Teaching "colorblindess" to our children does not impart racial understanding, researchers say. Similar research, which studied black children ashamed of their skin color, were instrumental in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. Here, Linda Brown Smith stands in front of Sumner School in Topeka, Kan., in 1964. (Associated Press)

Discussing Race: The pitfalls of racial 'colorblindness' and the importance of talk

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Parents sometimes put race in a vacuum, says researcher Janie Ward, thinking ignoring differences — teaching 'colorblindness,' as its called — will raise a child free of bigotry. But Ward's study, and numerous others, shows that isn't the case.

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Discussing Race: The pitfalls of racial 'colorblindness' and the importance of talk

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