Letter published in the Boston Globe, February 11, 2024
Re “Color-blindness remains the best form of antiracism” by Coleman Hughes (Ideas, Feb. 4):
It is not a stereotype that Black Americans have shorter lives, worse health, and less wealth than any other group.
It is not a social construct that Black people are disproportionately put in jail, killed by police, or suspended from school.
These are facts.
Being colorblind may help us dismantle our stereotypes on an interpersonal level. But antiracism asks us to go deeper, to see how the social construct of race has shaped every aspect of our society, and to take action to make the system more just.
Yes, emphasize our common humanity when building relationships.
Just don’t stop there.
Colin Stokes
Brookline