After listening to Amy Wax express her opinions and thoughts over Skype in class today, I was especially stuck by her statement that “color blindness is a good policy.” While I do concede that personal responsibility and behavior is a part of the solution, Wax seems to believe that it is entirely in the victim’s hands to remedy the situation. Through my Africana Studies class last year I have come to formulate the position that color blindness is not an effective policy. The unique situation of blacks in America today is of no fault of their own, and in order to restore them to the state in which they were before they were wronged, it is necessary to recognize their disadvantage and their cultural cycle. We cannot assume that black Americans have the same opportunities as white Americans and treat them as such. Even those that are making great efforts to change their position and behavior are often unsuccessful or face great obstacles. They are at a disadvantage by no fault of their own and it is necessary to keep this is mind in all aspects of life.
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One reply on “Color Blindness”
But what if the evidence indicates that external entities CAN’T “restore them”? That’s the problem, in her argument. How do you respond to her argument that shows how ineffective previous state efforts have been to make white and blacks perfectly equal?