Character over Color
What I believe about race and why.
When I was in elementary school the first time I saw children whose skin was much darker than mine I questioned my mother about it. She responded by telling me that skin color was God’s gift to help people whose generations of ancestors spent thousands of years living close to the equator. Those ancestors needed protection for their skin from burning by the intense rays of the sun. Moving away from the equator people had lighter skin so that their skin could absorb as much sunlight as possible because the sun does not shine as directly or long farther away from the equator. Her response was simple, and my naïve 3rd grade brain accepted it and went about my life oblivious to how the world was treating people differently based on race.
Fast forward to high school and life was different. It was the 70s with the Temptations and Supremes at the height of popularity, and it seemed my school rocked to their rhythm. Race riots were not as prevalent as they were in the 60s but they still happened. Ultimately during a basketball game, tensions rose and rioting prevailed. For the next two years, between the unrest and drug busts, police presence in the school became the norm.
As an adult I know there is evil in the world that may be here until Jesus returns. The history of my country and many others around the world includes enslavement, killing, and generally disrespecting those who are not a mirror image of themselves. Friends and family members of mine have been stopped by police for speeding when other cars have been whizzing around them or driving into their lovely neighborhood to be questioned about why they are there. These friends and family were not arrested because they did nothing wrong. However, they call it driving while black. Today racial tensions seem to be on the rise and it is sad and scary.
I found it difficult to fit the subtopics assigned for this blog to The End of Race Politics by Coleman Hughes. It wasn’t that I agreed or disagreed with him prior to reading the book, I had not heard of the concept to form an opinion. Hughes’ dream was that society would revert back to the ideals of Martin Luther King and Fredrick Douglas. These giants of history worked for a society that would be strong because it was committed to building unity rather than division. It was based on the character of individual, not the color of their skin[1].
Hughes proposed a colorblind America where people are treated without regard to their race in public policy and in their private lives[2]. As an example, if someone was applying for a job, anything that revealed the ethnicity or race of an applicant would be redacted from dossiers so that employers would choose candidates based solely on the strength of the applicants related to position requirements. At the same time, Hughes suggests that support be increased to help children in schools who may be disadvantaged economically or situationally, so that they could compete at a higher level. He also recognized that no one is completely colorblind, yet a person’s character and wellbeing is not about the color of their skin[3]. One technique that I found interesting was Hughes’ recommendation for traffic cameras. Taking out the human bias would move ticketing toward colorblindness[4].
Coleman Hughes has his share of critics. A movement that has gained traction is called neoracism. Neoracism is an ideology that wants distinct racial grouping that they believe are necessary for a just society. The categories carry many stereotypes about the thoughts and beliefs of people who are black and those who are white. The hard part is that racism depersonalizes people[5]. Both white supremacists and neoracists are both committed to race supremacy, just from different perspectives. Both deny that all races are equal and that everyone deserves to be treated fairly[6]. One of the interesting things to me was that Hughes cited the decline of Christianity of leaving a void that was commonly held; the unity of all in Christ[7].
Conclusion
Jacksonville, FL has a mixed reputation surrounding race. Some horrible things have happened in this city. Yet, some good things happen as well. An organization called 904WARD invites individuals, churches and civic groups to participate in creating an environment where racial healing can occur by developing relationships in a multicultural environment[8]. This movement is grounded in building trusting relationships with others where people can recognize differences but work toward understanding. Time and again in our readings the importance of relationships emerges. There are library shelves full of books that focus on relational leadership. I personally have those shelves. One I like is RARE Leadership. Its discussion of being relational rather than defensive and argumentative demonstrated a core component needed for healthy conflict resolution[9].
As I close this, my sadness is that as long as there are human beings, there will be discrimination where people in power decide who is less than others. Yet, I pray that the life I live exemplifies my strong conviction that creator God made each person in God’s image and likeness and loves everyone. My simplistic 3rd grade mind still doesn’t understand why Jesus doesn’t come back and toss everyone sinful out of the temple like he did with the money changers. But then I guess I’d get tossed out too.
[1] Coleman Hughes, The End of Race Politics, Arguments for a Colorblind America (New York, NY., Penguin Random House, 2024), 25.
[2] Hughes, 19.
[3] Hughes, 15.
[4] Colman Hughes, “A Case for Color Blindness” TED Talk, August 9, 2023. https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=coleman+hughes+ted+talk&&mid=AB18C71E2895EACEC7B9AB18C71E2895EACEC7B9&&FORM=VRDGAR
[5] Hughes, 22.
[6] Hughes, 33.
[7] Hughes, 91.
[8] 904WARD is a nonprofit organization in Jacksonville, FL that was founded in 2015 to create racial healing through trusting relationships and deep conversations. 904ward.org.
[9] Marcus Warner, and Jim Wilder, Rare Leadership, 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2016), 123,124.
About the Author
Diane Tuttle
14 responses to “Character over Color”
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Diane,
Thanks for sharing your experiences growing up. Your mom did a wonderful job explaining the reasons for physical differences among people.
I am curious if race/ethnicity has ever been an issue with your group homes? how clients treat each other and/or how staff treat the clients
Hi Jeff, That’s a great question. One of the things I truly love about my work is that we are always learn FROM the people we serve. They don’t relate to people by race, they gravitate toward those who are nice to them and care about them. They are also quick to forget and move on from a bad day. Maybe that is one consequence of their other limitations but something to celebrate. Thanks for asking.
Hi Diane,
Thank you or sharing your personal story. What are your thoughts on the potential effectiveness of Hughes’ proposed solutions, such as redacting racial information from job applications and using traffic cameras to reduce human bias?
Hi Shela, That’s a good question. I think removing racial biases is good. I actually think it could be done in our situation. However, if you also leave in the universities where someone attends, there is a story there as well. Maybe race, if it is an historically black school, but also affluence depending on the names of the university. However, could those items be redacted as well? Maybe, but then you are missing a lot. Did someone do well in a large setting or did they thrive because they were in a very small school setting with lots of faculty interaction and support. So I guess my follow up question might be where does the redacting become too much?
Hi Diane, thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts about race. I love that you brought the relational component from RARE leadership into this. Getting to know those who are seemingly not like us ends up removing a lot of the barriers, misconceptions and stereotypes.
In your role, what opportunities and challenges do you have with the relational approach?
HI Graham, Thanks for asking. I think I am in a remarkable setting. It is a mission driven organization caring for children, adults, and families living with developmental disabiltiies. All our work is relational so it carries into coworker and leadership roles as well. People work very hard but for the most part they are respectful of others. Without using the following scripture, (since the State of FL would not allow it to be set up as a faith-based org 30+ years ago) I talk about everyone playing a part and all parts are needed for us to provide the best care- kind of like 1Cor,12:12 For though the body is made of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
Diane, thank you for sharing your experience. You mention that racial tensions seem to be on the rise and express both sadness and hope in light of that reality. Given your reflections on Hughes’ vision of a colorblind America and your own experiences, what practical steps do you think individuals and communities—especially faith-based ones—can take to foster true unity without ignoring the real pain and history of racial discrimination?
Hi Chad, Thank for the question. I think the part of Hughes that I like is to be colorblind in the hiring practice as much as possible for selecting who to interview. I do believe it is a both and situation. Be colorblind in hiring but also have those conversations. Really the 904WARD is about building relationships with honest dialogue. I am sure that if someone was neoracist participating it might have a different “feel” but for the most part people participating are interested is building bridges. At work it is hard for me to know everyone really well because we have about 85 employees so I focus on the ones who work in our main campus building. I try to at least walk around the building most days to say hello but also if I learn things are going on for them trying to connect on those things even briefly. Just feeling noticed is important for people. I am far from perfect at it with lots to juggle so it may not be an every day thing but at least a couple times a week. Hopefully they sense someone caring about them as people and not just a “worker”.
Hi, Diane, I appreciate how you shared you personal perspectives, Hughes’ perspectives on race, neoracism, and colorblindness. One of the interesting things from your blog was the mention of declining of Christianity as a factor declining unity. On top of it, you brought in ‘RARE Leadership’ which indicates that we all have part in advocating for unity by remaining relational. In your position of leadership, how would you encourage those in hiring position to be ‘colorblind?’ Thank you again, Diane.
Hi Noel, Thank you for reading the post and your question. To help begin working toward colorblind hiring, I am going to recommend that our HR professional cover the names or other identifying information in the initial phase of hiring where we are deciding who to invite for interviews. It will be interesting to see if it works in our context.
Thank you, Diane. In my younger days, after graduating from community college, I send some resumes out for the positions of Engineering Technicians, AutoCAD Designer, and Architectural technicians/Designer. I had few responses for face-to-face interviews. But when I got there, I was told that the position is filled or, they will call me. I got so disappointed, that there is nothing I could do, I was at their mercy. Anyway, my only comfort is that when our GOD closes doors, it is because HE has another door planned for us. Thank you.
Thanks Diane. Given your experiences and the work of organisations like 904WARD, how do you see the balance between advocating for race-neutral policies (as Hughes suggests) and the need for intentional efforts to address the claims of historical and systemic inequalities? Have you found any particular relational or leadership practices that help bridge these perspectives in a way that leads to genuine healing and reconciliation?
Hi Glyn, I think I want to refer you to my comments to Chad above for most of your question. However, about intentional efforts to address historical and systemic inequities, I think the answer also needs to be systemic and as Hughes highlighted (can’t remember if it was a TED talk, the book, or one of his popcasts) that along with say doing college admissions in a colorblind way, be sure to also initiate programs that help students who are marginalized whether due to race, poverty, or any other factor (could be divorces, abuse, etc) to help them succeed in school so that they can compete at a level that would allow access if the process was colorblind.