At the beginning of chapter 16 what does the author mean when he says “Maniac was blind”?

Chapter 16. In Chapter 14, Maniac questions why the East Enders call themselves black. The question presents itself again as Maniac is termed “blind” because of his failure to understand the tensions that exist around him. He doesn’t understand age or racial discrimination and is confused by the premise of skin color. The end of the chapter culminates with an allusion to the fact that Maniac is about to understand discrimination.