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What Is Race?
"Physical differences don't make race. What makes race are the laws and practices that affect life chances and opportunities based on those differences. If we look carefully we can see how our institutions and policies have assigned racial identities and reinforced racial inequality throughout the 20th century. " ~ Race: Power of An Illusion (PBS Documentary, 2003)
Race: The Power of an Illusion is a 2003 PBS documentary series that discusses the development of an idea of "race" and the social reality of race in the U.S. This clip is from Episode 1. It discusses the concept of race as a "social construct", not a biological fact.
Definitions & Articles
Check out the links below to learn more about the concept of race and how it has developed in our society
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Social Construction of Race: Some observations on Illusion, Fabrication, and Choice by Ian F. Haney-Lopez (1994)
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