Just Because We've Got Different Skin Colors Doesn't Mean We're Different Races
I’ve been speaking on the truth that we’re all “one blood, one race” for decades. And part of my talk includes sharing that there are no truly white or black people—everyone is brown (just different shades), primarily because of a pigment called “melanin.” This pigment is produced in cells at the bottom of our epidermis (outer layer of skin) in cells called melanocytes. How much melanin your body produces is largely determined by your genetics. And a new study has shown that the genetics involved is far more complicated than we thought!
According to a popular science article, here’s how one of the researchers says this new study was completed: o understand what actually causes different amounts of melanin to be produced, we used a technology called CRISPR-Cas9 [like a pair of molecular scissors] to genetically engineer cells. . . . Using CRISPR, we systematically removed more than 20,000 genes from hundreds of millions of melanocytes and observed the impact on melanin production.
What they found was “169 functionally diverse genes that impacted melanin production”! And of those 169 genes, “135 were not previously associated with pigmentation.” One hundred and thirty-five! From a genetic standpoint, skin shade is immensely more complicated than was previously thought.
But even as scientists uncover more about how our bodies work and how the genes for melanin production work together and are passed down (which might help with skin cancer and other research), the basics remain the same—all people are different shades of brown from dark to light, and the genetic diversity to produce a variety of skin shades was placed there by the Creator God from the very beginning when he created the first human couple, Adam and Eve. So yes, there’s only one race, Adam’s race, all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Acts 17:26).
So next time you hear someone talk about skin color, explain to them we should say “skin shade,” as humans are different shades of brown because of the pigment melanin.
by Ken Ham on August 31, 2023
Featured in Ken Ham Blog
Answers in Genesis
According to a popular science article, here’s how one of the researchers says this new study was completed: o understand what actually causes different amounts of melanin to be produced, we used a technology called CRISPR-Cas9 [like a pair of molecular scissors] to genetically engineer cells. . . . Using CRISPR, we systematically removed more than 20,000 genes from hundreds of millions of melanocytes and observed the impact on melanin production.
What they found was “169 functionally diverse genes that impacted melanin production”! And of those 169 genes, “135 were not previously associated with pigmentation.” One hundred and thirty-five! From a genetic standpoint, skin shade is immensely more complicated than was previously thought.
But even as scientists uncover more about how our bodies work and how the genes for melanin production work together and are passed down (which might help with skin cancer and other research), the basics remain the same—all people are different shades of brown from dark to light, and the genetic diversity to produce a variety of skin shades was placed there by the Creator God from the very beginning when he created the first human couple, Adam and Eve. So yes, there’s only one race, Adam’s race, all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Acts 17:26).
So next time you hear someone talk about skin color, explain to them we should say “skin shade,” as humans are different shades of brown because of the pigment melanin.
by Ken Ham on August 31, 2023
Featured in Ken Ham Blog
Answers in Genesis
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