Research Team: Steven Martinez, Daquan Ross, Elisa Smith, Michelle
Toval, Ajwa Timber
Critical Insights for Activists
The Barrier of "Not Seeing Race":: Colorblind attitudes are strongly linked to a decrease in interest in social justice and a reduction in activist behavior.
Preserving Self-Concept:: White individuals in interracial relationships may use colorblindness as a tool to ignore their partner\'s experience of racism while maintaining a "not racist" self-image.
Pragmatic Framing:: DEI messaging is more effective in skeptical environments when it focuses on "fairness for all" rather than just moral arguments.
The "Black Tax" in Leadership:: Black student leaders at predominantly white institutions experience "racist stress" and burnout from the weight of representation.
Urgent Research Gaps
Global Perspectives:: Research is needed on the psychological impact of DEI rollbacks on Latin American international students.
Structural Causes:: More focus is needed on the institutional causes of DEI backlash rather than just individual attitudes.
Academic References (APA)
Beatty, C. C., et al. (2025). "It's still there, but it's not the same": Black student leadership in the wake of anti-DEI state policy. *Education Sciences*, 15(7), 890.
Daughtry, K. A., et al. (2020). What, you can't see that?: the impact of colorblind attitude on young adults' activist behavior\... *Journal of African American Studies*, 24(1), 1-22.