I still find it incredible that we still use word “race” as a cultural determinant…to this day...you should have never invited me here...because I detest what we’ve done to ourselves. Out of a need to make ourselves different from one another, we’ve made the word “race” a way of expressing culture. There’s no such thing—and all you high school students, bless your hearts for being here. You’re a hundred champions right now that are going to go out understanding this. The adults in the room will never understand, even though they’ll nod their heads and say “you’re right.” They’ll never be able to stop using the word “race” as a cultural determinant. I just heard one of the most prolific statements done by one of the great humanitarians, he’s really trying to organize and bring us together, and he used the word “race” as if there is a Latino race, an Asian race, an indigenous race, a Caucasian race. There’s no such thing as a Latino race. There never has been. There never will be. There’s only one race, and that’s what the show brought out. That is the human race, period.
The question becomes, why did we start to use race a cultural determinant? The truth is that over six hundred years ago, the “Caucasian race” decided to use it as cultural determinant so it would be easier for them to kill another culture. That was the total understanding. To kill one culture from another culture. You couldn’t kill your own race. So you had to make them the other. And to this day, I spent 37 years of my adult life trying to get this word out, and now I am well prepared as the Admiral of the Battlestar Galactica to say to all of you: there is but one race. That is it! So say we all! [audience responds “So say we all”] So say we all! [audience bellows “So say we all!”] SO SAY WE ALL! [yelling and cheering]
Edward James Olmos, on his authority as Admiral of the Battlestar Galactica, tells the assembled crowd at the United Nations there is no race but the human race (so say we all).
Share this sound clip with your friends.