CHICAGO -- Most Americans agree that eliminating racism and providing equal opportunity in education and the workplace is an important national goal. There is disagreement however on how best to achieve that goal. A paper released today by the American Psychological Association at its 105th Annual Convention in Chicago, "Can -- or Should -- America Be Color-Blind?", states that a color-blind approach to equal opportunity for all Americans will fail. This conclusion is based on research findings that skin color, ethnicity and gender figure prominently in American's attitudes and behaviors toward each other.
Based on more than two decades of research, James H. Jones, Ph.D., professor of Psychology at the University of Delaware, has concluded that:
In summary, the research suggests that "race does matter," Dr. Jones says. "Therefore recognizing the differences in people and their experiences is the only equitable way to achieve social justice."
(Full text available from APA Press Room.)
The American Psychological Association (APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 151,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 50 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 58 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human welfare.
Paper: Can -- Or Should -- America Be Color-Blind? Psychological Research Reveals Fallacies in Color-Blind Response to Racism. The American Psychological Association, August, 1997.