Why Pretending You Don’t See Race or Gender Is an Obstacle to Equality

When Christy Johnson was pregnant and working as a vice president at a tech company, a manager made some sexist comments to her. When she confronted him, he hid behind what he thought was a bulletproof shield: As the father of two daughters, he didn’t even see gender, he said. He was “gender-blind.” “I felt dismissed,” Johnson told me.

They’re gender-blind or race-blind because of an experience they may have had growing up in a diverse community—or having a strong mom.

CHRISTY JOHNSON