The False Promise of Colorblind Admissions - Commentary

Richard Thompson Ford, professor of law at Stanford University (CA), writes:  “I don’t see color — people tell me you’re Black, so I guess you are,” said Stephen Colbert when he interviewed me on his satirical television program, The Colbert Report. Colbert was, of course, playing the role of a right-wing blowhard, exaggerating the cliches of conservative media for comedic effect. Unlike Colbert’s since-retired alter ego, when people say they are colorblind, they do not mean it literally. So, what exactly do they mean? That question matters more than ever as the Supreme Court weighs the future of affirmative action.