In today's American society, and most other places around the world, one's race,
ethnicity, ethnic background, or whatever other politically correct title one wishes to
attach to this phenotypic identifier, is as plain as the nose on one's face. For many, in the
"dominant culture," ethnic identity serves as a convenient way to separate the "haves"
from the "have nots," and the "brutes" from the "civilized." Not only is ethnicity used as a
way to separate, it also serves as an explanation for the segregation. Certain ethnicities
are often typecast as failures and deemed as poor, uneducated, lazy, on welfare, in gangs,
or in prisons. While other ethnicities are placed in the role of prosperity, assumed to be
rich, educated, CEOs, and future leaders of the country.
In Seeing a Color-Blind Future: The Paradox of Race, Patricia Williams argues
that if someone in our culture wanted to be colorblind right now that would be impossible.
Judging from the way race relations in the United States have been practiced in the past,
and the ways we currently approach the issue of race, I am inclined to agree with her. The
United States is not yet ready for a color blind society. I believe that this is apparent when
we consider the history of the concept of race; my belief that race is a tool used by
dominant society to stratify and ostracize those who "don't belong," and to separate other
races as well; and the fear within dominant society that if the concept of race was ever
eradicated, dominant society would lose much more than they stand to gain.
In order to engage in this discussion on the impossibility of achieving a
> To engage in this "conversation on race" it is important to set a> framework for
the conversation. That frame is rooted in the history of> the "racial" relationships,
including the ideas that were c...