Merging science, history, and storytelling, a new exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI) brings to the forefront ideas and everyday experiences of race and racism in the United States.

On display at OMSI through January 1, RACE: Are We So Different? is a travelling exhibit curated by the American Anthropological Association and the Science Museum of Minnesota. The display offers tools to recognize racial ideas and practices in everyday life as it explores the lived experience of race among Americans of all colors, the contemporary science that is challenging common notions about race, and the history of race and racism in the United States.

Examining the idea of race through the lens of science — in particular, the study of human variation — we learn that differences in skin color are indeed skin deep. Looking beneath the surface, research on human biology and genetics proves that as a species, people from all continents share common DNA variants. Underneath it all, we are the same: There is no particular gene for "race."

"Race is more than an idea. We know that it is both a social and cultural reality. We all know that our lives are affected by race and racism in both overt and subtle ways," says OMSI president Nancy Stueber.

So, if race doesn’t exist in science, how and why did the concept flourish as widely as it did? The exhibit points to answers in our nation’s founding history, and the sociopolitical reasons and economic justifications for assigning value to the color of one’s skin and socioeconomic class. For those of us steeped in ethnic and racial justice issues, the exhibit’s explorations of "Inventing Whiteness" and "Creating Race" offer nothing new. But, I fully appreciate the exhibit’s potential in supplementing American history lessons in many middle and high schools to more fully explore the history of race in the United States.

To that end, the exhibit is designed as a teaching tool for our educators to engage students in all grade levels. "Race is a timely conversation, especially as our society grapples with issues of immigration, racial profiling, and hate crimes — race is present in so many contexts," says Stueber.

Data and policy geeks will appreciate how the United States Census has evolved over time. As the primary tool for collecting information about the makeup of the American populace, how the government categorizes people has evolved to reflect sociopolitical forces. How the census is worded ultimately decides who is included, how people are categorized, and who is left out.

Take the counting of the Asian community, for example. The 1870 Census included a "Chinese" category that absorbed all people of East Asian descent. It wasn’t until 1890 that "Japanese" and "Chinese" were distinguished from each other. The 1920 Census added Filipinos and Koreans, as well as Hindus, encompassing all South Asians. The broad classification of "Asian" — to include all people who come from all countries in East and South Asia — was introduced in the 1970s.

Institutional racism occurs when policies adopted and enacted by institutions create unequal outcomes. Throughout our history, institutions have created advantages for some, and disadvantages for others. A concrete example of institutional racism was in housing discrimination that occurred through the late 1960s, and whose consequences are still felt by communities of color today. The wealth gap continues to exist because brown and black families who were prevented from buying homes in communities of their choice when the practice of redlining was still in place throughout the country.

Sparking conversations

As the RACE exhibit has toured the country, it has received a lot of acclaim for how it tackles the topic of race. It is also part of a larger initiative called the "RACE" project, designed to share information about the public.

In bringing the exhibit to Portland, Stueber says the hope is that the information stimulates good thinking and learning something new. "We encourage people to be comfortable in engaging in courageous discussions about race, which is an uncomfortable topic for people to discuss," she said.

This is not the first time that OMSI has brought an exhibit that intentionally seeks to inspire bold conversations. When OMSI brought Body Worlds to Oregon audiences in 2007, the travelling exhibit of preserved human bodies and body parts drew much controversy.

"Body Worlds has definitely sparked conversations," says Stueber. "We addressed questions about mortality, healthcare and medical ethics, who has access to right to life."

Candid discussions

Community leader, educator, speaker and writer S. Renee Mitchell lauds OMSI for bringing the exhibit to Oregon, but poses a challenge to both OMSI and the community to take the offerings of the exhibit to the next level.

"Any discussion about race in America has to come at it in a way that white people don’t feel picked on or defensive. Else, there’s no way the conversation will actually have any kind of opportunity to move forward," says Mitchell.

"This exhibit — though quite informative — stayed in that safety zone by educating people about the concept of ‘race’ being a construct that was created to serve the fire-breathing dragon of racism. While the information may likely be new to some and certainly provocative, what am I supposed to do with it once I leave OMSI?," Mitchell asks rhetorically.

Where the rubber meets the road is in allowing white people an opportunity to interact with more than just a piece of paper or a video screen so they can be provoked to change their point of view and behavior, especially their future interactions with people of color.

"How do we get from ‘Oh, that’s interesting,’ to ‘Oh, I want to do something about changing my mind, my community, my circle of influence?’" Mitchell adds.

OMSI staff hopes the exhibit’s Talking Circles will achieve just that level of honest, face-to-face discussion and exploration of the topic of race.

Talking Circles are facilitated discussions in which all participants are invited to reflect on their experience about race in their lives and communities. Presented in partnership with Oregon Humanities, the discussions are facilitated by Dr. Emily Drew, an associate professor of sociology and ethnic studies at Willamette University, where she teaches courses about race, ethnicity, and social change. Local schools, community organizations, churches, and workplace groups can make a reservation to attend. Talking Circles are offered on Wednesdays through December.

The Oregon Museum of Science & Industry is located at 1945 S.E. Water Avenue in Portland. To learn more about RACE: Are We So Different?, call (503) 797-4000, or visit <www.omsi.edu/race> or <www.understandingrace.org>.