Does the Construction of Race Demand Reform or Revolution?

I enjoyed the analytical approach employed by Dr. Beth Coleman in her essay “Race as Technology,” which equates race with a hammer or other mechanical instrument (ultimately a productive tool). In this essay, Coleman argues that for race to be considered technology, it must first estrange itself from its history as a biological fact. Ultimately, this means identifying racial technologies as constructed. In particular, she uses Obama’s March 18, 2008 speech as an example. In this address, Obama reframed the rhetorical understanding of race in America by mobilizing his presence as undeniably black to fade race into the background of US life. Coleman argues that in this speech, Obama used race as leverage. 

One of the questions we discussed in class was whether or not it was possible to think of race as a disinterested object of our delight as opposed to over-inscribed. In other words, can we think of race as something that gives us pleasure or as something we are not invested in as opposed to overinvested? 

The answer to this question has many layers. On some level, it reminded me of some of the contemporary arguments about gender. Although gender is socially constructed, how female-presenting individuals have lived or been treated throughout history is ultimately altered by this construction. Likewise, non-binary or gender non-conforming individuals are more likely to face injustices based on this constructed binary. The same argument applies to race. The consequences of race as a social construct have altered the lives of millions of people throughout history and continue to have an adverse effect today. Disregarding race as a construct is not a possibility, because it disregards the effects this construct has had on our collective history and the adversity minority individuals have had to overcome. 

At the same time, I agree that race has the potential to be an object of delight. However, this poses another question rooted in Marxist thought: can our collective idea of race be reformed? Or does it demand revolution? Revolution in terms of destroying existing understanding of race and beginning from scratch. What does this look like? Most importantly, what does a post-racial-binary world look like if achieved?