Race

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A man stands in front of the Djingareyber mosque on February 4, 2016 in Timbuktu, central Mali. Mali's fabled city of Timbuktu on February 4 celebrated the recovery of its historic mausoleums, destroyed during an Islamist takeover of northern Mali in 2012 and rebuilt thanks to UN cultural agency UNESCO. TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SEBASTIEN RIEUSSEC / AFP / SÉBASTIEN RIEUSSEC
African Peoples Before Captivity
Shackles from Slave Ship Henrietta Marie
Kidnapped: The Middle Passage
Enslaved family picking cotton
Nearly Three Centuries Of Enslavement
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Reconstruction: A Brief Glimpse of Freedom
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One Hundred Years of Jim Crow
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I Am Somebody! The Struggle for Justice
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NOW: Free At Last?
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Memorial to the Victims of Lynching
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The Freedom-Lovers’ Roll Call Wall
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The concept of race is important to America's Black Holocaust Museum because of its impact on the African diaspora. Race is a way of categorizing people by physical features–predominantly skin color. In much of the world, the white (caucasian) race is viewed more favorably than other races. The social construct has been used to justify kidnapping and enslaving African peoples and centuries of racism, including redlining, Jim Crow laws, anti-Black violence, and racial stereotypes about laziness, to give just a few examples.

While race-based arguments for inhumane treatment do not reflect biological reality, especially because someone can be of multiple races, members of the same race may share certain cultural and genetic characteristics. For example, the Black community is disproportionately impacted by Sickle Cell Disease. However, it is important to remember that commonalities between people of the same race do not indicate a genetic or biological component. Instead, racism contributes to environments in ways that can have serious and lasting impacts, especially on Black health and wealth. For example, redlining and lack of money led to many Black people living in areas with more pollution, and those in the medical field do not always provide the same service to Black patients, both of which can impact health.

Because of these inequalities, the Civil Rights Movement and other social, legal, and economic efforts for equality often specifically benefit Black people and other people of color. Race and its impact on the world have also been the topic of interdisciplinary study, and some artists specifically incorporate race--and racism--into their work. Furthermore, race can be a source of pride, sometimes in response to racism and negative stereotypes.

A Frank Talk About Race

March 2, 2014

America’s Black Holocaust Museum hosted a frank discussion about race that attracted participants of many races.

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“Race” – The History of a Persistent Myth

July 26, 2015

For more than 400 years, the economic, social, and political behavior of Americans has been shaped by ideas about “races” and racial differences. Where did these powerful ideas come from – and are they true? How have your ideas about racial differences been affected?

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Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation”, Hollywood Clapback or Just Another Slave Movie?

May 6, 2016

By Riley Wilson and Shantrelle P. Lewis, Colorlines.com In this point/counterpoint about Nate Parker’s buzzy directorial debut, two Black independent filmmakers wrestle with the notion of seeing more chains, whips and nooses on the big screen.  Riley Wilson: “The Birth of a Nation” Didn’t Change the Game …On the one hand, we have a film written, directed, and starring a Black man that tells the story of an enslaved African-American by the name of Nat Turner who led the most successful slave rebellion in U.S. history. On the other hand, we have a film about slavery-again… …(I)f you consider the rapturous reviews of “The Birth of a Nation” and the popularity of Black Lives Matter, a film studio would be silly not to invest in such a project. Black folks fighting for their rights—let alone their lives—is so in right now… …(T)o be quite honest, I cringe every time I see a period film about this topic gain more notoriety than films that speak to the current condition of Black lives… …(T)here are so many other stories to tell. It’s like the only way a film about the Black experience is rewarded is if it’s about the good-ole’ days of slavery… My qualm is not with the success that “The Birth of Nation” has had so far. It’s with the lackadaisical nature of an industry that allows so many great movies from writers and directors of color to fall through the cracks… Shantrelle P. Lewis: Nate Parker’s “The Birth of A Nation” is the Biggest Clapback Hollywood Has Ever Seen …(M)ost of our parents, us and our children have a limited view of history—especially any involving people of African descent. We’re taught that Black history begins with slave ships, cotton gins, beatings, lynchings and rape and ends with segregated buses, water hoses, police dogs and burning crosses. This view has been exacerbated by the predominant images of Black people today, those from the minstrel shows that are reality television programs and the viral videos showing police-sanctioned murders of Black people on social media… Beyond what the sale of Parker’s film signifies,”The Birth of a Nation” is a brilliant clapback against the first movie to use this title, D.W. Griffith’s 1915 Ku Klux Klan propaganda film… …Give me Nat Turner. Give me Toussaint. Give me Dessalines. Give me Nanny. Give me Zumbi. Give me Boukman. Give me Tula. Give me 1811. Give me the Saamaka. Give me Sojourner. Give me Denmark. Give me Harriet. Give me all of them on the big screen, any day, any year from now until forever. Read the full article here. Read more Breaking News here.

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The Enemy Within

May 12, 2021

Over a decade after the FBI first issued its warning, American police departments remain an attractive option for white supremacists seeking work.

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‘There’s no way to hide history’: Teachers react to Georgia law limiting discussion of race

May 12, 2022

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a law that would prohibit teachers from discussing race and racism, leaving those teachers frustrated.

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Jameson Green Won’t Apologize for His Confrontational Paintings. Collectors Love Him for It

October 3, 2022

Jameson Green’s art sometimes makes viewers uncomfortable because it shines a light on racism–and that’s what makes it so important.

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Yes, filling out race on forms is tiresome. Here’s why it matters.

December 20, 2022
While it sometimes seems like too many people have access to our data, that information is critical to understanding racial injustice. (Photo Illustration by Alex LaSalvia.STEVE EASON/GETTY IMAGES)

A checkbox on a form might seem like an inconvenience, but it can lead to insights–if forms are adequately designed and data handled well.

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Fitting Race in a Box

October 28, 2023
Census race question

Changing how the U.S. Census asks about race could have an unexpected impact, even if some people think it is currently insufficient.

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Supreme Court declines to immediately block West Point from considering race in admissions process

February 2, 2024
Westpoint cadets

For now, Westpoint military academy will continue to consider race in its admissions process despite conservative protests.

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No Box to Check: When the Census Doesn’t Reflect You

February 25, 2024

People of Middle Eastern and North African descent are usually counted as “white” by the U.S. government, though most do not identify that way.

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