Race Unit in a Nutshell

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Galton, (remember him?) the biological determinist who coined the idea of nature vs. nurture, supported the idea of eugenics: The belief (and practice) of improving the genetic quality of the human race through selective breeding, extermination, (or sterilization in some cases), separating the superior from the inferior. Eugenics was practiced in the US years before Hitler got his claws into the idea to exterminate the Jews (and others). During the Progressive Era, eugenics was seen as the best way to preserve and improve the dominant Hegemony in our population. 

Perhaps not surprisingly, the American eugenics movement received funding from various corporate foundations (the 1%) including the Carnegie Institution and the Rockefeller Foundation. The Eugenics record office (ERO) was located in Cold Spring Harbor, NY by Charles Davenport. The ERO was one of the leading organizations to promote eugenics in seeking a solution to the problem of the "unfit" members of our society.

Before we throw stones, even prominent Black scholars and writers like W.E.B. Du Bois and Thomas Wyatt Turner believed "the best blacks were as good as the best whites (the talented tenth) of all races should mix", the idea of which is supporting eugenics. W.E.B. Du Bois stated that "only fit blacks should procreate to eradicate the race's heritage of moral iniquity..." see the article for more information. Even "Better Baby" contests were held. What a mess.

View any of the following: Short videos to consider as inspiration/knowledge for your writing. Watch, take notes, brainstorm ideas for stories, plays, poems, podcasts, scripts, essays, memoirs, speeches, etc.:
Things to research:
  • One drop rule
  • Better Baby contests
  • Beauty contests (& beauty pageant history)
  • Nature versus Nurture
  • Immigration
  • Jim Crow laws
  • The Tulsa Riot of 1921
  • The Negro Motorist Green Book 
  • The Rodney King Riots
  • Current events regarding immigration & race
  • Women in minority cultures/races and their struggles
1. Choose a topic.
2. Research (like we've taught you).
3. Consider and create connections: then versus now.
4. Consider society's missteps: where did we go wrong?
5. What might we do to fix these missteps? Where do we go from here? How do we "fix" racism in America?

Follow the rules for the contest. Even so, this is now your problem too to fix. How can we solve America's Race Problem? 

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