race-blindness
Disregarding racial categories
Race-blindness is the principle or practice of disregarding racial identity in decisions and policies—treating people as individuals rather than members of racial groups.
Advocates see it as the path to equality: Race-blindness in hiring means judging candidates solely on qualifications.
Critics argue it ignores systemic inequities and historical context, making it easier to overlook ongoing discrimination.
The term often appears in debates over affirmative action and civil rights law.
Impaired hue discrimination
- meritocracyAdvancement through demonstrated ability
- neutralityState of taking sides
- impartialityFreedom from prejudice
- egalitarianismPhilosophy of universal equality
universalism · individualism · equal treatment · sameness · fairness · non-discrimination · MLK · assimilation
Discrimination embedded in institutions
- white privilegeSystemic benefits from pallor
- erasureAct of wiping away
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- ignoranceAbsence of knowledge
microaggression · implicit bias · structural inequality · colorism · disparities · invisibility · silencing · gaslighting
Automatic, unintentional stereotyping
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
- cognitionMental knowledge acquisition
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
- unconsciousNot awake or aware
denial · defensiveness · fragility · dissonance · selective attention · motivated reasoning · stereotype · categorization
Uniform legal treatment
- Fourteenth AmendmentPost-Civil War constitutional addition
- affirmative actionPrograms boosting marginalized representation
- disparate impactDiscrimination through neutral practices
- strict scrutinyMost rigorous constitutional test
anti-discrimination · civil rights · desegregation · Brown v Board · constitutional · jurisprudence · precedent · Scalia
colorblindness
Impaired hue discrimination
- meritocracyAdvancement through demonstrated ability
- neutralityState of taking sides
- impartialityFreedom from prejudice
egalitarianism · universalism · individualism · equal treatment · sameness · fairness · non-discrimination · MLK · assimilation · integration
systemic racism
Discrimination embedded in institutions
- white privilegeSystemic benefits from pallor
- erasureAct of wiping away
- denialRefusal to accept reality
ignorance · microaggression · implicit bias · structural inequality · colorism · disparities · invisibility · silencing · gaslighting · minimization
implicit bias
Automatic, unintentional stereotyping
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
- cognitionMental knowledge acquisition
- awarenessState of perceiving reality
unconscious · denial · defensiveness · fragility · dissonance · selective attention · motivated reasoning · stereotype · categorization · in-group
equal protection
Uniform legal treatment
- Fourteenth AmendmentPost-Civil War constitutional addition
- affirmative actionPrograms boosting marginalized representation
- disparate impactDiscrimination through neutral practices
strict scrutiny · anti-discrimination · civil rights · desegregation · Brown v Board · constitutional · jurisprudence · precedent · Scalia · remedial
race-blindnessidentity politics
Collective action via shared characteristics
racialism · multiculturalism · ethnocentrism · racial prejudice · racism
race-blindnessaffirmative action
Programs boosting marginalized representation
positive discrimination · anti-racism · diversity initiatives · reparations · critical race theory
race, blind, blindness, races, raced, racing, racer, racers, racial