Stanley Filipowicz,
Dana Point, CA
p>Our oldest ancestors are from Africa, according to the out of Africa model. This is an environment where the sun is extremely prevalent and inescapable in everyday life activities. The color of our skin is dependent on how much sun exposure we receive. If we are exposed to more sun we produce more melanin making our skin darker. Originating from Africa our skin is going to be indefinitely darker due to sun exposure. If your from Ireland your skin will be much lighter due to the lack of sun and ability to absorb more vitamin D.
Our culture defines us and social concepts have made it so it categorizes us as well. If you are from the southwest “redneck” is a commonly used term to define a specific group of white people. This appearance organizes us into groups with visual aide as the first tool used to group us into categories. While stereotypes are true to some extent, they are so ingrained in us that we live our lives based on those stereotypes. If you are told time and time again that black people (higher melanin count) are less likely to own a home or more likely to end up in jail then those repetitive accusations are going to be ingrained in your subconscious to become possibly true.
Race is a myth that has no biological evidence of being true. If your skin is dark your hair might be curly from one part of the world or it may be wavy from another part of the world. Our geographic barriers define how we look, and our cultural indifference’s define how we act. Race is socially constructed.
