Nothing is Black or White!

Isabel Teles
6 min readAug 15, 2021

Nothing at all is black or white. It is impossible.
Why? Simply because white and black are non-colors.
White is the pure light or the reflection of the colors.
Black is the absence of light or the absorption of colors. So,

Why do we stick to white when we speak about white people?
Why do we keep changing black when we refer to black people?

From negro to black or colored or Black African or African Caribbean or African American (really?) or to… who knows what comes next?
I know as you the answer, or the PC answer, don’t we?
It seems that white people fear hurting the feelings of other races, specifically with a big emphasis, black people.
It seems that white people are in debt to them, that they owe them anything.
It seems that acting this way diminishes or erases something wrong that white people supposedly did to them in the past.
The worst is that now it seems like black people especially are better than white people. Or the epitome that black people are a superior race, at least superior to white people.
Worst of all, any race, African, Asian, Arabic, is superior to Caucasian.
To be Politically Correct, these days, we must agree that to be white is to be an evil human being, is to be a guilty and doomed person forever.
To be accepted in this progressive, global, envisioned World, white people must behave like, if they are garbage, and all the other races are gold.
No, no, and no.
This is wrong, very wrong. In fact, this is Contra Naturum.
Let see then!

After the findings of the Human Genome Project, the international scientific research project launched in 1990, declared finished in 2004, with the level genome complete achieved very recently in May 2021, we may be thoroughly confident to say that:

Beneath the skin, we are equal.
There is no white nor black.
There is a continuous infinite spectrum of each of the seven colors.
As we, human beings!
We are not white or black.
We are an infinite color gradation, somewhere in the mix of the seven colors.
A color palette with endless times more than fifty shades of… grey.
For example, if we pick the beige color, we go from light beige, nearly white, to dark brown, almost black.
We may continue to do the same with any of the seven colors, and we will have endless more than fifty shades of yellow, orange, red, green, blue, indigo, and violet.
Astonishing.
Beautiful.
The Paradise!

Concomitantly, as Earth beings, like most of our fellow animal beings, humans are social beings and survive in groups. Unlike the remaining we have endless sorts of groups the main one is the society and the little one the family. Between these two, there are a lot of them.

The one that matters now is the Race group and subgroups that compartments us accordingly to color. Hence our skin color was subgrouped white, black, and yellow, plus all the mixes or shades, in ancient times, in different locations, by all sorts of organizations. Additional morphological traces such as hair type, facial and cranial conformation are also included in each subgroup.

Keeping in mind that Race group is only one among others, and no more:

If we were born white in a predominantly white country, we must stand for, and if needed to defend our blood race like our core being, along with a set of superior values, costumes, and fundamental History. Naturally.

Similarly, as if we were born black in a predominantly white country, we must stand for, and if needed to defend our blood race like our core being, along with a set of superior values, costumes, and fundamental History. Naturally

This applies if we were born black in a predominantly black (or yellow, or another color) country, we must stand for, and if needed to defend our blood race like our core being, along with a set of superior values, costumes, and fundamental History. Naturally

In addition, if we are born white in a country predominantly black (or yellow, or another color), we must stand for, and if needed to defend our blood race, again like our core being, along with a set of superior values, costumes, and fundamental History. Naturally

Now, digging a little deeper, Science through the research program HGP tells us that all our genes together are known as our genome, plus remarkably achieved understanding, identifying, and completing the mapping of all the genes in human DNA.

So impressive and in did a milestone not only to molecular medicine but furthermore to Human Evolution!

One of the most if not the most known and critical results of the HGP was evidence that human beings are remarkably genetically similar, sharing approximately 99.9% of their genetic code with one another.

Despite we see a wide individual variation in phenotype, which arises from both genetic variation and complex gene-environment interactions, like mutations, from natural selection, migration between populations, and the reshuffling of genes through sexual reproduction.

Remember? Beneath the skin, we are all equal.

Of course, this is a massive, transversely, sensitive theme to all of us. However, we should embrace it obviously and moreover to be proud as Humans to overcome each one of the evolution phases through millennials, and in the end to be capable of adapting to any environment or other restrictions, primarily with a profound survival instinct and intelligence.

As you know, this very complex and overwhelming subject had arisen through centuries, Past and Contemporary History several ranges of debates, disruptions, schisms, and even wars, from biological, medical, and scientific communities to social, ideologic, and political forums, parties, governments, and even regimens.

Assuredly, I am far from a specialist in any of these disciplines, and I do not know how to explore this further.

Concurrently, these complicated and intricated matters are about me, you, us. Thus, I, a person, a human being, have the duty to understand the most I possibly can about them, and accordingly the right to have a position built in my fundamental principles and my heritage, cultural and sacred values about such a foundation concept of me, and as part of society.

Above all, the Human Race is the subject.

Race. Race and Genetics. Race or Genetics.

Or the reverse, Genetics is the subject.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t care less if Race is a social construct, or Genetics is scientific evidence, for the subject itself, that each one of us is a human being, an individual, a person.

Each one of us as an individual is unique in mind and body. DNA proves it, as Personality demonstrates it.

Each one of us as individuals belongs to a group, by birth, mainly.

Like any other beings on this Planet, we usually stay in this initial or first group because we feel loved ( natural or foster family) and comfortable (social group, like country, or other organization formats, for instance, gypsies).

That said, what is relevant to me, if not to most people (I think I’m not so different)?

I am a woman. I was born in Portugal. I love my family, and I’m very proud to be Portuguese.

If I am white? Yes, I am.

If I feel or felt any form of discrimination for being white? No, never.

If I was born black like so many Portuguese felt different about their families or Portugal? No, I’m pretty sure.

If I was born black like so many Portuguese felt any form of discrimination? No, not of my direct knowledge whatsoever, and under Portuguese Constitutional Law. This applies to any other colored Portuguese people.

In the end, white is only a color, like black. And as it has been said in the start, they even aren’t colors.

It doesn’t matter at all!

It matters firstly is us, each of us, secondly our group (family, nationality, country, etc.).

If we were born white, black, colored, yellow, whatever, it should only be one more of our social, cultural, genealogic, and historical characteristics.

The race white, black, or other should be a reason for rejoicing for fulfillment for pride. A duty to nourish to preserve, and secure for generations to come.

Yes, a reason to be proud and a duty to defend, with my unconditional strength, because it defines me (and you) as one of my (and yours) marker characteristics.

Only, and only because of that, not because of the color itself, even less because it is superior or inferior, which is scientifically false.

Race and or Genetics, yes.

Racist and or Geneticist, never.

Thank you.

Reading Sources:

Technology Works

MooMath and Science

National Geographic

The Human Genome Project

Pictures credits:

1st: Lynnie Z., in nytimes.com

2nd: Steffi Lynn, in pinterest.com

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Isabel Teles

A passionate Writer, in an inspiring country, Portugal! My topics are Real Estate, Architecture, Green Energy, Politics, Women and World.