Color-Blind Racism By Bonilla-Silva Summary

Bonilla-Silva describes color-blind racism, or new racism as “the language used by whites to defend the racial status quo,” (Bonilla-Silva, 2001, p. 114). He explains that color-blind racism serves to maintain the privileges afforded whites, and outlines four central pillars of color-blind racism, including minimization of racism, naturalization, abstract liberalism, and the biologization of culture. He believes that contrary to the obvious racism seen in laws and policies such as Jim Crow, color-blind racism “tend[s] to be slippery, institutional, and apparently nonracial,” (Bonilla-Silva, 2001, p. 114). It involves far more subtle and insidious tactics, such as directing black tenets to predominantly black neighborhoods or using such things

as sponsorship strategies to ensure that housing districts, universities, restaurants, etc., remain populated by whites. It gives the implication that inequalities that exist today are born of naturally occurring circumstances or events.
Color-Blind racism minimizes racism by attributing it to uncontrollable forces or “naturally occurring phenomena,” (Bonilla-Silva, 2001, p.

114), such as market conditions or cultural differences. Color-blind racism provides rationalizations for success or failure, and in so doing further minimizes the existence of racism. This involves the provision of explanations for success as the result of education, experience, qualifications, and so forth. It is seen in the notion that “cream rises to the top,” (Bonilla-Silva, 2001, p. 115), without regard for the fact that, as Bonilla-Silva points out, “the color of the ‘cream’ is usually white,” (Bonilla-Silva, 2001, p. 115). Racism is minimized in the adoption of blanket ideologies that attribute lack of success with laziness or It is likewise minimized in attributing the path an individual’s life takes on their individual decisions. Such rationalizations obfuscate the fact that many blacks are precluded from the opportunity to make such

choices.
A perfect example of color-blind racism can be seen during a conversation that my husband and I had with an acquaintance of ours. He is a wealthy successful contractor who owns several companies that specialize in major remodeling projects for clients in Malibu, Newport Beach, etc. He was discussing the keys to his success one day and mentioned that he has gotten where he is today by working hard, producing top quality work, being honest in not overcharging his clients, and by being above all trustworthy. He stated that his clients trust him so completely that they will leave their house keys, business building keys, etc., with him, indefinitely. He stated that while other contractors, such as Mexicans, may come in with lower bids than he, ultimately, his clients only want to work with him and will wait an entire year on his waiting list because they refuse to work with anyone else.
It is true that this individual is an extremely talented man who is capable of doing pretty much anything and everything.

In fact, all the various types of work that his workers can do, he can do better as he has spent years honing his skills and craft. He is hardworking, intelligent, and reliable, no doubt. However, his statement failed to address the fact that he is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, white male, and his clientele, for the most part, are older white upper crust males and females from wealthy families. Therefore, it begs the question, if he was a black or dark-skinned male, would his wealthy white clients still place the keys to their million dollar estates or multimillion dollar company buildings in his hands without blinking an eyelid? Would he have even been considered for the bids in the first place? How has his color and ethnicity helped to advance his career prospects? His statement was a perfect example of color-blind

racism.
Bonilla-Silva sums up the concept of racism by stating, “I contend that racism is, more than anything else, a matter of group power; it is about a dominant racial group (whites) striving to maintain its systemic advantages and minorities fighting to subvert the racial status quo,” (Bonilla-Silva, 2001, p. 113). This definitely puts into perspective the success, failure, and advancement Americans are afforded or excluded.

References

Bonilla-Silva, E. (2001). Color-blind racism. In Rothenberg, P. S. (2016). Race, class, and gender in the United States: An integrated study (10th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers/Macmillan Learning.