Race is a social—not a biological—construct. There is no gene or cluster of genes common to all blacks or all whites. Nevertheless, the concept of race has been used to create statuses and stratification. Throughout history, perceptions of race have changed over time to justify who should have privilege and who should not. Like race, racial identity can also be fluid. But the social, political, and economic implications of race remain rigidly entrenched.

As a biracial woman, Dr. Tammy Hodo has experienced two different Americas: one for whites and one for blacks. As a Ph.D. social scientist who studies the impacts the variables of race, class, ethnicity, and sex have on life chances, she has incredible insight into how to start the difficult dialogue about the irrelevance of enduring racial constructs. We need to work toward a world that doesn’t put labels on people due to variables outside of their control. Dr. Tammy L. Hodo is the President of All Things Diverse LLC, an educational consulting company working with organizations to optimize employee productivity through recognizing the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Tammy earned her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in urban studies, with a minor in sociology and specializations in race, class, gender, and ethnicity. Tammy has provided training to local and national organizations all under the umbrella of diversity, equity, and inclusion. She has written course content on implicit biases and micro aggressions for a national educational vendor that is being used at hundreds of colleges and universities. She has worked in academia for over 10 years in a variety of positions, including faculty and university administrator. Her most recent administrative role was the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for a law school where she was responsible for policy development and overall institutional compliance for students, faculty, and staff related to discrimination and harassment. Tammy recently completed a Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology position at the University of North Florida. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx