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Understanding that race is a biological myth is very crucial. Many Black youth experience a sense of shame and alienation due to what they believe are inherent, biological deficits in the Black race. For some, this leads to deeply destructive attitudes such as anti-Blackness, powerlessness, helplessness, and racial trauma responses such as school drop-out, or risk-taking behaviours. For others, the internalised shame around being Black leads to a set of deeply destructive anti-Black behaviours, like conforming to White cultural standards, estrangement from Black community or vilification of the Black community.
Realising that the entire basis for this source of shame, the concept race, is entirely made up, is the first step in developing positive feelings about being Black, which leads to better social, emotional, psychological wellness. While genetics has debunked biological notions of race, race as a social construct nevertheless remains one of the most salient aspects of identity for people around the world. So, racism Black people face due to this social construction of race is very real. Thus, race as an aspect of identity is important because when we deny the existence of race, we erase our ability to challenge policies and beliefs that have a negative impact on people affected by racism.
To eradicate racism, we must acknowledge that race as a social construct exists and that it evolves along social transformation. Further, acknowledging that race exists is crucial since race is a source of strength. Black people throughout the African diaspora feel a sense of pride and kinship stemming from shared history, cultural heritage, experiences. African diaspora strengthens the bond of Black communities across the world through a feeling of belongingness. So, while race is vital in confronting the Black people’s shared experiences of racism and discrimination, it is also vital because it creates a special bond that unites Black people by their common sense of values and ways of being. |
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Published on 06.07.2026 at 12:08 
