ABSTRACT
Society establishes the means of categorizing persons and the complement of attributes felt to be ordinary and natural for members of each of these categories. The routines of social intercourse in established settings allow us to deal with anticipated others without special attention or thought. Larnell sat down, and began a long story about being stopped by the police while driving a classmate to her home in a nearby affluent neighborhood. Jay's story also illustrates the ways in which ability profiling draws on cultural narratives and deficit discourses regarding children of color in general, and Black males in particular. The assertion of colorblindness on the part of Axleton community members raises similar issues regarding the interrelated nature of cultural narratives and daily practices. Thompson brought this perspective on colorblindness to bear on an examination of theories of care.
