David Livingstone Smith pens op-ed on race in 'Portland Press Herald'
David Livingstone Smith, Ph.D., professor of philosophy, weighed in on the issue of race in a Portland Press Herald op-ed, following the recent controversy surrounding Rachel Dolezal, former president of the Washington chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
In his piece, Livingstone Smith examines how race is defined, discussing ideas such as “racial essence,” which is the concept that race involves biology, rather than simply skin color. He argues that race is not defined by cultural or biological characteristics, stating, “There’s no rational justification for our everyday concept of race. Race is a delusion.”
Livingstone Smith invites the reader to explore the origins of race by providing commentary on the transportation of Africans to the Americas, slavery and suffering. He concluded the article by explaining that the issue of "race delusion" cannot truly be understood until the history of racial injustice is fully acknowledged.