This is the hope of color-blindness. But this state of affairs requires that we leave our “identification as Negroes” at the doorstep. It also demands that we believe that being “American” is not inextricably bound to the idea that white people are valued most in this country. This denial limits the scope of black protest: all we’re left to do is protest that we have failed to live up to our ideals or demand more just laws, while the value gap is left untouched.
