Although racial discrimination poses a devastating instrument of oppression, social work texts lack a clear and consistent definition of "race". The solution lies in according race the status of an "actor version" concept, while exploring the origins and variations of race ideas using "scientific observer version" explanations. This distinction provides the means for determining the sources of harmful race ideas, an indispensable first step in combating them. Using recent teaching materials, we can emphasize our common humanity to promote social justice without sacrificing our recognition of the damage inflicted by racial ideas.