Theorizing racial discourse in the post‐racist twenty‐first century: the new human genetics and black people

Abstract

There is no doubting the fact that the social construction of race is sensitive, complex and controversial. For so many people, there is no difference between black and white people. For a few others, we are simply different in a number of different ways. Such racial discourse is neither confined to academic debate nor is it new to those who are experiencing racist practices in a variety of forms today. Will the recent developments in human genetics shed any more light on this problematic issue? Should we use the fear of racism to deny research into black‐ or white‐specific genetic diseases? This paper takes a stance by condemning racism in whatever shape or form but argues that, whilst we are all 99.9% similar and that two black or two white people are as similar (and dissimilar depending on socio‐environmental influence) to one another, we simply cannot and should not close every door to further research if the ultimate aim of such research is paved with genuine good intentions. Such good intentions should be measured by how such research will help to eliminate health and social inequalities.

Keywords:

• racism
• bioethics and race
• diversity
• racist theory
• genetics and black people
• scientific racism
• new racism
• new genetics and race