colorblindness
Definition
Colorblindness refers to an ideology that obscures or denies the historical and ongoing reality of racism, preventing individuals and societies from recognizing how racial inequities structure institutions and individual experiences. Colorblind ideology, sustained by selective collective memory and curricular omissions, creates cultural affordances that obscure racist histories and make publics more receptive to authoritarian narratives. This ideological stance enables the vilification of racial groups while obscuring the long-standing traditions of racial authoritarianism embedded in U.S. governance and policy. In contrast, critical racial histories can disrupt colorblind narratives by reframing marginalized groups as contributors and victims of systemic exclusion.
Sources: Perez et al. (2026)
Related Terms
Applications
Colorblindness and Authoritarianism
Colorblind ideologies and selective collective memory sustain authoritarianism by obscuring the historical continuity of racist governance and enabling the scapegoating of marginalized groups as external threats.
Sources: Perez et al. (2026)
Colorblindness and Collective Memory
Colorblind ideology is maintained through selective collective memory processes, including curricular omissions, that prevent recognition of racist histories. Exposure to critical racial histories can disrupt colorblind collective memory.
Sources: Perez et al. (2026)
Colorblindness and Racial Hierarchy
Colorblindness operates as an ideology that obscures the structural bases of racial hierarchy and prevents recognition of how race functions in U.S. society. Moving toward a color-conscious democracy requires acknowledging how colorblind ideologies have sustained group-based hierarchies.
Sources: Perez et al. (2026)
