Blacks and temperature sensitivity

Factual Questions
1

Yes, I know … another “why do black people yadda yadda yadda?” thread. Still, though, I couldn’t help but ask.

This afternoon in northeast Ohio was lovely - temperatures in the mid-60s, and crowds of people walking up and down Coventry Avenue in bohemian, racially integrated Cleveland Heights.

While white folks wore shorts, short-sleeve shirts, or other light clothes that seemed appropriate for the weather, the majority of blacks I saw were dressed as if it was still January, with heavy parkas and winter jackets, often with the hood up or a touque on their head. A few had gloves on.

Do blacks feel colder than whites at the same temperature, or is the wearing of winter clothing during good weather a fashion statement, much like how upper-middle-class Chads and Trixies in Denver don shorts when temperatures fall far below freezing?

2

If they’re from Jamaica, I imagine they’d feel cold when it’s mild out. If they’re from Detroit, they can probably happily lie in a chest freezer. Didn’t we debunk this whole ‘race’ thing already?

3

Without getting into the whole race thing, there are differences in the speed with which different people acclimate to changing temperatures. Here’s a nice bit on what goes on during hot and cold acclimatization. Obviously, the amount selective pressure to adapt to changing temperatures will vary with the climate in which one lives.