Races are a great way to compete with friends, beat the person in front of you, or simply do better than last year. By introducing competition into your running program, you learn to become a more disciplined runner with a clear goal in mind. Whether you’re trying to win your age group, beat the person in front of you or just break a personal record, there are many benefits of racing that apply not only to distance runners but also to shorter distances such as a 10K.
The term race is a human-invented social concept that categorizes people on the basis of physical features and genetic heredity. It is a powerful social construct that gives or denies benefits and privileges. Although it has no biological validity, race is often used to justify systems of oppression and disenfranchisement in society. For example, the Western concept of race has been used to justify medical and scientific theories that support the colonization of people of color, as well as white supremacy. These ideas have fueled atrocities such as the forced sterilization of Native Americans and Blacks, the exploitation of Henrietta Lacks’ cells in research without her knowledge or consent, and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.
While it’s important to understand the history of race and racism, there are many different viewpoints about how best to address it. One approach is known as critical race theory (CRT). CRT emphasizes that racial disparities are caused by structural and systemic factors, rather than individual prejudices. Its goal is to change the way we think about race and how we talk about it, focusing on outcomes instead of beliefs.
Other approaches to addressing racial inequality include examining the root causes of racism, which can often be traced back to a lack of awareness about the power and dynamics of white privilege. This approach recognizes that the majority of white people do not intentionally promote and perpetuate racism, but it does call for more attention to how systemic factors influence everyday choices and behavior.
In the United States, the Census Bureau asks respondents to identify their racial background. They have six options to choose from: white, black, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaska Native and two or more races. Those who check more than one option are considered multiracial.
The vast majority of respondents (87%) say that being part of a particular racial group is an important part of their identity. This includes a large share of those under 30 (65%) who report that their race is very or extremely important to their identity, compared with only 43% of those over 50. Majorities of both blacks and whites say that their race is very or extremely important to how they see themselves. This is a significant shift from the past, when a smaller share of blacks and whites said their race was very or extremely important to them. However, it’s important to note that a small share of whites say their race is very or extremely unimportant to them.