▁in ▁a ▁color - bl ind ▁U . S . ▁society , ▁or ▁whether ▁color - bl ind ▁policies ▁provide ▁the ▁best ▁means ▁of ▁ach ieving ▁ra cial ▁equality , ▁remains ▁controvers ial . ▁ ▁Color ▁blind ness ▁ ▁Ra cial ▁or ▁color ▁blind ness ▁reflect s ▁an ▁ideal ▁in ▁the ▁society ▁in ▁which ▁skin ▁color ▁is ▁ins ign ific ant . ▁The ▁ideal ▁was ▁most ▁force fully ▁art ic ulated ▁in ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Mov ement ▁and ▁International ▁Anti - rac ist ▁movements ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁Adv oc ates ▁for ▁color ▁blind ness ▁argue ▁that ▁persons ▁should ▁be ▁jud ged ▁not ▁by ▁their ▁skin ▁color ▁but ▁rather ▁by ▁" the ▁content ▁of ▁their ▁character ", ▁in ▁the ▁words ▁of ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁Jr . ▁Color - bl ind ▁ide ology ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁ten ets ▁of ▁non - dis c rim ination , ▁due ▁process ▁of ▁law , ▁equal ▁protection ▁under ▁the ▁law , ▁and ▁equal ▁opportun ities ▁regardless ▁of ▁race , ▁ideas ▁which ▁have ▁strongly ▁influenced ▁Western ▁liberal ism ▁in ▁the ▁post - World ▁War ▁II ▁period . ▁ ▁Pro ponents ▁of ▁" color - bl ind " ▁practices ▁believe ▁that ▁tre ating ▁people ▁equally ▁inher ently ▁leads ▁to ▁a ▁more ▁equal ▁society ▁or ▁that ▁rac ism ▁and ▁race ▁privile ge ▁no ▁longer ▁exercise ▁the ▁power ▁they ▁once ▁did , ▁rendering ▁policies ▁such ▁as ▁race - based ▁aff irm ative ▁action ▁ob sole te .