How Does Diversity Atlas Define Appearance?

We use the term appearance to refer to the grouping of people into broad categories based on differences in physical appearance. We have been asked previously, “Why not just put ‘race’?”  The answer to that is that ‘race’ has no proven basis in scientific fact.  That is not to say racism does not exist (it most certainly does) but historically, notions around the concept of ‘race’ have sadly been weaponised and have often formed the basis of racism – that is, the use of racial differences to establish a social hierarchy and system of power that privileges or advantages certain groups and unfairly disadvantages other groups. Race can be something that a person identifies with but it can also be an unnecessary or nefarious classification that is assigned to them by others.