"Marketing Race." JAR Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Jada Benn Torres

The Journal of Anthropological Research (JAR) is honored to welcome Dr. Jada Benn Torres, genetic anthropologist in the Department of Anthropology and the Director of the Genetic Anthropology and Biocultural Studies Laboratory, at Vanderbilt University.

UNM Department of Anthropology Visiting Assistant Professor of Archaeology. Event is organized by JAR and co-sponsored by the UNM Department of Anthropology and the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology.

MARKETING RACE: THE ALLURE, PROMISE, AND PITFALLS OF GENETIC ANCESTRY TESTING

The completion of the human genome sequencing ushered in a new genomic age, where the goals shifted from merely learning the DNA sequence to understanding how the genome functions as a dynamic system. As part of this genomic age, new methods of conceptualizing human genetic diversity and its relation to identity emerged. Despite the use of new genomic methods, old ideas about race as biology persisted within both scientific and public imaginaries.

Direct to consumer (DTC) genetic testing services have leveraged the appeal of discovering one's "roots" to attract consumers, while simultaneously reifying race as a meaningful biological category. This type of marketing and framing of genetic ancestry tests often oversimplifies complex issues surrounding the relationship between race, genetics, and identity. Despite these problems, DTC genetic testing also has the potential to empower individuals to reconsider their ideas about identity and belonging. Ultimately, a nuanced and critical approach to examining the intersections of genetics, race, and identity is crucial to realizing the promise of the genomic age.

Dr. Benn Torres is a genetic anthropologist in the Department of Anthropology and the Director of the Genetic Anthropology and Biocultural Studies Laboratory at Vanderbilt University. Her numerous publications focus on genetic ancestry in the Caribbean, genetics and disease, race, and health disparities, among other topics. Her recent, co-authored book, Genetic Ancestry Our Stories, Our Pasts (Routledge 2022) looks at the possibilities and limitations of genetic testing.

Dr. Benn Torres has been a member of the Department since 2016 and is currently an Associate Professor. Prior to arriving at Vanderbilt, she was in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Notre Dame for seven years. Before that, she completed her undergraduate studies with BA in Pre-professional Studies/Anthropology and Computer Applications in 1999 at the University of Notre Dame.

Then, she earned a MS degree in 2002 followed by a doctorate in anthropology in 2006 from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Currently, Dr. Benn Torres' primary research area is the Anglophone Caribbean where she explores genetic ancestry and population history of African and Indigenous Caribbean peoples. As part of this research, she have been involved with National Geographic’s Genographic Project.

A second emerging area of her research combines the tools and theories of genetic epidemiology with anthropology in order to holistically examine health disparities across human populations. This work focuses on women’s health, with a specific focus on the prevalence of uterine fibroids among African American women.

Host or Publisher UNM Maxwell Museum of Anthropology