Episode 1 of the documentary Race: The Power of an Illusion dismantles the myth of race. According to this myth, race is an important characteristic rooted in biology or genetics. It accounts not only for visual differences among people, such as various skin colors but also for complex internal differences, such as intelligence or athletic ability. However, scientists have proven this belief to be false, and episode 1 explains why people should not believe in this myth anymore.
One example of why race is not a biological characteristic is the DNA workshop demonstrated in the documentary. Students were asked to undergo mitochondrial DNA tests to identify which people they were the most genetically similar to. While students assumed that they would be genetically close to people that had the same skin color or eye shape, the results turned out to be different from their expectations (California Newsreel). The fact that people of different races can have DNA sequences with a 100% match shows that there is a small amount of genetic variation among humans, proving that race is not a biological concept.
Another example is that many scholars of the past made significant efforts to understand what makes African Americans so good at sports. They analyzed their legs, hearts, chest capacity, and other body parts to identify a certain trait common to all African Americans (California Newsreel). Yet, these search efforts were futile as no such specific trait existed. Common characteristics occurring in people of one race are explained by the environment, geographic location, culture, and social influences but not by genetic differences among races.
While the concept of race does not exist in nature, it is still a real social construct that influences the lives of individuals. It affects what schools people attend, what jobs they apply to, where they live, and how much they earn. People have used the concept of race to justify the inequalities existing in society. However, since it has been proven that race is a socially constructed rather than a natural phenomenon, individuals have to stop believing in this myth.
Work Cited
California Newsreel. “Race – The Power of an Illusion. Episode One: The Difference Between Us.” Race The Power of an Illusion, Web.