Colorblind or "Cultureblind": A sociological debate.
I. The Sociology of a Late-Night Debate
II. The Catalyst: Why Mention She Was Black?
III. The Data of Inequality: Beyond the Sentiment
IV. The Fortress of Blackness
V. The Intergenerational Bridge: Internal vs. External
The Sociology of a Late-Night Debate
My youngest son recently graduated Cum Laude with a degree in sociology. I like to think that I had something to do with the choice of his major. For as long as I can remember, he and I have stayed up to the early hours of the morning discussing—or sometimes debating—some topic about society, history, politics, or, in our less serious times, sports.
The problem we have tried to solve most frequently and recently is racism. We both agree that it is a prevalent issue at the center of most American conflict, but ironically, it is the topic most avoided when talking about our national issues. I recently listened to a YouTube post by Paul Lance, who expressed quite forcefully his frustration with this avoidance. Ignoring the colorful language and his obvious political bias, I think he presents perfectly why we cannot solve this issue that has plagued the country: we are terrified of being uncomfortable.
I often debate readers who tell me they are "colorblind"—that they "don't see color"—and that my constant focus on it is counterproductive to solving the problem. I have always disagreed with them, taking the stance that ignoring my color is ignoring me, ignoring my issues, and ignoring my history. However, in my last few conversations with my son, I have amended my stance. I still believe we need to reach a place where color is irrelevant, but I have realized that what I am truly opposed to isn't just colorblindness; it is "cultureblindness."
The Catalyst: Why Mention She Was Black?
The spark for this latest deep dive was a question from a reader regarding one of my recent posts about Alice Augusta Ball. Alice was a brilliant chemist who, at the age of 23, developed the "Ball Method," the most effective treatment for leprosy in the early 20th century. Her work was famously stolen by a white colleague after her untimely death, and her name was nearly erased from history.
The reader asked me: "Why is it necessary to mention that she was Black? If we want to be equal, shouldn't we just focus on her science?"
That question is a slap in the face. It is a request to remove the context of her struggle. Alice Ball didn’t just discover a medical treatment; she did it in 1915 as a young Black woman in a world that legally and socially denied her humanity. To be "blind" to her color is to be blind to the monumental courage it took for her to even enter that laboratory.
The Data of Inequality: Beyond the Sentiment
When readers argue they "don't see color," they are often ignoring the concrete ways in which color dictates life outcomes in America. To be "colorblind" in the face of the following data isn't just an oversight; it is a form of gaslighting.
The Wealth Gap: According to the Federal Reserve's 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the median wealth of a white family was $285,000, while the median wealth of a Black family was $44,900. This nearly 6-to-1 gap is rooted in historical "cultureblind" policies like redlining and the GI Bill's exclusion of Black veterans.
Criminal Justice: Research from the U.S. Sentencing Commission consistently shows that Black men receive sentences that are, on average, 19.1% longer than those of "similarly situated" white men for the same crimes. To be "colorblind" here is to ignore a fundamental difference in the experience of the law.
Representation: While my son’s graduation is a major achievement, the "culture" of higher education still shows gaps. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), only 29% of Black young adults (ages 25–29) held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2022, compared to 45% of white young adults.
When someone says, "I don't see color," they are effectively saying, "I don't see the 19.1% longer prison sentence," or "I don't see the $240,100 wealth gap." Acknowledging race isn't "racist"—it is the first step toward accurately diagnosing the problems we are trying to solve.
The Fortress of Blackness
I brought this data back to my son, and we talked about the emotional and psychological weight of being told "I don't see your color." Race is a construct, yes—we agree on that. But in America, that construct was made a foundational element of life.
Because society made "Blackness" a negative thing for centuries, we had to lean into it to survive. We built a psychological fortress. When James Brown sang, "Say it loud, I'm Black and I'm proud," it wasn't just a song; it was medicine. Phrases like "Black is beautiful," and the symbol of the raised Black fist were created to lift our collective self-esteem from the gutter where society had tossed it.
To now have someone say, "I don't see your color," is to tell us to discard the very shield that kept us whole. It emotionally and psychologically offends a community that had to see, accept, and elevate what Blackness means just to exist.
The Intergenerational Bridge: Internal vs. External
My son provided a perspective that forced me to refine my own. He was adamant: We do not emphasize the accomplishments of Black people because we are looking for acknowledgment or approval from society. We are not looking for its permission. We do it for the development of our collective psyche and for future generations. We do it so that the young Black people of today—listening to the music and wearing the fashions that were forged in the fires of Black culture—understand that they are the heirs to a legacy of genius.
I agreed, but I added an external layer to his internal one. From my perspective, we also name these names and claim these victories to take away society's excuses. For centuries, the narrative was that Black people contributed nothing to Western Civilization. Now that information is available to disprove that lie—showing that Africa was the cradle of civilization, that Jesus was a person of color, and that the foundations of the Industrial Age were built on Black patents—society has shifted its tactics.
Instead of denying the facts, they now practice apathy. They say, "So what? Why does it matter?" It matters because apathy is the last guard-post at the door of opportunity. By shifting the term to "Cultureblindness," we acknowledge that Black American culture was forged through 400 years of unique struggle and resilience. To ignore the "color" is to ignore the very "culture" that was created to survive.
We have come to a place where society takes two approaches to Black excellence:
Deny the facts despite the evidence.
Acknowledge the facts but dismiss their significance with a "so what."
Both are forms of "cultureblindness." My son and I approach this from different angles—he from the need to fortify our internal spirit, and I from the need to dismantle external excuses—but the conclusion is the same. We will continue to mention that Alice Ball was Black. Not because we need a "Great job" from a society that has spent 400 years trying to ignore us, but because we are reclaiming the title to our own history and demanding that the merit of our people finally be reflected in the opportunities of our present.
If you truly don't see color, then the truth shouldn't make you uncomfortable. But if my pride in my culture feels like an attack on you, then you aren't colorblind—you're just afraid of the light.
Ascribed Whiteness: The sociological tendency to treat "civilization," "intelligence," or "advanced technology" as white by default. When a person of color achieves something in these fields, the "so what" reaction is often an attempt to keep the achievement from challenging this default.
Colorblindness (Racial): The claim that one does not "see" race or color. While often presented as a pursuit of equality, in a sociological context, it often functions as a way to ignore the systemic disparities and historical context that continue to affect marginalized groups.
Construct (Social): An idea or category that has been created and accepted by the people in a society. While race has no biological basis (it is a construct), it has very real social, legal, and economic consequences.
Cultureblindness: A term used to describe the act of acknowledging a fact (e.g., a Black inventor's success) while intentionally ignoring the cultural struggle, resilience, and unique perspective that informed that success. It is the dismissal of "Blackness" as a foundational element of the achievement.
Meritocracy Myth: The belief that success in society is based solely on individual ability and effort. The "so what" reaction to Black history is often used to protect this myth by ignoring how systemic exclusion has historically hindered Black merit.
Psychological Sovereignty: A concept discussed in the intergenerational bridge; the idea that a marginalized community must define its own worth and history for its own mental health and future, independent of the approval or acknowledgment of the dominant culture.
Bibliography & References
Historical & Scientific Figures
Ball, Alice Augusta (1892–1916): Pharmaceutical chemist who developed the "Ball Method," the most effective treatment for leprosy until the 1940s. Her work was famously appropriated by Arthur L. Dean until historical records were corrected.
Latimer, Lewis (1848–1928): Inventor and draftsman who played a critical role in the development of the telephone and the incandescent light bulb, specifically patenting the carbon filament.
Morgan, Garrett (1877–1963): Inventor of the three-position traffic signal and the smoke hood (an early gas mask), whose contributions are often cited in the study of early 20th-century American infrastructure.
Sociological & Media References
Federal Reserve Board: Survey of Consumer Finances (2022). Provides the statistical basis for the current 6-to-1 wealth gap between white and Black families in America.
Lance, Paul: "The Real Reason Trump Won (No One Wants to Admit It)." YouTube (Published March 20, 2026). A viral commentary on the intersection of race, politics, and the American refusal to address white supremacy.
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): Annual Report on Condition of Education (2022). Source for graduation and attainment rates across different demographics.
U.S. Sentencing Commission: Demographic Differences in Federal Sentencing (Updated Reports). Documentation of the "19.1% gap" in sentencing between Black and white men for similar crimes.
Brown, James: "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" (1968). A seminal anthem of the Black Power movement that shifted the American psychological landscape regarding Black identity.
Glaude, Eddie S. Jr.: Author and Professor of African American Studies at Princeton. Referenced in the Paul Lance video regarding the "value gap" and the history of American racial myths.
Source: Colorblind or "Cultureblind": A sociological debate.
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