Thoughts on "Racial-Type Photography"

 In "Mixed or Not, Why Are We Still Taking Pictures of 'Race'?" via Racism Review, Sharon Chang examines the history of racial-type photography:

"it was popularized in the late 19th century by white pseudo-scientists to 'prove' the superiority of some races, and the inferiority of others..."

Chang says:

 "Apparently now we are comfortable shifting the practice of race-scanning and many of its same foundational values onto the ambiguous appearance of 'different' looking people. Racism is incredibly adaptive and morphs to fit the times. I suggest that while modern race-photography believes itself to be celebrating the dismantling of race, it may actually be fooling us (and itself) with a fantastically complicated show of smoke and mirrors. What a critical mixed race view can offer at this juncture is something so crucial. We need to continually challenge and examine our desire to racially file people. We need to lift our eyes from the ground and take off the rose-colored glasses. We need to put away the headphones, turn off the music and turn on our ears. We need to make much, MUCH more space for something ultimately pretty simple — the stories of actual people themselves which in the end, will paint the real picture. [emphasis added]"

Read the full article here.