Race: The Power of an Illusion

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Ten Things Everyone Should Know About Race

by Larry Adelman

Some quick facts about race that help dispel common myths and misconceptions.

Why Humans haven't Evolved into Subspecies

by California Newsreel

While humans appear diverse in terms of physical traits, variations in our genetic makeup are in fact very limited since humans have not had the time and isolation to evolve into separate subspecies.

Scientific and Folk Ideas About Heredity

by Jonathan Marks

Jonathan Marks provides an anthropological and historical perspective into why we classify people the way we do, and why those classifications, while culturally important, don't hold up from a biological standpoint.

Slavery, and the Idea of Race

by California Newsreel

A look at how racial classifications developed to discourage class solidarity between African slaves and white indentured servants in the colonies, and changed over time due to specific historical circumstances.

What Does the Census Tell Us About Race?

Historically, the census was used to target or exclude certain groups. But since the Civil Rights era, it has been used to measure which groups are being excluded.

Origin of the Idea of Race

by Audrey Smedley

Anthropologist Audrey Smedley explains how race was institutionalized in the 19th century as a worldview to justify slavery, inequality, and establish who should have access to privilege, power, status, and wealth, and who should not.

The Historical Origins and Development of Racism

by George M. Fredrickson

Historian George M. Fredrickson provides a brief overview of how ideas of race and racism evolved throughout the centuries, tied to interpretations of the bible, science, and culture.

Differences in Skin Color

If we were to walk from the tropics to Norway, what we would see is a continuous change in skin tone. And at no point along that trip would we be able to say, "Oh, this is the place in which we go from the dark race to the light race."

Naturalizing Social Differences

The biology becomes an excuse for social differences.

By 1910, 58% of American mining and factory workers were immigrants. Like Mexicans and African Americans, Italians, Slavs and Jews were often desired as laborers but also feared, seen as promiscuous, lazy, or stupid.

<p>The melting pot never included people of color. Blacks, Chinese, Puerto Ricans, etcetera, could not melt into the pot. They could be used as wood to produce the fire for the pot, but they could not be used as material to be melted into the pot.</p>

expert connection

Social Inequalities: Interview with Joanna Reed

Joanna Reed, Continuing Lecturer of Sociology at UC Berkeley, discusses how she relies on the film as a historical foundation for her students, tying it to scholarly articles and current events, and using it to introduce key sociological theories, such as Racial Formation.

expert connection

The Evolution of Human Biology & Genomics: Interview with Leslea Hlusko

Leslea Hlusko, Professor of Integrative Biology, discusses new research in genomics in regards to human variation, and relates it to the science presented in the film, and outlines the important role human biologists can play in engaging with social issues and misperceptions about human variation.

Emergence of the U.S. Racial Hierarchy

As African slavery increased, lower class Europeans won new rights and opportunities, as well as payoffs and status-enhancements, leading to their identifying as "white."

2020 panel discussion on Race—The Power of an Illusion, Part II

On Friday, September 25 we hosted a screening of Part II of Race—The Power of an Illusion: The Story We Tell, followed by a one-hour panel discussion with experts.

Why are there different levels of advancement in varying countries by race?

Why were black people written about so negatively in biblical-era writings?

Is the caste system in India racialized?

What is the origin of the word "race?"

How does the U.S. history of race and slavery compare to slavery in the rest of world history?

Evelynn Hammonds

A look at 19th century race science, race and medicine, and how scientists are influenced by their social context.

Evelynn Hammonds is currently (2019) Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University. She is the author of The Logic of Difference: A History of Race in Science and Medicine in the United States.

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Copyright 2018-2019, California Newsreel and Regents of the University of California. This website was jointly produced by California Newsreel, the Othering & Belonging Institute, the U.C. Berkeley Library, and the American Cultures Center at U.C. Berkeley, based on original material created by California Newsreel in 2003.