Don't Confuse Race with Race

I just read about a disappointing book in which a Black woman author says that "race" doesn't exist but "race" does and so we have to teach everyone the difference between "race" and "race".  That's like teaching people the difference between "orange" and "orange."  Do you mean the same thing when you say orange (fruit) that I mean when I say orange (color)?  Unless we discuss it for about twenty years, we won't even be able to tell the difference. 

Meanwhile, other malevolent people will take advantage of the confusion for all sorts of evil purposes.

• I don't like that orange!  Do you? 
• Oh, no, I hate that orange.
• Do you like the oranges?
  
• Oh, no!   I can't stand any of them.
• Would you like an orange?
• Oh, yes, I need the vitamin "C".

If anything ever needed to be disambiguated, it's the vocabulary that use when we say "race" and when, on the other hand, we say "race."  The author said it's simple to tell the difference, but if it's so simple then why did she have to write a book about it and why should anyone buy her book about something that is obvious?

Will Obama's race hurt his race?  No, I don't think the race will matter much, unless the race doesn't turn out to vote.  Now, I'm realizing that this race is for real!  No, a race doesn't matter at all.  It the conduct of the race that matters in the race between the races, and I think Obama has race locked up as much as he has funding for the race.  Is Obama fund-raising for his race instead of fundraising for all of the Democratic Party races?  Although race is a scientific fallacy, race is for real and its significance cannot be underestimated.

Are you confused now?  Don't feel bad because everyone is.

Francis