Screening and Dialogue of: Race — The Power of an Illusion

The division of the world’s peoples into distinct groups – “red,” “black,” “white” or “yellow” peoples – has become so deeply imbedded in our psyches, so widely accepted, many would promptly dismiss as crazy any suggestion of its falsity. Yet, that’s exactly what this provocative, three-hour series claims. Race – The Power of an Illusion questions the very idea of race as biology, suggesting that a belief in race is no more sound than believing that the sun revolves around the earth.

HOUSTON BAHA`I CENTER
2419 Fannin Street
Houston 77004

Episode 1 – August 2- 7-9 P.M. The Difference Between Us examines the contemporary science – including genetics – that challenges our common sense assumptions that human beings can be bundled into three or four fundamentally different groups according to their physical traits.

Episode 2 – August 9 – 7-9 P.M. The Story We Tell uncovers the roots of the race concept in North America, the 19th century science that legitimated it, and how it came to be held so fiercely in the western imagination. The episode is an eye-opening tale of how race served to rationalize, even justify, American social inequalities as “natural.”

Episode 3 – August 16 – 7-9 P.M. The House We Live In asks, if race is not biology, what is it? This episode uncovers how race resides not in nature but in politics, economics and culture. It reveals how our social institutions “make” race by disproportionately channeling resources, power, status and wealth to white people.

This series is free and open to the public. Registration is required and limited to the first 60 registrants. Reply to email cfhr1@juno.com or Call 713-520-8226 and leave your name and contact information.