Race is a construct that was created with the intention to subjugate and oppress cultural groups based on perceived physical differences. The Poetry Society notes that the word ‘race’ appears in popular French physician François Bernier’s 1684 essay ‘A New Division of the Earth’. This is the first time the word is used to categorize all humans into races using phenotypic characteristics. This jumpstarts a long history of medical malpractice and experimentation on the basis of race in which African-American people are perceived to be stronger than the average person yet mentally inferior. Keyword author Herman Grey suggests that race knowledge in media has both “designated and denigrated” people globally. In the instance of African-Americans, this marveling over supposed athletic prowess has carried into the twenty-first century. One example being Simone Biles who has faced numerous attacks against her status as the greatest gymnast of all time due to her race. In the 2013 World Championship, Italian gymnast Carlotta Ferlito “told [teammate Vanessa Ferrari] that next time we should also paint our skin black so then we can win, too”. The highly publicized nature of these extremist views have widely contributed to its persistence. Significant racist medical ideologies and theories were largely accepted by reputable sources perpetuating stigmatization and violence. It’s a lose-lose situation for African-Americans because if they excel at something whites can feel both threatened and jealous.
Image taken from Houston Chronicle: Simone Biles (middle) and Carlotta Ferlito (Left)
Works Cited:
After the formalities – the poetry society: Poems. The Poetry Society Poems. (n.d.). Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://poems.poetrysociety.org.uk/poems/after-the-formalities/.
Press, A. (2013, October 9). U.S. seeks explanation from Italy. ESPN. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://www.espn.com/olympics/gymnastics/story/_/id/9797277/italian-gymnast-carlotta-ferlito-apologizes-racist-comment.