Who: Henry Fairfield Osborn (1857–1935)
What: Promoted scientific racism through his writings on eugenics and human
evolution.
When: 1896
Details: Henry Fairfield Osborn was a prominent scientist who served as the
president of the American Museum of Natural History. In his 1896 publication, "From the Greeks to Darwin," Osborn promoted the idea of racial hierarchies and
the superiority of the "Nordic" race. He was a leading figure in the American eugenics movement and used his scientific influence to support policies of racial purity and segregation.
Why and How It Was Racist: Osborn's work provided a scientific rationale for eugenics and racial discrimination, reinforcing the belief in the inherent superiority of certain races and justifying policies that aimed to preserve racial purity.
Sources: Regal, B. (2018). Henry Fairfield Osborn: Race and the Search for the Origins of Man.
Routledge.
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