Race - The power of an illusion

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[edit] General Information

Sociopolitical Documentary hosted by CCH Pounder and published by PBS in 2003 - English narration

[edit] Cover

[edit] Information

By asking, What is this thing called 'race'?, a question so basic it israrely asked, "Race - The Power of an Illusion" helps set the terms for what any further discussion of race must first take into account.Ideal for human biology, anthropology, sociology, American history, American studies, and cultural studies.

The division of the world's peoples into distinct groups -"red,""black,""white" or "yellow" peoples - has became so deeply imbedded in our psyches,so widely accepted, many would promptly dismiss as crazy any suggestion of its falsity. Yet, that's exactly what this provocative, three-hour series claims. "Race - The Power of an Illusion" questions the very idea of race as biology, suggesting that a belief in race is no more sound than believing that the sun revolves around the earth.

Yet race still matters. Just because race doesn't exist in biology doesn't mean it isn't very real, helping shape life chances and opportunities.

[edit] Difference Between Us

"The Difference Between Us" examines the question how to pin down through contemporary science - including genetics - what is commonly called race and usually associated with physical factors (skin shade, facial features).Can human beings be bundled into a few fundamentally different groups (European,African, Asian, etc.) when looking at their DNA?

[edit] Story We Tell

"The Story We Tell" uncovers the roots of the race concept in North America,the 19th century science that legitimated it, and how it came to be held so fiercely in the western imagination. The episode is an eye-opening tale of how race served to rationalize, even justify,American social inequalities as "natural." It outlines the history of social and economic forces which shaped 'race' relations and which have led the USA on a discriminatory path.
While in the early days of the English colonies there were free black people and enslaved white people this soon started to change as a matter of convenience.

[edit] House We Live in

"The House We Live In" asks, If race is not biology, what is it? This episode uncovers how race resides not in nature but in politics, economics and culture. It reveals how society "make" race by disproportionately channeling resources, power, status and wealth.