Reflect and Act

There is only one race. The human race. Race is a construct made to segregate people which continues to be exploited to this day. Historically speaking people were confined geographically so they had certain genes remain in their population. Since people share these genes they have features in common. The video discussed African heritage having sickle cell anemia. That is a product of a beneficial mutation if you are a carrier of sickle cell you won’t die of malaria. It’s a product of their environment. We are all humans, our blood and body parts are interchangeable with one another. We are all the same race.

"The racial categories to which we were assigned can determine real life experiences, they can drive political outcomes, and they can even make the difference between life and death. But understanding that racial categories are made up can give us an important perspective on where racism came from in the first place."These last few sentences of the video really stuck with me. 

This is a concise yet impactful video that challenges the widely-held belief in the biological basis of race.  In just three minutes, the video dismantles the notion of race as a scientifically valid concept, highlighting that genetic differences among human populations are minor and superficial.  Through clear and accessible explanations, it illustrates how the idea of race was constructed and perpetuated for social and political purposes rather than rooted in biological reality. The video emphasizes that the visible physical differences we associate with race, such as skin color or facial features, are the result of adaptation to different environments rather than indicators of distinct biological categories. 

By debunking the myth of race, the video encourages viewers to reconsider their assumptions and recognize the shared humanity that unites us all, regardless of superficial differences.  It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of critically examining entrenched beliefs and understanding the complexities of human diversity beyond simplistic categorizations.

I chose to watch the video titled, "The Myth of Race: Debunked in 3 Minutes." This video talked about how race is a social construct and is not actually real. It is sad to think about how much much discrimination occurs based on race, even though it is just an idea. Additionally the video talks about how the way race was classified and seen was changed over time due to the social or political needs of the government. This makes me curious as to what other social constructs have changed do to social or political needs? Some ideas that come to mind are money and gender roles.

I watched the video and then had a conversation with my sister about the idea that race was basically a social construct. We talked a lot about how a persons race can be a point of pride with people or a determining factor for many things. She is in the medical field so she was interested in the idea that when scientist determine health risks or outcomes based on race, that it really isn't race at all that they are using to determine these things. It made me wonder why we continue to make people identify with a certain race on things such as the census or doctors forms especially based on the idea that you can pretty much make up whatever race you want to be because there is no actual DNA that determines your race. 

This clip emphasizes that race is seen as a social concept rather than a biological fact. This shows the importance of recognizing and challenging racial stereotypes but also considering the social and historical reasons behind discrimination. I think students at the junior high have grown up in a world that is vastly different than their parents or grandparents which has resulted in some gains in the amount of discrimination we see. It still exists but I do believe the frequency is declining substantially. 

This was such an informative short video. The video was so eye opening and could definitely be used with students at the junior high level. Unbelievable to see how race was essentially made up. I was particularly bothered by the fact that the 5 perfect races were determined upon the creation of race. I also appreciated the medical connection that was made regarding location vs race. Great watch and super helpful in understanding the creation of race.  

Race isn’t real and I think a lot of people in this world need to realize this.  They should all watch the short, very informative video on the Myth of Race Debunked.  Race was just a made-up concept to categorize people.  I found it interesting that anyone can change their race at any time and no one can really argue it because a race chromosome simply does not exist.  Characteristics of race have changed just to satisfy what was needed at that time in history.  Race has driven a lot of social and political outcomes when really it shouldn’t because race does not exist.  I think this video would be great to show students.  

I chose to watch the brief clip titled, "The Myth of Race: Debunked in 3 Minutes".  I found this clip to be very interesting because in today's society race and racial discrimination is at the forefront of a lot of conversations, media stories, and social media issues just to name a few.  I feel that this video really puts things into perspective and can spark a much larger conversation about race and how it doesn't have to be this way nor should it be the way it is right now in our country or the world.  There is one race, the human race and discrimination was thought of way before our time and it is now time to change the myth behind it!

This short video was very informative and could certainly be used in the classroom for students to understand race is not real.  Race was made up to categorize people.  Over the years, race has become less generalized from white vs. black, to individuals being able to check multiple racial boxes.  Race has been used for social and political outcomes, and I found it interesting that a person's race could change multiple times in their lifetime based on what was needed during a particular time in history.

I chose this to respond to because interestingly enough, I recently had a visiting student teacher whose assignment was to audit my library. As a part of her assignment, she was required to come into the library with that exact BINGO card and find as many of the components as she could. As we worked together looking to see if we had a book that met each requirement, it ended up that we filled the entire sheet! I know how important representation is in achieving equity so I was pretty proud of that accomplishment. I also appreciate how the company that I use to select books also includes information on how each book supports the learning objectives of diversity, equity, and inclusion and goes into detail about the different cultural groups that will be represented in the story and why it is important to share. This definitely helps us librarians to be more inclusive and fill in gaps that we have in our current collections.