In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of race. There is no other way.

This line is associated with Justice Harry A. Blackmun’s Supreme Court opinions addressing affirmative action and equal protection, where he argued that a “color-blind” approach can entrench existing inequalities. It is commonly linked to his separate opinion in the Court’s 1978 affirmative-action decision (Regents of the University of California v. Bakke), in which he defended limited consideration of race as a remedial tool. The remark is often quoted to capture the view that the law cannot realistically dismantle racial hierarchy by pretending race is irrelevant; instead, it must acknowledge race’s social and historical effects in order to overcome racism.

Blackmun’s statement rejects the idea that ignoring race is a sufficient or neutral path to racial justice. It argues that racism is not merely a matter of individual prejudice but a social system with measurable effects; therefore, remedies must begin by recognizing race as a lived and legally salient reality. The quote encapsulates a pragmatic, remedial view of equality: treating everyone “the same” in the abstract can perpetuate unequal conditions created by history. Its significance lies in framing race-conscious measures not as departures from equality, but as tools aimed at achieving a more genuine, substantive equality.