-Frank Livingstone, anthropologist

If there were black and white people, their offspring would be grey.

"Citing Blumenbach by name, Emerson agrees that races shade into each other imperceptibly."

-Nell Irvin Painter, The History of White People

Makeup from brushesbykaren

Some chapters from the book "Modernizing the U.S. Census"

Modernizing the U.S. Census

Chapter 7: Data on Race and Ethnicity

Modernizing the U.S. Census

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Frank W. Sweet, author of Legal History of the Color Line

The earliest mention of the need to classify free Americans by “race” was in the late 17th century, long before the census (or the nation) was founded). At that time (1691-1723), the reason given was that: (1) Racial classification was necessary to prevent intermarriage, (2) Intermarriage had to be prevented to stop the birth of Americans of mixed Euro-Afro ancestry, (3) The existence of mixed-ancestry Americans would enable alliance between European and African involuntary forced laborers, and (4) Such alliance would overthrow English rule and turn colonies into free maroon communities.[19] In fact, Latin American colonies encouraged intermarriage (and consequent mixed-ancestry colonists) and yet were not overthrown. In the 1830s, as a consequence of the Nat Turner incident, free African Americans came to be seen as a threat. The justification for “racially” classifying Americans on the census was to prevent African-American migration to the free states. Several Midwestern states’ constitutions forbade African-American immigration.[20] In fact, no evidence ever emerged that free African Americans were a threat. In the 1850s, intermarriage was believed to produce mentally defective offspring. Census “scientists” published findings that mixed-ancestry children were usually born retarded or insane. And so, the justification for “racially” classifying Americans on the census was to prevent intermarriage and thus protect public health.[21] In fact, even cursory examination of the data shows it to be falsified, since many communities reported more insane mixed-race individuals than their entire population. In the Jim Crow era (1900-1965), the elites in power argued the importance of preserving “White racial purity.” The justification for “racially” classifying Americans on the census was that it helped to prevent contamination of the White “race.”[22] In fact, liaisons between White males and Black females were encouraged while the reverse was often punished with death by public torture.[23] Since 1970, U.S. society has tried to atone for slavery and the state-sponsored terrorism of the Jim Crow era by enforcing laws, regulations, entitlements, policies, and practices that favor African Americans. Since that time, “racially” classifying Americans on the census has been justified on the grounds that such classification is needed in order to fight “racism.”[24] In fact, no “anti-racist” or civil rights federal regulation or law enforcement over the past 30 years has ever used census data.[25]

-Frank W Sweet, A Brief History of Census “Race”

Multiracialism In America - Jane Junn

Choose one or more: ☐ Mixed ☐ Other ☐ Unsure ☐ Don't know ☐ None of your business

Snoop finds out what percentage of Native American, European and African he is.

Should I stop using the word "race"?

Unless you are a physical anthropologist, or discussing the word itself, the word 'race' should be avoided.

Replace the word 'race' with ethnicity. True, the meaning is different, but conversations about human differences usually revolve around ethnic differences.

The term 'race' equates to the noun 'breed'. Humans do not want to be thought of as breeds.  -getgln Nell Irvin Painter Professor of American History, Princeton Speaking about the History of White People

Using the term 'race' runs the risk of sounding uneducated, and worse, the risk of sounding racist.

‪NYTimes.com - Being Multiracial in America‬

‪Mixed‬ Listen at 3:20