MIT Hapa believes that the Human Race Machine is an excellent tool for promoting and embracing diversity. We hope that
by bringing the machine to MIT, we can create an environment in which members of the community can paritcipate in a
meaningful dialogue on issues of race.
Why is this machine valuable?
There IS value in seeing yourself as a different race. However, the “why” is a much harder question to answer, very
subjective in nature and open to individual interpretation. And, individual users bring different and varying degrees
of life experience to the table when they use the Human Race Machine, thereby creating an array of reactions during and
after the machine’s use. Of the hundreds of people who have reported their reactions to the machine, the responses
overwhelmingly indicate a positive, unique and thought-provoking experience, unlike any other.
The Human Race Machine is wholly unique. Nothing else like it exists. Beyond the curiosity, the uniqueness of the
experience and the fun that it brings to users, the machine imparts messages that are entirely supported within any
organization’s mission to promote diversity. Human Race Machine users typically see their own faces in the face that
is staring back at them on the monitor. But these faces are not really them. This experience can alter perceptions and
open up the door to a bigger, deeper conversation on race and diversity.
[www.humanracemachine.com]