There is a growing consensus among scientists that there are no human races in the biological sense of the term. There is human biological variation. However, this variation is minimal compared with that of many other species, and our characteristics change gradually from place to place. Humans do not sort neatly into biologically distinct groups—which is what most people imagine when they think of “race”. The best candidate for a scientific synonym for ‘race’ is subspecies, and the science shows that there are no subspecies within our species.

From a biological perspective, race is science fiction. Yet racial identities are still very important to many people. There seems to be a tension here between the cold, hard science and the ways in which people feel a sense of racial belonging.

Some might argue that racial identities are harmful, and we ought to get rid of them. Certainly, some racial identities are harmful—for instance, those that are premised on a belief in racial hierarchy. The philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah also warns against racial identities “going imperial”: taking over one’s sense of self entirely and not leaving room for other aspects of identity. However, many people maintain racial but not racist identities and avoid the pitfall that Appiah describes. Moreover, many people gain meaning and a sense of solidarity from their racial identities.

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