Debunking the Science of Racism: What Genetics Really Says

For centuries, people have looked to science for answers about human difference. But as Ibram X. Kendi reveals in How to Be an Antiracist, the idea that race is a biological reality is one of the most dangerous myths ever told. Modern genetics has proven that humans are overwhelmingly alike—over 99.9% identical at the DNA level. The small differences that do exist are not organized by race, but by individual ancestry and adaptation.

Kendi describes how pseudoscientific ideas like eugenics and phrenology were used to justify slavery, segregation, and genocide. These theories had no real scientific basis, but they provided a convenient excuse for those in power to maintain hierarchies. Even today, many people believe that certain races are naturally better at sports, academics, or leadership. These beliefs persist despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Why does this myth endure? Because it is useful. If inequality is natural, then there’s no need to change the policies that create it. But as Kendi shows, the truth is much more liberating: every human being is fundamentally equal, and every barrier to equity is a human creation, not a law of nature.

Debunking the biological myth of race is not just an academic exercise—it is a vital step toward justice. When we let go of the idea that difference is destiny, we open the door to new possibilities. Science, when honest, is a tool for connection, not division. The challenge is to use it wisely, and to remember that our shared humanity is far greater than any superficial difference.

Armed with knowledge, we can begin to dismantle the systems that rely on false ideas of superiority and inferiority. The work is ongoing, but the evidence is clear: the future belongs to those who see beyond the old myths and embrace the reality of our shared humanity.