The Myth of Racial Color Blindness: Manifestations, Dynamics, and Impact

by Helen A. Neville (Editor)

In this edited volume, social scientists dissect the concept of color blind racial ideology, the widely-held belief that skin color does not affect interpersonal interactions, and that interpersonal and institutional racism therefore no longer exists in America.

Is the United States today a “post-racial” society? Some might point to the election and re-election of a Black president as conclusive evidence of the progress made in race relations, but others are not so sanguine. In this volume, top scholars in psychology, education, sociology, and related fields dissect the concept of color-blind racial ideology (CBRI), the widely-held belief that skin color does not affect interpersonal interactions, and that interpersonal and institutional racism therefore no longer exists in American society.

Contributors survey the theoretical and empirical literature on racial color-blindness; discuss novel ways of assessing and measuring color-blind racial beliefs; examine related characteristics such as lack of empathy (among Whites) and internalized racism (among people of color); and assess the impact of CBRI in education, the workplace, and health care – as well as the racial disparities that such beliefs help foster. Finally, they recommend ways to counter color-blind racial beliefs by advocating for and implementing race-conscious policies and practices that aim to create equal access and opportunities for all.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction

330 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

Helen A. Neville, PhD, is a Professor of Educational Psychology and African American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.