Does Race Matter?

Race is something that always seems to be talked about within the society of the United States. There are conflicts with profiling, immigration, and various other things having to do with race. However, the broad question of whether or not race matters can be answered in a variety of ways.

The race of an individual should not matter. The person is what matters, as they are going to be the same person no matter what the color of their skin is. They will have the same knowledge and the same personality. The only difference would be on the surface: the color of their skin. Race should not matter, but it does. There are people who profile others who have a certain color to their skin. All this happens before they get to know the other people. They assume that they will already think and act a certain way. Some steps obviously need to be taken to get rid of attitudes like this.

In February, 2015, Avila University participated in an experiment of sorts on campus. There was an interactive race kiosk in the Marian Center lobby. Anyone could have used it, and those who did gained knowledge about race in a shocking way. A person would sit in the kiosk and take a picture of their face. They would then select a race on the screen (Asian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Hispanic, Black, or White) and their face would change right before their eyes.

This experience provided new insight when it comes to race. It is not about the color of a person's skin, but about who they are. Even though the face changed, the person behind it was still the same. This further proves the point that there is only one race that matters: the human race.

Asian

Black

Hispanic

Indian

Middle Eastern

White