Cynthia Cummings-Walker
A Word to the Wise (lifeandbibleblog.com)
Nothing Biological Identifies “Race”
God created the world in all of its beauty with its landmasses, climates, bodies of water, vegetation, forests and flowers, and every living creature. Then God created the human race. He created mankind in His own image, according to His likeness (Genesis 1:26).
Then God created people with diverse nationalities, ethnicities, cultures, skin tones, eye and hair colors and textures. What a beautiful picture of diversity. The only “Race” that God created is the human race.
I understood this more clearly when I took a DNA test to determine my ancestry. My genome showed that my ethnicity originated from two continents – Africa and Northwestern Europe. There was no “Race” indicated. “Race” is not identifiable in the human genome genetically or biologically, nor is it scientifically quantifiable. Something that does not exist cannot be measured.
Identifying “Race” would be like attempting to measure the miles that Santa Claus travels around the world on Christmas eve. Yes, children see Santa, sit on his lap, and tell him what they want for Christmas. They wake up on Christmas morning to open the toys Santa left. None of this proves that Santa exists. It’s merely a part of American tradition and culture which so many enjoy.
Santa Claus and “Race” have much in common. Santa Claus is beneficial to the people who embrace him, and the retailers who make billions of dollars a year off of this folklore. The designation of “Race” is advantages for those who want to perpetuate an inferior and superior grouping of people.
Think about it, biologically human bodies basically function the same way under a 2mm skin covering. If a person needs a blood transfusion there are no racial groupings. Blood is blood by type. When a person needs an organ transplant, there are no racial categories to choose from. Compatibility in blood and tissue type are requirements. “Race” is not a factor because “Race” does not exist.
Disagree? Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion about Race. I’m not bothered by that. Opinions are just opinions. Facts are facts. Where opinions and facts differ is that opinions don’t have to be based on any specific science.
Facts are based on information predicated upon universal truth, scientific, genetic, and biological research, and data. The most brilliant minds in the world have not identified anything such as “Race”.
“Race” is a Created Social Construct
Since “Race” classifications have no scientific validity, why in 21st century America does this racial designation continue to exist? There is no benefit in this created race-based construct except for those who believe in the theory of superior and inferior “Races”.
This has been exponentially the case in America since 1619. Because a Race-based social construct has been an integral part of American society for centuries does not justify its continuance. To quote Booker T. Washington: “A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right, and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by a majority.”
Why in America should Black people need to check a box that says African American, indicating “Race”, on so many mundane forms if it is not required on a Driver’s License, Passport, or other official documents which are identifiers?
When Black Americans travel anywhere in the world they are classified as a citizen of the United States of America, period. Yet, here in this nation, Black people are expected to use the prefix, African. I do not.
Furthermore, this whole idea of people of “mixed Race” being identified as Black or African American is telling. This harkens back to the legalized “One Drop Rule” referring to hypodescent (automatic descent to the subordinate group) which was outlawed in America by the Supreme Court in 1967.
Because Black people are not monolithic, some may think “Race” designations matter. That’s okay. However, for those who see “Race” as the race-based social construct that it is, perhaps they should question the validity of the “Race” question on forms. I have.
Not once has anyone been able to give me a valid answer as to why “Race” is important there. Some intellectual discussions about the validity of “Race” may change the narrative after a while. I have seen changes, and progress when I have raised the issue.
I think that it is important to say here that I do not consider myself to be a helpless victim of this raced-based social construct. My decisions determine how I live, not other people’s biases.
Continued in Part 2 and 3
A Word to the Wise 