Let’s Talk About the Hidden Cost of “Colorblind” Economic Policies
Ignoring “Race” in Economic Policy Serves to Deepen Racial Inequality
“I don’t see color” was thrown at me recently during a discussion about Vice President Kamala Harris. I thought, “Oh boy, here we go again with another pretend colorblind white person!” There is no such thing! The notion of “colorblind” economic policies has gained traction among policymakers and the conservative SCOTUS, who argue that ignoring race is the best way to ensure fairness and equality. Yet, expressing neutrality supports policies that often overlook the deep-seated racial inequalities entrenched in our economic systems. What happens is that by failing to account for the unique challenges faced by marginalized communities, colorblind policies actually perpetuate — and even worsen — these disparities.
Colorblind economic policies are built on the premise that if race is not explicitly considered, if we close our eyes and spin three times, then click our heels, then policies will be inherently fair to all. Yet, this ignores the historical and structural factors that have disproportionately affected Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. These factors include redlining, a discriminatory housing practice that was outlawed decades ago but continues to impact these communities’ wealth and homeownership rates, and the legacy of…
