Race, memory, and colorblindness: Critical history and deconstructing United States democracy

Recent authoritarian rhetoric in the United States comes as a surprise to many who, before this, felt that U.S. democracy was secure. However, scholars argue U.S. democracy has never been stable to the extent that many believe. In this paper we use a synthesis of perspectives informed by critical race theory, critical and cultural psychologies, and research on collective memory to call attention to how the United States’ colorblind ignorance to histories of racism informs perceptions of democracy as infallible. Through historical case studies we highlight how the U.S. has a long tradition of authoritarianism if viewed from the perspectives of people of color and ignorance to this past allows the U.S. to be vulnerable to authoritarian rhetoric in the present day. We suggest narratives of critical history that challenge majoritarian perspectives can disrupt this rhetoric. We conclude by discussing the importance of knowledge of racial history in making clear the ways in which the treatment of POC has never been democratic and how this knowledge can inform resistance and new conceptualizations of a color conscious democracy.