Liam

code Dear Mr. Aronson: I greatly enjoyed your fascinating portrayal of the development of racism in your book, Race: A History Beyond Black and White. I was captivated by the depth of feeling that you brought to your writing, which made the images of racism that you depict all the more dramatic. However, it left me with a few unanswered questions. One that plagued me throughout the book was: “Do you think that your hatred for Germans, as stated on pages 208-209, affected your writing at any points in the book?” I did not think that the passage was unnecessary; in fact, it was useful in making your point that we are all racist. I only wondered whether this resentment affected your writing. On a different note, I found the last chapter of your book especially frightening, but also somewhat reassuring. I have known that prejudice is still a large problem in the world today, but had not been aware of the many recent publications still using science to rank people. My next few questions are ones that you, as a historian, may not feel qualified to answer, but I ask them to you only for your personal opinion. You said at the end of your book, “we can pause” before we decide to make decisions against someone, but what are your hopes for the end of racism and prejudice? Do you expect there to be, eventually, a definite end for racism, or do you expect it to be a struggle throughout the rest of human history? If you do think there will be an end to racism, how long do you think it will take? I ask this question only because you seem torn between optimism that racism will one day cease to exist, and a darker view that humans cannot help but be racist. Throughout your book, you imply that we are all born prejudiced. Are you trying to say that we are prejudiced against others by nature or that we become prejudiced because of our surroundings and the way we learn to deal with uncomfortable social situations? Thank you.

Sincerely, Liam Moersch

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