The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether genetic research is an adequate means to attain the very worthy goal of eliminating racial and ethnic healthcare inequalities. I argue that, in our present social and political context, even if genetic variation contributes to health disparities, and even if such knowledge allows us to develop new interventions, genetics and genomics research is unlikely to have any significant effect on their elimination or reduction. I explore also the possibility that attention to genetic research as the solution to persistent health inequalities might actually hinder our efforts to improve health status and healthcare outcomes for historically disadvantaged groups.