Race Matters

Conventionally, race is defined as "The idea of race assumes humans come divided into several distinct groups, each of which carry a set of innate traits. Those who are members of one race are more genetically similar to each other, and more different from members of another race." In the film "Race: The Power of an Allusion" several students participated in an activity that helped them find out their "race" or nationality. Doing this activity the students found that there are no genetic markers that define race and race is not based on biology but is an idea that we subscribe to biology. Looking at genetics, humans are not very different (Herbes-Sommers, 2003). Also in this film, we learn that in the past, scientists used their own opinions to form what were thought of as facts. On the outside, people of the same race look very similar but genetically, 85% of any difference is within a race or culture (Herbes-Sommers, 2003). The conventional definition of race is incorrect and not based on fact. The fact is that race is a human invention.

Race and racism has led to the oppression of black people as a whole. The preface of Race Matters states that "No other people have been taught systemically to hate themselves...for nearly four hundred years." The Jim Crow laws, slave trading, and slavery itself are all things that have been used to oppress and assault black humanity as a whole. In the film we watched we learned that people believed African Americans were actually born to die and that they were inferior to white people in all ways (Herbes-Sommers, 2003). Another negative effect of race is racial profiling, drug convictions and death row executions (West, 2001). Due to the preconceived notions formed over many years, black people have suffered hugely.

Watching the film and reading the preface I have learned many new things about race. I now believe that race does not exist and that it was created specifically but white people so they could feel superior to everyone else. I also believe that the idea of race can be reversed if people enlighten themselves and learn the facts.