Once everyone accepts everyone else as equal will the group names disappear?

White, black, Italian, gay, Hispanic, United Negro Fund, LGBT, Jewish Federation, the list goes on.

I’m mostly thinking about this in terms of the US, but it can apply to other countries too.

I’m assuming we will always have groups we identify with in some level, but will we need organizations that group us together if economically and regarding civil rights we are all equal?

“White” people in America used to be more divided. The Irish were discriminated against, and Italians were seen as having different customers, the Polish had bad stereotypes about them, and now I think pretty much that has all disappeared. Yes, people still acknowledge those national backgrounds, but it has faded in a large way.

When you are in a place that is very diverse, very international, everyone is different and the same all at once. The idea of differences actually fades the more varied the group in my experience.

Does using labels and groups actually work against this melding of people? Some have argued the United Negro Fund when it was created should have been based on economic need, not race. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of the poor; his movement was not solely about racism.

Groups that don’t want to be separated, do they hurt themselves by creating separate groups?

I’ve wondered about this my whole life. I don’t have a clear opinion on it.

What’s your opinion?