Race and Reality

Tierra Thompson

What makes something real? Our reality consists of many ideas and concepts that we have all socially agreed are “true.” Is there really a way to prove that these ideas are valid and not just things we have created to operate in the world? Our societal creations lead to real consequences that can positively or negatively affect reality. One of these creations is race.

Though rooted in physical traits, racial categories are socially determined and applied. There is no single genetic code or fixed biological marker to determine if someone is black, white, Asian, or any of the other categories we have established. Physical appearances, which are determined genetically, are used to categorize people by race, yet this action is unreliable and based on human perceptions and assumptions. Within racial categories, people can physically appear in a variety of ways; many people do not neatly fit into any racial prototypical category. This categorization is complex and at times contradictory, yet we judge others based on this confusing construct. Something as simple as the hue of your skin can drastically change your life. This has been especially true for black people across the globe. Black people are more at risk for dying during childbirth, have outdated medical practices applied to their care, and consistently rank among the lowest educated groups among many other disparities. This project explores the ways in which racial categories are understood and applied; it looks at both their essential functions and their potential to reinforce inequalities in health and opportunity.

Tierra Thompson is a senior nursing major from York, SC, who graduates in May 2022. She has been heavily involved in campus activities including but not limited to Presidential Ambassadors, Honors College, and peer tutoring. Upon graduation, she plans to begin a critical care stepdown residency at CaroMont Health.