US Pesident Donald Trump. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
During his inauguration as the 47th president of the US, Donald Trump set the stage for sweeping policy shifts, wielding his executive power to reshape the nation’s social fabric.
Among his most controversial declarations was his commitment to ending what he termed the “social engineering” of race and gender. Trump vowed to create a society that is both “colour-blind” and “merit-based” while also asserting that America would only recognise two genders: male and female.
The concept of colour-blindness in racial policy has a long history in American discourse. Proponents argue that treating individuals without regard to race fosters equality and reduces racial divisions. However, critics contend that this approach overlooks the deep-seated effects of historical racism, including slavery, the Jim Crow laws and redlining, which have left lasting scars on black and minority communities.
Historically, colour-blind policies have been used as a way to dismantle affirmative action and other race-conscious policies aimed at levelling the playing field. By ignoring race, these policies effectively allow existing disparities to persist.
This has been evident in education, where race-neutral admissions policies in colleges have disproportionately disadvantaged black and Latino students. Similarly, in the workplace, diversity initiatives are often weakened by claims that hiring should be strictly merit-based, disregarding the systemic barriers that have long hindered people of colour from advancing in their careers.
With these problems of colour-blindness in mind, it is absurd for policies to be shaped by such an approach. This, particularly, is what makes Trump’s remarks problematic.
While the gender policy drew significant attention and debate, the issue of colour-blindness and meritocracy should be of far greater concern — especially for black Americans and other communities of colour. A colour-blind approach to race, despite its surface-level appeal, ignores the systemic inequities that continue to define American society. Without addressing historical and structural disadvantages, such a policy risks further entrenching racial disparities rather than resolving them.
The reactionary atmosphere after the speech was geared toward the gender aspect, while silent on the racial content. Trump’s pronouncements sparked immediate reactions, both domestically and abroad.
In African nations, like South Africa and Nigeria, his stance on gender policies gained significant traction on social media, with many conservative voices praising his rejection of what they viewed as “gender engineering”. However, discussions about his racial policies were largely absent from these debates.
This lack of attention to the racial implications of Trump’s vision is concerning. While debates over gender identity are undoubtedly significant, the greater threat to marginalised communities lies in the illusion of colour-blindness. A merit-based system assumes an even playing field but history shows that racial disparities remain deeply embedded in American institutions.
Racism in America is not a relic of the past; it is a lived reality for millions. From disparities in housing and employment to systemic bias in healthcare and the criminal justice system, people of colour continue to face discrimination at multiple levels. Black Americans are more likely to be denied housing, subjected to higher loan interest rates and profiled as criminals, simply because of their race.
The justice system, in particular, has been a glaring example of racial bias. Studies have shown that Black Americans receive harsher sentences than their white counterparts for similar offences. Even everyday experiences, such as being followed in a store or receiving subpar medical treatment, illustrate the persistence of racial prejudice. Given these realities, Trump’s vision of a “colour-blind” society appears not only impractical but also dangerously dismissive of systemic injustice.
Compounding these issues is the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in decision-making across various sectors. AI-driven tools filter job applications, determine loan eligibility and even influence sentencing in courts. However, these systems are far from neutral. They are trained on historical data that reflects past prejudices, meaning that the biases of Jim Crow-era America still shape digital decision-making today.
For example, AI systems used in predictive policing have disproportionately labelled black Americans as high-risk offenders, reinforcing racial profiling. Similarly, algorithms used in hiring processes have shown biases that favour white applicants.
In this digital landscape, a “colour-blind” policy does not eliminate discrimination — it merely shifts it into the realm of automated decision-making, where it becomes even harder to challenge. Given such problems, merit in decision-making might seem appealing but it is not feasible.
A merit-based society sounds good in theory but it cannot exist without first addressing the structural barriers that prevent equal opportunity. The idea that merit alone should determine access to jobs, education and financial services ignores the generational disadvantages faced by marginalised communities. Affirmative action and other corrective justice policies are necessary to level the playing field before meritocracy can be truly realised.
Rather than embracing colour-blind policies, the US must commit to addressing racial inequities head-on. Structural discrimination cannot be undone by pretending race no longer matters. Instead, policies that acknowledge historical injustices and work toward corrective justice are essential for true equality.
Trump’s administration might advocate for a society free of racial considerations but, in reality, such an approach only serves to maintain existing disparities. For black Americans and other people of colour, the real concern should not be the gender debate but rather the deeper implications of a society that refuses to acknowledge its racial past and present.
Until America fully confronts its history of discrimination, the promise of meritocracy will remain nothing more than an illusion.
One of the most critical areas where race-conscious policies are needed is education. Public schools in predominantly black and Latino neighbourhoods tend to receive less funding, have fewer resources and face greater challenges than those in affluent, predominantly white areas. This discrepancy is a direct result of historical policies such as redlining, which segregated communities and contributed to disparities in property tax revenue, which funds schools.
Moreover, standardised testing, often used as a measure of merit in college admissions, has been criticised for favouring students from wealthier backgrounds who have access to better preparatory resources.
By advocating for colour-blindness in education, Trump’s policy stance threatens to widen the existing racial achievement gap rather than addressing its root causes.
Besides education, colour-blinded policies could hamper economic growth.
A truly equitable economy cannot exist without addressing racial disparities in wealth and income. Studies have shown that black families in the US have significantly less generational wealth than their white counterparts, largely due to historical injustices such as slavery, segregation and discriminatory banking practices. Without targeted economic policies to close this gap, a colour-blind approach will only reinforce these inequalities.
For instance, the racial wage gap is a persistent issue, with black and Latino workers earning less on average than their white counterparts, even when controlling for education and experience. Homeownership rates among black Americans are also disproportionately lower, further exacerbating wealth disparities.
These systemic issues cannot be resolved by simply ignoring race; they require deliberate policies that acknowledge and address racial economic inequities. As I underscored earlier, these issues will proliferate, given the digital ecosystem we live in.
In conclusion, the promise of a colour-blind, merit-based society might appear attractive, but in reality, it is a dangerous illusion that threatens to perpetuate systemic racial inequities. Without acknowledging and addressing the deep-rooted disparities that continue to disadvantage people of colour, such policies serve only to maintain the status quo.
If America is to move toward true racial justice, it must reject the myth of colour-blindness and embrace proactive measures to correct historical injustices.
Edmund Terem Ugar is a PhD candidate in the Department of Philosophy and a researcher at the Centre for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg.