Multicultural Initiatives: Race - The Power of an Illusion

What's this blog about?

I teach several courses under the broad topic of "Multicultural Education," prioritizing social justice issues of access, power/privilege, & narrowing the academic achievement gap. I am a person of color and I almost always have a white co-teacher. We include topics, such as: racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, ethnocentrism, deculturalization, transforming curriculum, etc. This is a place where I post information that we teach; lesson plans for activities; and resources we use and/or which are shared with me by my adult students.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Race - The Power of an Illusion

Scientific racism of the 19th century: looking at how to rank "the races" by measuring skulls, etc. You cannot predict morality or potential for achievement, and those who are inferior can be enslaved.

Race is not biologically "real." External differences routed in biology are not related to internal DNA differences. There are no genetic markers that define race; no markers are present in everyone from one group and absent in all other groups. Race is an idea that is ascribed to biology.

How can the "white race" stay white? "One Drop Rule" and the Eugenics Movement leads to laws prohibiting intermarriage.