Part 2 of a 3-part series. The multiracial movement has faded now, even as the number and presence of multiracial people and families has grown. We felt we had something special to offer, standing as a rare example of people of different races living close at hand in...
CSWAC Blog
colorblindness
Lifting Up Color Consciousness
A color conscious ideology holds that our society is structured by race in a way that benefits white people at the expense of people of color, and awareness of this fact is necessary to build a more equitable arrangement. Color consciousness is one of the “big three”...
The Siren Song of False Unity
White American culture calls out to all of us, inviting us into an American unity. We may heed the call or dispute it. Heeding it can bring rewards; disputing it brings challenges. Either way, you have to consider the needs of one group versus another in responding to...
So…What Works? What Anti-Racists Can Learn from Latin America, Part 2 of 2
So…what works? Post 2 of a 2-part series Colorblindness, liberal multiculturalism, race-mixing, and diluting monoracial identities of oppressed people are failed approaches to racial justice and equity. So, what works? What more of the Latin American experience can...
Things That Don’t Work: What Anti-racists Can Learn from Latin America, Part 1 of 2
People working for anti-racist change in the United States, whether it be in organizational settings or as activists, seldom look at the experience of other countries for guidance. Yet, valuable insights may be gleaned if we broaden our perspective. Or so says...
Doing Multiculturalism – An Example
What does multiculturalism look like in practice? Much has been written about multiculturalism as an ideology. But how do people and organizations actually make it happen? Real world examples occur, but detailed reports of what takes place are rare. One researcher...
What Makes a Group White? (part 2)
“It was a very white group.” At the heart of that observation lies a meeting of two different racial ideologies, colorblindness and color consciousness. A color conscious approach recognizes and brings together different cultural perspectives while acknowledging and...
What Makes a Group White? (part 1)
“It was a very white group.” Have you ever heard someone say that? Maybe you’ve said it yourself after an experience or two. Or maybe the thought never crossed your mind. This begs the questions of what makes a group white, and why it might be important to take note...
Section 8 Voucher Termination Hearings
What are some real world, everyday consequences of colorblindness? A 2011 study focused on how colorblindness bears directly upon the life chances of poor black women in a specific circumstance. The author focused on Section 8 voucher termination hearings. Low income...
Questioning Colorblindness
Some of our best friends are colorblind, but we're not. We're not colorblind because we believe colorblindness holds us back from building a multiracial society. If you want to help build a multiracial society too, we hope you’ll consider where colorblindness fits in...
