Almost two decades of research using the Weapon Identification Task (WIT) show that seeing Black face primes facilitates the identification of guns compared to tools. However, it is unknown whether the stereotype-based association between Black faces and guns impacts initial perceptual processing or only later memory or response-related processes. Here, to test for the presence of a perceptual effect while controlling for memory and response-effect we measured the influence of race-priming on visual awareness during continuous flash suppression (CFS), a strong interocular suppression technique. Eighty-four participants were primed with Black or Asian faces, and then indicated the location of a gun or tool target that was temporarily rendered invisible through CFS. Faster localization in this task reflects faster entry into visual awareness. The same participants also completed a standard WIT gun/tool identification task with Black and Asian face primes. We replicated the standard race-priming effect in the WIT: Black faces primed the identification of guns, while Asian faces primed the identification of tools. However, in the CFS task, Black and Asian primes did not affect when guns and tools enter into awareness. This shows that the stereotypical Black-gun association does not alter early visual processing. Instead it suggests that race-priming most likely originates from later memory- or response-related processing stages.