AUM (a new MMW contributor!)
In this article from the NY Times Opinion pages, Armand Marie Leroi argues that the concept of race as a genetic reality, a concept which we had all replaced with the easier-to swallow “race as a social construct” model, may actually have biological basis.
“The idea that human races are […]

JC
UCBerkeley News follows up on their article of last week about four mixed students in order to highlight some additional thoughts from other members of the Berkeley community.
Thus, for me, race is an artificial construct, which isolates me from those unknowledgeable of the biracial experience. At the same time, my races help me […]

CVK
The Charlotte Observer has an article by Jim Morrill about the revelation that he had black ancestors, and his quest to find out more about his family history:
When I was about 30, my mother confided a secret: My great-grandmother — the mother of my dad’s father — was black.Growing up with blond hair and blue […]

CVK
The Canadian Press has an article about a new childrens book publishing company called Printakid, which offers parents the ability to personalize books, so that the protagonist of the book has the same name and physical characteristics of their child. The child’s family members’ names can also be inserted into the book. And of course, […]

CVK
New York’s Whitney Museum has a new exhibit by Ellen Gallagher called “60 Ways of Looking at a Black Woman.” (Thanks for alerting us to it, Lee Swift!) Here’s what the New York Times had to say about Gallagher and her work:
“Ms. Gallagher was raised in Providence, R.I. Her mother was white, her father black. […]

JC

The Digital Collegian, (a Penn State student publication), reports on a panel on campus that discussed DNA testing (”AncestrybyDNA”) and the merits of racial classification. On the panel, students with “surprising DNA results” shared their stories.
Despite tanning well in the summer thanks to his Italian genes, Anthony Frederick (junior-sociology) has light skin. He is […]

CVK
The Buffalo News reports on an ongoing investigation to locate a serial rapist in Buffalo. What’s problematic is that the police are partially relying on a DNA test that determines the suspect’s supposed racial make-up:
A Florida company, DNAPrint Genomics, has determined that the local rapist is 51 percent European (white), 30 percent Native American, 13 […]