Deconstructing Race/ Deconstructing Racism: Jeanette Armstrong and Roxana Ng

In the conference of deconstructing race Armstrong begins by challenging the ways in which individual societies embrace the notion of “differences”
The Okanagan looked at peoples individuality and “differences” as tools and valuable traits. These “differences” allowed each person to contribute to the groups and they were able to “organize themselves for survival reasons.” This society was built on honoring differences between people and acknowledging how their traits will add to the greater good for the group.
“Race,” however, focuses on the power and supremacy of one group holding over the “others” – those who are different - “the idea of someone having more rights than others.” Using slavery as an example she discusses how the differences of race translated into the “supreme” race literally owning another human being simply because of their difference.