Different shades of racial colorblindness: The role of prejudice

Abstract

Supporters of racial colorblindness are united by their opposition to racial categorization. However, we suggest that the nature of the relationship between racial colorblindness and racial policy attitudes among Whites varies based on individual differences in racial prejudice. Across two independent samples (Studies 1a and 1b), we demonstrated that colorblindness predicts opposition to affirmative action for low prejudice Whites. For high prejudice Whites, who presumably oppose affirmative action regardless of colorblind concerns, no significant relationship between colorblindness and affirmative action support was found. In Study 2, we examined the relationship between various rationales for supporting colorblindness and affirmative action attitudes, and again detected moderation by prejudice. Low prejudice Whites’ evaluations of affirmative action appeared to be based upon perceptions of declining discrimination as well as a concern for balancing the interests of both Whites and minorities. The affirmative action attitudes of high prejudice Whites, in contrast, appeared to be based primarily upon defending the interests of their racial ingroup. The implications of these findings for theoreticians and social justice advocates are discussed.