A colour-blind, merit-based approach sounds good but it disregards the systemic inequities that continue to define US society
Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.Lost your password? Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
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