Following the civil rights movement, race relations in the United States
entered a new era. Legal gains were interpreted by some as ensuring
equal treatment for all and that "colorblind" policies and programs
would be the best way forward. Since then, many voices have called for
an end to affirmative action and other color-conscious policies and
programs, and even for a retreat from public discussion of racism
itself.
Bolstered by the election of Barack Obama, proponents of colorblindness
argue that the obstacles faced by Blacks and people of color in the
United States can no longer be attributed to racism but instead result
from economic forces. Thus, they contend, programs meant to uplift
working-class and poor people are the best means for overcoming any
racial inequalities that might still persist. In Colorblind, Tim Wise
refutes these assertions and advocates that the best way forward is to
become more, not less, conscious of race and its impact on equal
opportunity.
Focusing on disparities in employment, housing, education and health
care, Wise argues that racism is indeed still an acute problem in the
United States today and that colorblind policies actually worsen the
problem of racial injustice. Colorblind presents a timely and
provocative look at contemporary racism and offers fresh ideas on what
can be done to achieve true social justice and economic equality.
"It's a great book. I highly, highly, highly recommend it." (Tavis
Smiley)
"I finally finished Tim Wise's Colorblind and found it a right-on,
straight-ahead piece of work. This guy hits all the targets, it's really
quite remarkable.... That's two of his that I've read [the first being
Between Barack] and they are both works of crystal truth...." (Mumia
Abu-Jamal)
"Tim Wise's Colorblind is a powerful and urgently needed book. One of
our best and most courageous public voices on racial inequality, Wise
tackles head on the resurgence and absurdity of post-racial liberalism
in a world still largely structured by deep racial disparity and
structural inequality. He shows us with passion and sharp, insightful,
accessible analysis how this imagined world of post racial framing and
policy can't take us where we want to go - it actually stymies our
progress toward racial unity and equality." (Tricia Rose, Brown
University)
"With Colorblind, Tim Wise offers a gutsy call to arms. Rather than
play nice and reiterate the fiction of black racial transcendence, Wise
takes the gloves off: He insists white Americans themselves must be at
the forefront of the policy shifts necessary to correct our nation's
racial imbalances in crime, health, wealth, education and more. A
piercing, passionate and illuminating critique of the post-racial
moment." (Bakari Kitwana)
"Tim Wise's Colorblind brilliantly challenges the idea that the
election of Obama has ushered in a post-racial era. In clear, engaging,
and accessible prose, Wise explains that ignoring problems does not make
them go away, that race-bound problems require race-conscious remedies.
Perhaps most important, Colorblind proposes practical solutions to our
problems and promotes new ways of thinking that encourage us to both
recognize differences and to transcend them." (George Lipsitz)
