What is race?

Race is defined in various ways, but we believe only one of them is correct. The first one is that race is simply the color of your skin.  Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a German anthropologist, physiologist, and comparative anatomist, was the first to show the value of comparative anatomy in the study of man's history, and his craniometrical researches justified his division of the human race into several great varieties or families, of which he enumerated five the Caucasian or white race, the Mongolian or yellow, the Malayan or brown race, the Negro or black race, and the American or red race. So this divides humans into five great families (Human Differentiation).  Anthropologist Nina Jablonski theorizes that variations in human skin are adaptive traits that correlate closely to geography and the sun's ultraviolet radiation, not race.

an example of african hair

The second one is that race is major divisions of human kind, having distinct physical characteristics.  For example, the White race has a nose defined as being high and narrow, as opposed to Asians that have a low, ridged nose.  This can be continued to be defined by other physical characteristics, like hair.  For example the Black race as black, wooly, hair.

A third definition of race includes race as a group of people sharing the same culture, history, and language.  This is more of a definition of ethnicity, which is defined in terms of a population of human beings whose members identify with each other, on the basis of a real or a presumed common genealogy or ancestry.  Furthermore ethnic groups distinguish themselves differently from one time period to another, typically defining themselves but also defined by stereotypes (Ethnicity vs Race).

An ID card used in the era of Apartheid
 in South Africa to identify "race".

The fourth and final definition we believe to be correct, is a cultural category or social construct, a particular way people talk about themselves or others.  We believe this to be correct because most traits are inherited independently of one another.  The genes for skin color have nothing to do with genes for hair texture, eye shape, blood type, musical talent, or athletic ability (Race).  This would negate our second definition of race, that some people still actually believe to be true.  Though people might separate themselves into different ethnicities, we are among the most similar of all species on Earth.  Of the small amount of total human genetic variation, 85% exists within any local population. Race is a modern idea because ancient societies did not divide people in groups according to physical characteristics, but now we do (Race).  For example, modern slavery predates race.  In South Africa during apartheid, the Population Registration Act of 1950 formalized racial classification and introduced an identity card for all people over 18, specifying their racial group (Boddy-Evans).  Boards were established to come to an ultimate conclusion on those people whose race was unclear.  This separated families when members were decided to be of different races.  The four races chosen were Black, White, Indian, and Colored. 

References

Aparthied Era Laws: Population Registration Act of No 30 of 1950 (African history ed.). (n.d.). N.p.: About.com. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from http://africanhistory.about.com/od/apartheidlaws/g/No30of50.htm

Ethnicity vs. Race (p. 1). (n.d.). N.p.: Diffen. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from http://www.diffen.com/difference/Ethnicity_vs_Race

Human Differentiation: Evolution of Racial Characteristics. (2009). N.p.: internet looks. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from http://www.internetlooks.com/humandifferentiation.html

RACE- the Power of an Illusion. (n.d.). N.p.: PBS. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from Human Differentiation: Evolution of Racial Characteristics. (2009). N.p.: internet looks. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from http://www.internetlooks.com/humandifferentiation.html

History- race in the USA. (2011). N.p.: American Anthropological Association. Retrieved November 13, 2013, from http://www.understandingrace.org/history/index.html