Recently I watched this video called “Nina Jablonski breaks the illusion of skin color”. In this video Nina Jablonski explains that human skin tone is the product of evolution. She explains that our bodies over the years have adapted darker skin to use a natural sun block. She then illustrates the various ways people have moved both voluntary and involuntary. So to look at someone and cast judgment about them based on how they look is inaccurate. It is through human histories interaction that molded society prejudice of a race due to past historical events like the slave trade and various Diasporas that have occurred throughout history. Since racial prejudice was formed by these past social interactions couldn’t our actions in the present slowly erode the differences we have built from the past?
In Tatums definition of racism, a system of advantages based on race, made me wonder what advantages are truly gained. Racism and prejudice thoughts just give me more opportunities to surprise and defy your expectations of me. Nina Jablonski’s talk reminded me that we originate from the same pool of genetics. Therefore we are all related genetically to a degree. If you embrace prejudice or racist thoughts you forget that other people are resilient, resourceful, and are genetically similar to you. So assume nothing of your fellow humans, except that they are just like you, so treat them as you would treat yourself.
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/nina_jablonski_breaks_the_illusion_of_skin_color.html#
This is the video I was talking about.
-Douglas Domingo
This sounds like an interesting video. It reminds me of the "Out of Africa" theory that most evolutionary scientists now subscribe to--essentially that human life began in Africa and humans then eventually migrated to geographically diverse areas of the globe that then accounted for the physical and cultural differentiation. The other side of the coin is the "ploygenesis" theory--that human life cropped up simultaneously around the globe, though there is less evidence to support this particular theory.
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