White people’s colorblind racial identity work in music-related contexts

This article outlines a generic process in the reproduction of inequality we name colorblind racial identity work. Based on 4 years of ethnographic observation in public settings and 25 semi-structured in-depth interviews, we outline how white people in public interactions use colorblind frames to present racial selves and others through their discussions, interpretations, and reactions to musical spaces, genres, and consumption patterns. In conclusion, we draw out implications for understanding the ways people accomplish what we call colorblind racial identity work and the importance of investigating this interactional process across numerous contexts.