Thursday
3 May 2007
19:00 - 20:30
Dana visitors could examine their own prejudices and preconceptions in an evening of in-depth discussion on the science and politics of skin colour. After short introductory talks from each of the experts, the audience could chat with them in small groups. The evening was wrapped up with an audience-wide question-and-answer session.
Superficially, skin colour seems to be an obvious way of grouping different people. Historically, and even now, that categorising has gone hand in hand with notions of superiority and inferiority. In the past science has often contributed to these racist attitudes.
Videos
Geneticist Mark Jobling talked about the basic hereditary nature of skin colour, outlining how geography, as well as sexual selection, may help to explain different shades of skin.
Simon Dyson described how biological racism still exists today, seen in the everyday racism faced by counsellors for sickle-cell anaemia, a genetic condition often seen as restricted to African-Caribbean communities.
Shirley Tate spoke about how community-based racism affects African-Caribbean communities through her research into black identity in Britain. Her introduction touched on the complex, multifaceted nature of conceptions of 'black beauty' amongst African-Caribbean women.
Finally, political commentator Joseph Harker discussed skin colour as being a very important defining issue for each individual, and the need to be able to belong to group cultures but keep our own individualism.
After in-depth small-group discussion with each of the speakers, the evening ended with an audience-wide Q&A session to bring issues before the whole group.
 
Event organised by:
The Science Museum
This event is part of Museums and Galleries Month
Speakers
Simon Dyson, sociologist, De Montfort University, Leicester
Joseph Harker, journalist, The Guardian
Mark Jobling, geneticist, University of Leicester
Shirley Tate, sociologist, University of Leeds
Facilitator:
Elizabeth Anionwu, Head of the Mary Seacole Centre for Nursing Practice, Thames Valley University, London