Are Blacks color blind too?

Abstract

Although the survey community almost unanimously agrees that Blacks and Whites have vastly different views on central matters, few qualitative studies have validated this claim. Thus, in this study we examine Blacks' views with interview data from the Detroit Area Study (1998). Specifically, we assess whether Blacks use the frames of color blind racism—the dominant ideology of the post-civil rights era—to articulate their positions on racial issues. The data suggests that although few Blacks are directly affected by the frames of color blindness, these frames have shaped the argumentative terrain in which they battle, blurred their views on many issues, and blunted the oppositional character of their counter views.