How Race Was Made

http://www.sceneonradio.org/episode-32-how-race-was-made-seeing-white-part-2/

According to this series, as a human race we are 99.9% genetically the same. There is more genetic difference in a flock of penguins.

This particular episode makes a case that race is construct created by man for control and power. That’s not to say that race isn’t real and doesn’t have real implications in today’s world - it does. But digging into the history of how systematic racism came to be is important for us to understand how to start to dismantle it.

Discussion Questions

1. What historical forces contributed to the creation of racial categories in the United States?

2. How does understanding the social construction of race change the way we think about inequality today?

3. In what ways do historical systems of racial hierarchy still influence modern institutions?

4. How can learning this history help individuals become more informed and effective allies?