Melanin, afrocentricity, and pseudoscience
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8311749 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Bernard R Ortiz De Montellano (Wayne State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1993 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | S17 |
| Pages | 33-58 |
| Publication date | 1993-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/ajpa.1330360604 |
| OpenAlex | W2002875733 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 9 |
| References cited | 55 |
A component of the Afrocentric movement has incorporated a theory that black people, including ancient Egyptians, have superior mental, physical, and paranormal powers because they have more melanin both in their skin and in their brains. By extension it is also claimed that black people have more melatonin and β-MSH in their systems and that these compounds also contribute to the superiority of people of color over whites. In this paper, these claims are detailed and refuted. A review of the genetics and biochemistry of human pigmentation shows that all humans have similar amounts of neuromelanin (brain melanin), and that its concentration is absolutely independent of skin color; that adult humans do not synthesize β-MSH; and that human melatonin has no clearly demonstrable physiological function and no relationship to skin color. “Melanists” also distort human evolution by claiming that European whites are descendants of negroid albinos. The main problems posed by this ideological movement are that it will increase the already rampant scientific illiteracy in this country, it will contribute to further widening the gap between the races, and, most importantly, it is being introduced into the public school curriculum under the guise of multicultural education. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc
Aesthetics · Biology · Curriculum · Environmental ethics · Functional illiteracy · Ideology · Melanin · Pathology · Political science · Politics · Pseudoscience · Sociology · Circadian rhythm and melatonin · Gender Studies · Genetics · Law · Medicine · melanin and skin pigmentation · Philosophy · Psychology
How white supremacy undermines the universal human rights agenda
Philosophy of African American Studies
Racist and antiracist conspiracy theories
Has anthropology any future
Nature, Origin, and Variation of Human Pigmentation
Beautiful Melodies Telling Me Terrible Things
"Genomics, divination, "racecraft
Culturally Situated Design Tools
When Math Worlds Collide
Blacks in antiquity
Mitochondrial DNA and human evolution
The Apportionment of Human Diversity
The Multiregional Evolution of Humans
The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State
African Presence in Early Europe
The Use and Abuse of Black Athena
Race, Science and Society
Studies of ancient crania from northern Africa
The Predynastic of Egypt
Dogon Restudied
Roots of Soul
Genetical Change in Ancient Egypt
| Unique citing works | 9 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,29 |
| Citation span | 1995 - 2026 (32) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 8 |