Re: Evolution and Racism Sweitzer, Dennis (SWEITD01@imsint.com)
Mon, 19 Aug 96 08:18:00 EST >In my 1993 book, *The Impact of
Evolutionary Theory*, I discussed the same question. We lived in
Mississippi in 1962, during the period of great racial tension.
At one point, a (student) newspaper article at The University of
Mississippi, where I taught, pointed out that blacks were
inferior because they evolved long after whites; so, of course,
they should be considered "lower." Racists there liked to quote
Carlton Coon, who said some very controversial things in his
books. Rather ironic that 35 years ago it was assumed that
Blacks descended from Whites, and therefore were inferior. Since
adaptation drives evolution, it (now) seems more logical to have
claimed that the descendent race is superior to the ascestorial
race since they are better adapted. Now whites are considered to
have descending from blacks, and the earlier rational for the
"inferiority" of blacks is conveniently discarded. Blacks just
can't win on th