What is race, exactly? Science tells us there is no genetic or scientific basis for it. Instead it’s largely a made-up label, used to define and separate us. Of course, just because race is made up doesn’t make it any less powerful. To a disturbing extent, race still determines people’s perceptions, their opportunities, and their experiences. Genetic sequencing, which has allowed researchers to trace the path of human migration and now allows individuals to trace their own ancestry, has introduced new ways of thinking about human diversity. And this, in turn, has opened up a conversation about the long, tangled, and often brutal history that all of us ultimately share.
These six people had their DNA tested with
National Geographic’s Geno DNA Ancestry Kit. Unbeknownst to them, the results indicate essentially the same “racial” heritage. See how they react in this moving video.
Read the full April 2018 article on genetics and race, “
Skin Deep,” and check out the full
National Geographic special issue on race.
Published: March 12, 2017.
