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1. Race matters today, but the concept of "race" didn't always exist
Fact: The ancient Greeks classified people according to culture and language, not according to physical differences. Foreigners, including Africans, were accepted as Greek citizens so long as they assimilated - i.e. learned the language and adopted similar customs and styles of dress.
2. Slavery is not inextricably linked with the concept of race
Fact: Both Greece and Rome enslaved people on the basis of battles won/lost; this was regardless of appearance. When the concept of "freedom" was introduced during the American Revolution, it shone a spotlight on the young nation's key moral contradiction: how could the concepts of freedom, equality, and natural rights of man stand alongside the practice of slavery? The growing notions of race and racial inferiority helped to resolve this contradiction by depicting Africans as different, separate from, and less deserving of the same rights that European settlers enjoyed.
3. There is no single genetic marker for race - race has no genetic basis
Fact: Throughout history, the search for “race” was fueled by preconceived ideas about “superiority.” Early "scientists" validated racial hierarchy, but modern scientists have discovered and continue to prove that no single gene, trait or characteristic distinguishes one race from another; two reasons: 1) human beings haven't been around long enough to evolve into subspecies, and 2) human beings have always been mobile, mixing genes with different populations. Genes are inherited independently. Race is a socially constructed concept, which over time has served as key support for social and political interests.
3. There is no single genetic marker for race - race has no genetic basis
7. Race matters today, but the interesting fact is, we are all mixed
6. Race classification is a political, not a scientific or biological matter
Fact: Because race is a political and social issue, definitions and classification systems differ from one country to another. For example, Brazil has many more racial categories than the U.S., and Haiti has a vastly different definition of "white" than the U.S.