The myth of race | BBC Ideas

“People imagine that people have always thought about skin colour in this racialised way, and we really haven’t.”
Is there any biological basis for categorising humans by race?

Made by Daniel Nils Roberts. This video was made in partnership with The Open University.


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[kindnessfirst]

There are people who debate whether Jesus was white or black and when I point out that he lived 15 centuries prior to the creation of the concept of white and black people they are shocked to find this out. In the time of Jesus a person's race was based on what language they spoke- not what they looked like. People are also surprised to learn that Israel is in Asia (but of course continents are a social construct also and people argue about how many continents there are).

[stevencarr]

Race is a social construct, like currencies.

[traeucity]

02:47 How strange that a people characterized as 'lazy', were the go to choice for perpetual servitude.

[Pradeep_]

2 eyes, 2 hands, 2 legs... how are we different then?

[shirleyhollins]

People would be surprised 😮 about race, it is a myth we are more alike then we think. They use this word to classify, group and then ultimately discriminate base on what they think it mean.

[tryphonkorm]

So, my skin produces less melanin than that of an African person, not due to a genetic difference but because the sun doesn't shine so strongly here where I live. That is, if I migrate to the tropics and the African guy to the Arctic my skin will become black brown and his pink white. Propaganda at its dammest!

[MuhammadAli-ssej]

This channel is verrry underrated. It deserves millions of views.

[JohnnyJackson]

I noticed if you go to different spots on the planet there are slight variations of human genetics.

[mrglasses]

Genetic distances (bigger numbers = more genetic distance):

Homo Sapiens and Homo Erectus: 0.19
Homo Sapiens and Homo Neanderthalensis: 0.08
Bantu and Western European: 0.24
Bantu and Aborigine: 0.33
Western Gorilla and Eastern Gorilla: 0.02 - 0.29
Bonobo and Chimpanzee: 0.05 - 0.2

Yes, I was shocked too.

[kindnessfirst]

I am 60 years old with a university education, grew up in a very politically liberal family and have black friends and relatives. Yet it was only a few years ago when i read a few books on human genetics that I first learned that race was cultural rather than biological. Now it seems obvious to me and the evidence of it is overwhelming and consistent. There are two things I never knew growing up and was never taught in school but should have been at an early age. Number one: race is a social construct. Number two: all maps are inaccurate because there is no way to faithfully show a three dimensional object on a two dimensional surface.

[omardrfilms]

I just really hope one day we will find aliens somewhere else outside this planet so certain people can realize that they are not the center of the universe.

[pranay]

I don't fall under any category except human

[inevski]

White and Black are political identities.

Race is a competition

[XYZ-txid]

They are saying race is not biological. Does that mean, a white man and a woman can have a black child. Concept of race may not be useful, but saying that race doesn't even exist is a bit ignorant.

[laurice]

Who else is watching this in February 2022, after Whoopie’s statements on the View?🤔

[DavidBrunnerstupidamerican]

2022, and still dealing with these silly ideals and concepts. If the human race survives, it is truly God's will. Because without Him, I can't see us making it more than another 20 years.

[duncanmcrae]

"Race is a social construct" The only race is the human race. What all of the hate and misunderstanding comes from is culture...there is only the human race and it is rather an argument about cultural insensitivity rather than throwing about the well tired "race" ideology

[teemadarif]

How about no boxes to ✔️. Very well done ☺️

[daniels.os.]

False. Race is a real thing expressed in the genes but it is empowered by cultural and geographical factors for the most. Not all societies evolved equally. Using the humanitarian political correctness is a goodwill approach but there can be marked some racial differences and that doesn't mean we should treat us unequally and without respect. Just read "A Troublesome Inheritance" by Nicholas Wade.

[saims.]

Race is just one of the ways I recognize people, like eye colour and hair colour.