PL-385

Dr. Ortega
Dec 18th, 2015
Race is Real
What defines race? A simple question that has attracted much attention throughout
history. When examining the meaning of race, many thoughts and considerations are provoked
regarding its meaning. Is it ethnically defined, based on skin color, centered around religious
beliefs or nationality. Then again, maybe there is no clear definition of race and we are just
grasping for an explanation of something that doesn't exist. Whether we are able to define race or
not, it is important to consider different viewpoints to help explain its existence and importance
throughout history and in our modern world. Two philosophers who have become particularly
engaged in the constructs of race are Linda Martn Alcoff and Leigh Raiford. Through Alcoffs
link between race, the visible, and racism and Raifords analysis of race and photography, these
philosophers intimately engage with the concepts of race, proposing explanations for its creation
and exposing the realities of race in modern day society.
Linda Martn Alcoff, a professor at the City University of New York, has done research
on the concept of race and her work is well respected amongst the philosophical community,
earning her a position as president of the American Philosophical Association in 2012 (APA).
While Alcoff has many published works on the concept and importance of race, one work that
especially shows her point of view is her book Visible Identities: The Phenomenology of Racial
Embodiment. In this chapter, Alcoff proposes that modern racism is based on western principles
of organization (Alcoff 179). This is an interesting point of view that reflects the modern western
ideology of organization, explanation and the scientific method. After addressing the origin of
race, Alcoff then proposes her explanations of it. First off, contrary to some other philosophical
beliefs, Alcoff believes that race exists and in order to understand the concept of race, we must
address its existence. Race is real, certainly more real than phlogiston, though like witchcraft its
reality is internal to certain schemas of social ontology that are themselves dependent on social
practice (Alcoff 179). Through this quote Alcoff implies that race is regionally and socially
constructed based on many individual lived experiences. Alcoff describes this ideology as
contextualism, one of three positions, along with nominalism and essentialism (Alcoff 182).
With her contextualism theory, Alcoff explains that visual representations play a major role in
racial division. Visible differences are still relied upon for the classification of human types, and
yet visible differences threatens the liberal universalistic concepts of justice based on sameness
by invoking the specter of difference (Alcoff 180). Alcoff shows us that race is defined by
visual characteristics. We identify with those of similar skin color or appearance and are
expected to act a certain way reflecting that, while also expecting others to act in accordance
with their racial identities. Because of this, as a society we become obsessed with knowing each
other's race or ethnicity, demanding for classification based on appearance rather than
personality. One of the first things we notice about someone besides their sex, is their race.
Whether we choose to or not, we subconsciously classify them and assign them to a specific
racial etiquette.
Living in a world that has this social concept of racial difference, it is easy to see how
racism has developed; majority races oppressing minorities and a social order has been formed.
To illustrate this concept Alcoff describes an interesting time in history when workers on the
Panama canal were assigned societal ranking based on their earnings. Whites were paid in gold
and were considered to be the hard workers of the project while West Indian blacks were paid in
silver and were considered to be unreliable and unproductive. The US Panama Canal
Commission referred to these groups as Golds and Silvers (Alcoff 183). This incident shows
how racial identity can be associated with personal characteristics such as work ethic and
commitment. Regardless of someones internal characteristics, they are defined by their external
appearance, making them incapable of suceeding beyond their assigned rank in society, which
was decided by the majority group. Alcoff gives another example of how visual appearance can
contribute to racist behavior when she discusses the experience that one of her students had
attending a class taught by an asian professor. At first, all students felt comfortable in the class
but as the lessons shifted towards racism topics, the class became uncomfortable and the student
felt as if he were being watched or observed from a distance (Alcoff 192). This example does
not explicitly show active racist behavior amongst the class, but shows how the students
establish a sense of racial difference, based on appearance, make them hesitant to act or speak
with truthfulness. This idea interferes with not only the classroom experience, but also society.
Alcoff uses many other examples in her book and through her concept of contextualism and
visual appearance through society Alcoff is able to link race, the visible, and racism.
Leigh Raiford, a professor of African American studies at the University of California at
Berkeley, has also done a vast amount of research on the topic of race. More specifically,
through her article, The Consumption of Lynching Images Raiford focusses on the presence of
lynching photographs in the 19th and 20th centuries and how they vocalized and defined racial
identity. Raiford believes that these images represent a time in history and hold a major amount
of meaning for not only white supremacists but also African Americans. In her article, Raiford
describes that these images were used by whites as postcards to redefine the boundaries of
white community while African Americans used these images as a call to arms (Raiford 267).
Lynching images were and are very powerful. They have served to not only promote racism but
fuel the fight against it. Raiford further describes the importance of these images, Because of its
spectacularness, lynching reminded everyone who looked that in the end one was either black
or white, either wrong or right (Raiford 267). Raiford uses lynching images as a means to show
how we define racial differences. As a society, we categorize individuals as either male or
female, young or old, fat or skinny, black or white. Raiford then goes on to explain how these
images had changed racist behavior in the United States. These images reframed the received
narrative of black savagery as one of black vulnerability: White victimization was recast as white
terrorization (Raiford 271). These photographs played a major role in changing the perspective
of race, perhaps if they had not existed then white victimization would not have been perceived
as terrorization. Raiford states that the concepts of images are still important in our modern day
society where African Americans are racially profiled yet receive sympathy as having emerged
and evolved (Raiford 272). This is truly a relevant concept in the US, where the majority race
struggles to either support or fear minority races.
While Alcoff and Raiford use different ways of presenting the importance of race, and
racism they overlap on the idea of the visible. Alcoff articulates that the visible is shown through
skin color and physical appearance. She explains that through someone's skin color and physical
features, we define the race. Raiford uses the visible photographs of lynching to describe the
definition and representation of race. They both believe that race can be anknowledged through
the idea of the visible. Both of these influential philosophers also use their perspectives to
illustrate how race has been important throughout history and present in modern day society.
Alcoff discusses in her article that racism still exists and still remains a major issue of today. She
states that the issue of race and racism will not be resolved until we acknowledge it as a society;
the visible characteristics make organizing one's race easier. Raiford discusses how the mentality
of the lynching photographs are still present and that society ponders the thought on whether to
fear or to empathize with the African American race.
As they hold some similar positions, Alcoff and Raiford also have different points of
view. One of the differences that these philosophers have, is the idea of experience. Alcoff, a
contextualist, discusses in her article that society must have the lived experience to define the
concept of race. Race is and has been socially constructed through ones own personal
experiences. Unlike Alcoffs view, Raiford uses photographs, which are a more removed
experience expressing the idea of race. She explains that the photographs speak for themselves
and speak loud enough (Raiford, 267). Another difference between Alcoff and Raiford is that
Raifords photographs only include only African Americans and white races, the black and white
of race. However, Alcoff speaks for all races, including not just the the black and white but all of
the shades in between.
After analyzing the work of both Alcoff and Raiford, I have come to the conclusion that
Alcoffs position on race and how to asses it is more realistic and beneficial to society. It
encompases a wider range of races as opposed to just the black and white. I personally support
her position because race is a living idea, based on ones personal experiences. Therefore we
must be honest with ourselves about the existence of race, acknowledging it. Race does exist. I
believe that race is not just black and white as Raiford expresses it to be. It is seen and lived, on
the streets, in social media, and even the on news.
A recent event that has erupted involving the issue of race is the topic of police brutality.
Over thousands of deaths have been caused by the issue of violence in the police force. Like
Raiford explains the images of lynching, this unfortunate issue can be seen in images, and even
youtube videos of other races being brutally beaten because of the color of their skin. But these
photos and youtube videos don't do the topic justice. It is through the lived experience that the
emotion behind the issue can be felt. While many whites have seen this issue arise, society is not
sure whether to fear or empathize with the minorities being beaten in these videos. And how
should we feel about the officers. Are they victims of gang and street violence or is it a story of
police terrorization. As shown through the work of both Linda Alcoff and Leigh Raiford, the
idea of race and racism is an issue that has evolved throughout history. In the melting pot of the
U.S, with interracial relationships becoming more common and accepted, what will race be
defined as in the future? Will facial characteristics or a photograph do the concept of race
justice? What will become of our organized western world and how will we establish social
order? Questions that can only be answered with time, as we continue to search for a definition
of the concept of race.
 Works cited

Alcoff, Linda. Visible Identities: Race, Gender, and the Self. New York: Oxford UP, 2006. Print.

"APA Divisional Presidents and Addresses - The American Philosophical Association."

APA Divisional Presidents and Addresses - The American Philosophical Association.
The University of Delaware, n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

Raiford, Leigh, Coco Fusco, Brian Wallis. Only Skin Deep:The Consumption of Lynching
Images. New York: International Center of Photography in Association with Harry N.
Abrams,, 2003. Print.