"Contrary to the then-common belief that the climate in which a person lived determined her skin color, Boyle saw skin color as an inherited characteristic, somewhat similar to how we see it today. But his research is a disturbing reminder that science is as capable of rationalizing corrupt forms of power as it is of guiding the way toward a more enlightened future."
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
Thanks for sharing--around the same time as Boyle, English colonists in North America speculated that Native Americans dipped babies in walnuts to dye their skin, based on a mistaken assumption that they were "born white."
Scientific racism is such a huge problem, and no surprise, Americans have been super good at promoting it. Thomas Jefferson attacked the environmental theory of race, that location changed people's skin color and other characteristics, because Europeans were teasing the white colonists that they'd "turn wild" in North America. Conveniently, it also gave Jefferson an excuse to enslave Black people and claim they were fundamentally different from white people.
Claiming that things like race are "natural" and "scientific" is so damaging. It strips people of their humanity with the veneer of "clinical" and "objective" language. And that was exactly the goal of men like Jefferson and Boyle, who seized the position of all-powerful observer and maker of knowledge while turning Black people into objects for study.
Thanks for sharing--around the same time as Boyle, English colonists in North America speculated that Native Americans dipped babies in walnuts to dye their skin, based on a mistaken assumption that they were "born white."
Scientific racism is such a huge problem, and no surprise, Americans have been super good at promoting it. Thomas Jefferson attacked the environmental theory of race, that location changed people's skin color and other characteristics, because Europeans were teasing the white colonists that they'd "turn wild" in North America. Conveniently, it also gave Jefferson an excuse to enslave Black people and claim they were fundamentally different from white people.
Claiming that things like race are "natural" and "scientific" is so damaging. It strips people of their humanity with the veneer of "clinical" and "objective" language. And that was exactly the goal of men like Jefferson and Boyle, who seized the position of all-powerful observer and maker of knowledge while turning Black people into objects for study.
As a child growing up in the 80’s skin color was a complicated thing for me. My white friends envied the way my skin tanned and darkened from the result hours in the sun (even though we were serious about sunscreen). My Asian family and friends thought it made me look lower class and “teased” me for it. I was just a kid who wanted to play and swim. I was still me, but everyone thought they could/should comment on it. My tan lines became a show.
Science starts with a hypothesis. It is often racist and the scientist has a vested interest in proving themselves right. No one wants to be wrong. It’s still continues today in the medical community. Systemic racism effects the care and services that minorities get. How much of our “genetic” risk factors are really because of race and not because of disproportionate care and access for generations? If we start with a flawed premise, how can we effect change?
share.memebox.com/x/uKhKaZmemebox referal code for 20% off! DD1 "J" born 3/2003 DD2 "G" born 4/2011 DS is here! "H" born 2/2014 m/c#3 1-13-13 @ 9 weeks m/c#2 11-11-12 @ 5w2d I am an extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, baby wearing, pro marriage equality, birth control lovin', Catholic mama.
My dad is Iraqi-Assyrian and my mom is Euroasian, my brother and sister are pretty lily white and I am clearly dark Mediterranean and I remember being young and my aunts would say in such sad regretful voices how its unfortunate I got my great grandmothers skintone and curly hair they would even call me her name (in a mean way) when I wore a top that made my skin look darker. I'm pretty proud of my skin whenever people see my family together and they mention how I dont necessarily fit in, I think of my great grandma and what a bad bitch she was. She climbed a mountain to beat her husband with a tree trunk for stealing all her hidden money to gamble with it. She also managed to avoid getting killed when the ottoman empire invaded her village looking for Armenians and Assyrians.
I'll admit I did tell my son people had different colors based on the region their ancestors came from but I'll have to read this.
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's book "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" is now available for free on Spotify. ow.ly/7xWL50AmSoA
Dr. Ibram X. Kendi's book "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" is now available for free on Spotify. ow.ly/7xWL50AmSoA
I feel like my spouse should be involved in something called “Profs and Pints”...
I’ll check this out thanks!
They typically are hosted in local bars, but like everything else, it’s moved online. Which I like, because I’ve wanted to go to a few, but heading into DC after work makes for a looooooong day.
My dad is Iraqi-Assyrian and my mom is Euroasian, my brother and sister are pretty lily white and I am clearly dark Mediterranean and I remember being young and my aunts would say in such sad regretful voices how its unfortunate I got my great grandmothers skintone and curly hair they would even call me her name (in a mean way) when I wore a top that made my skin look darker. I'm pretty proud of my skin whenever people see my family together and they mention how I dont necessarily fit in, I think of my great grandma and what a bad bitch she was. She climbed a mountain to beat her husband with a tree trunk for stealing all her hidden money to gamble with it. She also managed to avoid getting killed when the ottoman empire invaded her village looking for Armenians and Assyrians.
I'll admit I did tell my son people had different colors based on the region their ancestors came from but I'll have to read this.
I *think* the article was saying that while they believed skin color came from the sun, it was believed that everyone was born white and over their lifetime turned dark because of how much they're in the sun. I still think the explanation that our skin color is determined by where our ancestors lived is valid. Can anyone with more knowledge on this weigh in?