The new Administration has made fighting racism a political priority. While it is debatable whether this is a task that should be entrusted to the government, the government can take a positive step towards eliminating racism by eliminating race categories.
Scientifically speaking, race does not exist. There is more genetic variation within a single race than among various races. Race is a socio-cultural construct, not a biological reality. This socio-cultural construct is nonetheless important; however, it would be more beneficial to think of race as a culture rather than as an immutable feature of birth.
The government took steps in recognizing that race is cultural and not biological in 1960, when they allowed individuals to select race based on self-identification rather than based on the determination of the census-taker. The next logical, and necessary, step is to eliminate race categories altogether. Keep reading…
This piece was published on May 5, 2021, in America’s Future. Visit America’s Future to keep reading.
