Module 3: History
   Part 2: Foundations of racism & slavery

This part explores foundations of racism and slavery as presented by the National Museum of African American History & Culture.

&1: Foundations of Racism & Slavery

As presented in prior modules, race is a social construction. Even though there are no biological justifications of race, scientists attempted to differentiate race based on science. Prior to applying science, religious leaders in both the northern and southern states utilized religion to justify enslaving people, especially people of different races. 

The National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) addresses the foundation of race. Embedded in the reading are links to videos that explain various ideas.

Read/Watch:
Let’s Talk About Race: Historical Foundations of Race (The videos are included below, but more information is contained in the article, including questions for reflection.)
https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/historical-foundations-race

Reflect:
  • What did you learn from these resources?
  • How does this learning impact your view of history and of our current society?
  • How does this learning inspire you to take action? What are your next steps?

The next part will explore the idea of white supremacy as a component of policy and institutions.