i don't care as nearly as much about getting more people through college as i do as making sure that that ability to live a long, healthy, happy life is more equal. I get a little bit frustrated with this. It's such a large problem. We are capable of amazing things when there is a collective political will. A, weare just not committed to detoxifying the environment of black children in this country. And so i think if we had political will around these things, if we really thought of this as like, you know, the manhattan project, but for dtoxifying the environments of African-Americans.
In recent years, scientists have shown that DNA makes us different, in our personalities and in our health — and in ways that matter for educational and economic success in our current society.
Michael speaks with University of Texas (Austin) professor of clinical psychology and Director of the Developmental Behavior Genetics Lab, Kathryn Paige Harden, about her book, The Genetic Lottery. Harden introduces us to the latest genetic science, dismantling dangerous ideas about racial superiority and challenging us to grapple with what equality really means in a world where people are born different. Weaving together personal stories with scientific evidence, Harden shows why our refusal to recognize the power of DNA perpetuates the myth of meritocracy, and argues that we must acknowledge the role of genetic luck if we are ever to create a fair society.
Reclaiming genetic science from the legacy of eugenics, this groundbreaking book offers a bold new vision of society where everyone thrives, regardless of how one fares in the genetic lottery.