Although the term racism usually denotes race-based prejudice, violence, discrimination, or oppression, the term can also have varying and contested definitions. Racialism is a related term, sometimes intended to avoid these negative meanings. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, racism is a belief or ideology that all members of each racial group possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another racial group or racial groups.
The Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines racism as a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular racial group, and that it is also the prejudice based on such a belief. The Macquarie Dictionary defines racism as: “the belief that human races have distinctive characteristics which determine their respective cultures, usually involving the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule or dominate others.”
The concept that discrimination can be based on “race” presupposes the existence of “race” itself. However, the US Government’s Human Genome Project has announced that the most complete mapping of human DNA to date indicates that there is no distinct genetic basis to racial types.[2] Based on this evidence, “racial characteristics” logically cannot exist either.
According to the Human Genome Project, skin color does exist as a matter of science.[2] So, that which is commonly referred to as “racism” could be more scientifically referred to as “skin color-aroused discrimination”. The term “skin color aroused discrimination” has the benefit that it is based on verifiable science, is not based on disproved notions of science, and does not perpetuate a false belief in the disproved concept of biological “race”.[2]
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Friday, September 30th 2011 at 10:09PM
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