Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time. A curious thing happened to Coleman Hughes in 2023. The American writer, intellectual and podcast host gave a speech, “ A case for colour blindness ”, at the annual TED Conference in Vancouver.
The author of The End of Race Politics defended what he believes is the misunderstood and maligned concept of colour-blindness: the idea that we should treat people without regard to race in public policy and our personal lives. This puts him at odds with peers such as Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to Be an Antiracist (who proposed a Department of Anti-Racism to pre-approve all local, state and federal public policies; investigate private racist policies; monitor public officials for expressions of racist ideas; and discipline recalcitrant policymakers and officials); and White Fragility writer Robin DiAngelo (who claimed that “ over-smiling ” at black people “allows white people to mask an anti-blackness that is foundational to our very existence as white”).
Hughes’ speech drew strong applause and some attendees gave a standing ovation. A fortnight later, TED boss Chris Anderson informed Hughes of internal pressure not to publish his video and criticism from social scientist Adam Grant, who claimed Hughes’ arguments were contradicted by a 2020 meta-analysis . Hughes had a different interpretation: this research actually supported his claims .
Not helping matters were the potential problems with meta-analys.