Lessons From Rental Cars: The Struggle to Create Seeing Communities

Abstract

This article takes the ordinary workings of colorblindness—overlooking distinguishing factors and characteristics that mark what it is to be—and problematizes the impact of being blind to the human conditions students and families of color bring to the educational setting. Hicks argues that, even among actors committed to lessening its power, the negative tenets of colorblindness sneak into our practices and policies. Using Appiah and Gutmann's (1996) notion of "color consciousness"—a conception of noticing and learning from our inherent differences—Hicks posits how being conscious of difference not only enriches cross-cultural relationships, but opens spaces for deeper learning. He supports his argument by revisiting an experience of documenting a multicultural public school that successfully employs color-conscious pedagogical strategies. He closes by challenging theorists and practitioners to be intentional in creating conditions for consciousness to thrive in schools.