allowing such subordination to continue.

“'Nonrecognition fosters the systematic denial of racial subordination and the psychological repression of an individual's recognition of that subordination, thereby allowing such subordination to continue' (Gotanda 1991, 16).”

Gotanda noted color-blind racial ideology preserved white supremacy by sustaining the social, economic, and political advantages that whites hold over other Americans.

“Gotanda noted this color-blind racial ideology preserved white supremacy by sustaining, 'the social, economic, and political advantages that whites hold over other Americans ' (3).”

Gotanda (1991) conceptualized and critiqued color-blind racial ideology as a tool to maintain white supremacy.

“In 1991, Critical Race Theory (CRT) and U.S. legal scholar Neil Gotanda wrote a seminal law review conceptualizing and critiquing color-blind racial ideology as a tool to maintain white supremacy.”

Gotanda's naming and critiquing of a color-blind racial ideology was necessary and useful in disrupting white supremacy.

“Therefore, Gotanda's (1991) naming and critiquing of a color-blind racial ideology was necessary and useful in disrupting white supremacy.”

By identifying the ideology of race as irrelevant-as color-blindness-scholars critiquing race and racism are perpetuating what Gotanda was arguing against, non-recognition.

“By identifying the ideology of race as irrelevant -as color-blindness -scholars critiquing race and racism are perpetuating what Gotanda (1991) was arguing against, non-recognition.”

The racial ideology of color-blindness is a-historical.

“As many of the legal expansions of Gotanda (1991) have noted, the racial ideology of color-blindness is a-historical as is Justice Thomas' idea that laws discriminating on the basis of race are equal to laws seeking to address racial inequities through race-conscious policies (Cook 1991;Haney-Lopez 2007).”

Locating the problem in the individual through the racial ideology of color-blindness ignores the fact that racial inequities that currently thrive in institutions did not appear overnight.

“Locating the problem in the individual through the racial ideology of color-blindness ignores the fact that racial inequities that currently thrive in institutions did not appear overnight (Gotanda 1991).”