DAY 2: Give up believing that race has a scientific basis

ANSWERS:

1. TRUE - Genetic variation among humans is only 0.1%

2. TRUE - Of the 0.1% variation in human DNA, 95% of that variation happens within the socially constructed categories of race.

3. FALSE - Scientific racism, which claims that there is a scientific basis for race, is a pseudoscience and offers no empirical evidence for racial purity, superiority or inferiority.

4. Identify the ‘race’ of these 4 women: What did you use to determine your answers? What physical characteristics did you use?

Since there is no genetic basis for race and therefore no genetic basis for differences in outcomes for people of different races, what does account for the differences in health, wealth, education and employment outcomes for people from different races? How might factors such as exposure to environmental pollutants, intergenerational poverty, access to health care and systemic oppression account for differences in health, wealth, education and employment? Next time you believe that a difference in outcome is due to race, remember to look at the systemic differences for the real explanation.

SELF REFLECT: Imagine a person who you consider to be very different racially from you. What feelings come up? What sensations do you notice in your body?

Now, remind yourself that this person is 99.9% exactly like you biologically. Let that sink in. Breathe. Do your feelings change? Does your body feel different? 

Resources:

• Are you there, Race? It’s me, DNA: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/health-general-science/are-you-there-race-its-me-dna

• Teaching Race (Bio-culturally) Matters: https://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-abstract/79/7/516/18947/Teaching-Race-Bioculturally-Matters-A-Visual?redirectedFrom=fulltext