On the Basis of Race
By Syeda Hasan, Behavioral Neuroscience, 2021
In 1995, the first human genome was sequenced by chief private scientist Craig Venter and his colleagues at the Human Genome Project. Five years later, after having analyzed the genomes of people of five different ethnicities, Venter was definite that race has no genetic or scientific backing. Since then, the science behind gene expression has been questioned. What has been found is that all humans have almost an identical set of genes within their genomes, but the extent to which a gene is expressed may vary.
We also now know that gene expression can increase or decrease as a result of environmental changes. Studies have indicated at least three biological pathways that may play a role in the regulation of gene expression — the neuroendocrine system, the disruption of transcriptional capabilities, and via microbial symbionts. Evidently, none of these factors are “race”.
What has been found is that all humans have almost an identical set of genes within their genomes, but the extent to which a gene is expressed may vary.
However, despite scientific principle, many individuals still believe that race is biological. So where does this notion come from? The idea that there are five distinct “races” (Caucasians, Mongolians, Africans, Malayans, and Americans) is one that has been pushed and probed since the 18th century.
These “human varieties” were proposed by a renowned German physician and anthropologist, Johann Friederich Blumenbach. Blumenbach thought the shape of the skull and other physical differences were hugely impacted by environmental and cultural factors. His biases became evident when he and fellow naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, upheld the “degeneration theory”. This was the notion that all races had a single origin, and environmental factors, like food and sun exposure, brought about other races. Since this “degeneration” could be reversed, Buffon and Blumenbach believed that humans of any race could revert “to the Original Caucasian” — in reference to their belief that Adam and Eve were white.
Buffon and Blumenbach believed that humans of any race could revert “to the Original Caucasian” — in reference to their belief that Adam and Eve were white.
Evidently, the hypotheses of race have deeply problematic roots. The theorists who propelled the assumption that one race is biologically inferior to another also paired with these assumptions their social and religious predispositions. Importantly, the turn of the 18th century marked the point in history when Americans began searching for human classifications to justify the trans-Atlantic slave trade. American anthropologists Audrey Smedley and Brian Smedley note, “in an era when the dominant political philosophy was equality, civil rights, democracy, justice, and freedom for all human beings, the only way Christians could justify slavery was to demote Africans to nonhuman status.” The works of Blumenbach and others like him were the perfect vehicles for this kind of justification.
Today, the human genome has been studied thoroughly enough to conclude that as our ancestors migrated, some random mutations proved to be beneficial and were passed on. The further apart humans migrated, the more distinct these mutations appeared. Still, geneticists have found that there is more diversity (both phenotypic and genotypic) within the continent of Africa than there is on all the other continents combined. There are no fixed traits for specific geographic locations and every notion that we have historically upheld concerning race can only continue to move further from the truth as humans globalize.
There are no fixed traits for specific geographic locations and every notion that we have historically upheld concerning race can only continue to move further from the truth as humans globalize.
Considering all of this, the way race and racialism have been weaponized seems like a harsh reality. Many of the racist ideologies of the 18th century still persevere. When asked about the outcomes of racialism, Dr. Richard Wamai, Associate Professor of Cultures, Societies and Global Studies at Northeastern University, says, “Recently — in 2016 — a study…showed that there is a large belief among white physicians — whether they are in medical school, whether they are practicing physicians — that black people don’t feel pain, or feel less pain as it were. Because of that, the type of prescription practices that are perpetuated then mirror that belief. Where does that belief come from? That belief comes from history…But you wonder, these are highly educated people who’ve studied anatomy, biology…How would they not know?”
The study that Wamai was referring to clearly states that, to this day, many professionals in the field of healthcare, research, and medicine hold false beliefs about biological differences between black and white people which continue to shape the way we perceive and treat people of different races and, in turn, influence health disparities. So race is not a branch of biology, yet the residual impact of scientific racism can still be felt. Perhaps if the scientists of tomorrow have a better idea of what race truly is, we can uproot the ways in which it bleeds into scientific development.
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