American Civil Rights Activist Rachel Dolezal, 37,who is the daughter of two White parents, has caused much controversy and debate after claiming that she is 'Black.'
From what little word history I can recall on, during times of segregation and injustice in parts of the world like America, many people went through what would be described as 'racial passing'. This usually entailed people of mixed heritage posing as being White, in order to avoid racism or undue punishment of some sort.
Fast forward into the 20th century, we now have a White woman posing to be Black, and her reason for doing so is far from trying to avoid racism. Although I disbelieve that Dolezal has a brain chemistry imbalance which has affected her mental health, associate professor of counselling psychology, Anita Thomas, from Loyola University came up with a plausible conclusion. The Guardian reports her saying, "For White [American] youth, who are disconnected from European heritage or legacy, it often feels like whiteness as a concept is empty." I have seen enough White people in my lifetime emphasise this point raised, that I deem it to be true to a great extent.
It seems to be White culture is not enriching for its people, and so they yearn for a culture more stimulating and exciting. I have lost count of the amount of White people I have witnessed wait in long queues for a food order at the local Caribbean shop, because they'd much prefer Jerk chicken with rice and peas instead of fish and chips. In addition, bashment and reggae (popular genres of Jamaican music) are what a vast majority of White people wiggle their hip to and appreciate.
Another thing, I see White boys going to what are predominantly known as 'black barbers' for their haircuts, in a bid to feel more inclusive of a wider culture that soon becomes a part of theirs. There is an endless list of things I could name, however the point to be understood is that as human beings we are attracted to variety and this is what ethnic minority cultures provide in their speech and language, food, clothing and festivals. Bearing all this in mind, and with the knowledge that Dolezal had a black adopted brother, I feel as though she must have had some sort of familiarity with Black culture, and as a result, adopted it as part of her root identity.
Interestingly enough, she has given lectures/talks on Afro-Caribbean hairstyles and totally transformed her hair in what would appear to be typically black women hairdos. From tight Afro curls, to locks and dreads, she's had it all.
What striked me when finding out about Dolezal making headlines is that, the vast majority of people, whether Black, Asian or White, agree human civilization started in Africa and so that means in this context, we are all Black people. Now for Dolezal to above and beyond in recognising this is quite brave, having known it will cause backlash and upset. For as long as I remember, I have been told that Black people feel like they have to act 'White' to get somewhere in life or look more European. And so now this has happened, Black people are most likely to be offended, for the very reason White people once tortured Black people for just that, being Black.
Should we really be making an issue of this in 2015, when the vast array of literature both online and in hard-copies of books allows us to be spiritually and politically consiouss. Identity is a social construct, as we shape it as we go along, from beliefs, attitude, religion and dress. Living in a time where homophobia and transphobia is shunned and the causes are not examined, pretty much everything goes. Everyone has the human right to exercise their thoughts and think what they want. And Dolezal thinks she's Black, and she's made every effort to display that.
Picture from The Independent
Fast forward into the 20th century, we now have a White woman posing to be Black, and her reason for doing so is far from trying to avoid racism. Although I disbelieve that Dolezal has a brain chemistry imbalance which has affected her mental health, associate professor of counselling psychology, Anita Thomas, from Loyola University came up with a plausible conclusion. The Guardian reports her saying, "For White [American] youth, who are disconnected from European heritage or legacy, it often feels like whiteness as a concept is empty." I have seen enough White people in my lifetime emphasise this point raised, that I deem it to be true to a great extent.
It seems to be White culture is not enriching for its people, and so they yearn for a culture more stimulating and exciting. I have lost count of the amount of White people I have witnessed wait in long queues for a food order at the local Caribbean shop, because they'd much prefer Jerk chicken with rice and peas instead of fish and chips. In addition, bashment and reggae (popular genres of Jamaican music) are what a vast majority of White people wiggle their hip to and appreciate.
Another thing, I see White boys going to what are predominantly known as 'black barbers' for their haircuts, in a bid to feel more inclusive of a wider culture that soon becomes a part of theirs. There is an endless list of things I could name, however the point to be understood is that as human beings we are attracted to variety and this is what ethnic minority cultures provide in their speech and language, food, clothing and festivals. Bearing all this in mind, and with the knowledge that Dolezal had a black adopted brother, I feel as though she must have had some sort of familiarity with Black culture, and as a result, adopted it as part of her root identity.
Interestingly enough, she has given lectures/talks on Afro-Caribbean hairstyles and totally transformed her hair in what would appear to be typically black women hairdos. From tight Afro curls, to locks and dreads, she's had it all.
What striked me when finding out about Dolezal making headlines is that, the vast majority of people, whether Black, Asian or White, agree human civilization started in Africa and so that means in this context, we are all Black people. Now for Dolezal to above and beyond in recognising this is quite brave, having known it will cause backlash and upset. For as long as I remember, I have been told that Black people feel like they have to act 'White' to get somewhere in life or look more European. And so now this has happened, Black people are most likely to be offended, for the very reason White people once tortured Black people for just that, being Black.
Should we really be making an issue of this in 2015, when the vast array of literature both online and in hard-copies of books allows us to be spiritually and politically consiouss. Identity is a social construct, as we shape it as we go along, from beliefs, attitude, religion and dress. Living in a time where homophobia and transphobia is shunned and the causes are not examined, pretty much everything goes. Everyone has the human right to exercise their thoughts and think what they want. And Dolezal thinks she's Black, and she's made every effort to display that.