I have had an issue with the word “Race “for many years. Especially when applied to the separation of the race which would be the human race. The term “race” has been used or I should say abused throughout the centuries. I mean there are phenotypes, which is a scientifically sound and my preferred substitution.
“Phenotype: Any observable characteristic or trait of an organism: such as its morphology, development, biochemical or physiological. Properties, behavior, and products of behavior (such as a bird’s nest).
Phenotypes result from the expression of an organism’s genes as well as the Influence of environmental factors and the interactions between the two.” Joseph L. Graves. Jr. is the University Studies Dean at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
He is also the professor of Biological studies. He is a master of evolution not in the sense of himself actually evolving, well we are all as a species, adapting, but he specializes in “Evolution”. He studies the performance of Drosophila, a genus of small flies often called fruit flies. He is using this research to understand the theory of aging. He has studies these fruit flies for over a decade. Graves wrote that the explanation of individual configurations of ageing must take into account mechanism such as chance deviations in cell magnitude and associations and physiological patterns that arise from development.
He has written at least two best sellers on the theories on race; The Emperor’s New Clothes: Biological Theories of Race at the Millennium , Rutgers University Press, 2001and The Race Myth: Why we Pretend Race Exists in America, Dutton Press, 2004.. He discusses American society’s misconceptions of race. Graves has been invited to speak at universities and has been on several documentaries regarding the theory of race.
“Most Americans still believe that there is some biological legitimacy to our socially constructed racial categories. However, our modern scientific understanding of human genetic diversity flies in the face of all of our social stereotypes.”
——-Joseph L. Graves
In 1977, Graves has a B.A. in biology from Oberlin College and he earned his Ph.D. in Environmental, Evolutionary and Systematic Biology from Wayne State University in 1988. He has worked at both Arizona State University and University of California and a core director at Farleigh Dickinson University. Graves continues to use his knowledge to help promote science in schools and advocates for the discussion of race and biology in the classroom in scientific terms. He wishes to encourage more minorities to explore every facet of the sciences.
Graves has many workshops which enlighten even the most brilliant minds that race is socially constructed. You will understand how race is intermingled with injustice and social supremacy.
- Address the five pillars of modern racist thought:
- Biological races subsists in present humans
- There are genetically based distinctions in humans which are essential to social structure.
- There are differences in genetic predisposition regarding diseases.
- Human races itself differs in sexual reproductive behavior.
- Human races differ in musical and athletic abilities
