In Today’s society we often look at physical features to determine a person’s race, such as skin color, hair texture, hair color, body shape, facial features, and sometimes we use how a person sounds when they talk to determine what race they are. Society also uses stereotypes of social factors and cultural beliefs to determine a person’s race and identity. My family and society’s perception of race has had a big influence on how I also determine others race and identity. However race and what a person identifies as is more complex than this. My focus for this week’s discussion will be about Rachel Dolezal identifying as black. Rachel Dolezal’s story as to why she identifies as black left me flabbergasted. I am an African American women and trying to understand why she identifies as that without having any credibility such as African ancestry left me in total shock.
In Lecture 5.1 the professor talks about how our ideals of how we perceive people are mainly because of the social perceptions we have about race. For instance African Americans are perceived with low income status so therefore its under the perception that they are not highly educated as their white counterparts, not as healthy, don’t have big fancy houses, flashy cars, or nice clothes as white counterparts. But for a White person who has a high income status is highly educated, healthy, has nice cars and clothes and a big house. But we know that this is not true for everyone. The professor talks about Worldview in lecture 5.1 about how every culture holds ideas and sometimes we don’t see the reality of how things are (Lecture 5.1). With that being said, are we intentionally ignoring the reality of race?
When researching and studying Rachel Dolezal, in the article “Rachel Dolezal defiantly maintains ‘I identify as black’ in TV interview” I came across how she identifies as black although she comes from white parents.. In the MSNBC Interview, Melissa Harry Person mentions that many people see race as a biological factor and from parenting but Rachel doesn’t see it as that way. Instead, Rachel feels like her biological parents aren’t really her parents (MSNBC Interview 2015). In addition, Dolezal mentioned in the interview how she feels isolated and that no one understands her (MSNBC Interview 2015). From her interviews it seems she identifies as black because she raised her black siblings and black adopted children. Dolezal never says why she changed her identity to African American. But in the MSNBC interview she says how she feels attracted to the black lifestyle and how beautiful the culutre is. I personally think Rachel identifies as this is because she’s an advocate for NAACP and has been around black people and raising black children. I think she feels like she has more of a connection with the black community rather than her European descent. In addition, I think from her experiences and interests has shaped how she identifies with herself regardless of her biological factors. From an intersectionality perspective, I’m not sure what social factors Dolezal lies in or has experienced since she never really mentions them besides saying that she remembers being born in a teepee and having a compound bow.
Furthermore, I had some trouble understanding as to why she feels like she identifies as an African American. I know she talks about how she likes the lifestyle and culture of African Americans but I see race being as more biological rather than outside of that. And since she had a lack of credibility of her early childhood experiences it was kind of hard to see where she was coming from.
I do believe how we use social factors to determine someone’s race is a problem because some races may not fit within that factor but still identify as that race such as Rachel Dolezal. This also relates to the intracategorical complexity theory which is a mix between using categories strategically and not using categories (in the sense of social constructs with intersectionality) (McCall 2005). I think race has been socially constructed this way because of people’s ideal of how a certain race lifestyle should be. For instance, how white people are associated with a higher level of income status, better access to health care and education, having the resources to succeed. While on the other hand, other races don’t fit within their white counterparts social status.
References
Department of Anthropology, director. Intersectionality. Women and Health, 23 May 2019, anthropology.msu.edu/anp270-us19/lecture-videos/intersectionality/.
Cohen, Isaac. “Watch Rachel Dolezals Long, Unbelievably Incoherent Interview with Melissa Harris-Perry.” National Review, National Review, 18 June 2015, www.nationalreview.com/2015/06/dolezal-interview-isaac-cohen/.
Freeman, Jonathan B., et al. “Looking the Part: Social Status Cues Shape Race Perception.” PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0025107.
McCall, Leslie. “The Complexity of Intersectionality.” Edited by Rutgers University, drive.google.com/file/d/1T1vTIDNdSXi3ux0DOJnfB4UMra-Xv3tv/view.
Yuhas, Alan. “Rachel Dolezal Defiantly Maintains ‘I Identify as Black’ in TV Interview.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 16 June 2015, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/16/rachel-dolezal-today-show-interview.
Lauren,
When I first heard about Rachel Dolezal’s story, I was instantly reminded of society’s reaction to Michael Jackson bleaching his skin. Both went against society’s definition of them and attempted to make their race a nonbiological indicator. Do you think more people were willing to accept Michael’s actions, now in comparison to Rachel’s actions, because of the intersectionality of him also being a male of more social power and privilege? I think it could very well have to do with his fame and overall legend. Before being interviewed for her desire to identify as a different race, Rachel Dolezal was not in the public eye. Just as Caitlyn Jenner was accused of switching genders for a publicity stunt, Rachel was met with the same kind of scrutiny. From Lecture 5.1, we can note that not even all middle-class white males share one monolithic culture, but they are still understood in society as middle-class white males. Rachel might always see herself as something other than what society sees her. She is an outlier, and a majority of people may choose to disagree with her self-identification, but it is important to note her reasonings behind it.
It is difficult for us to imagine why Dolezal identifies as black despite being descended from European ancestors. Part of the issue is because we so strongly link race with biology, when race is merely a social construct and has really nothing to do with biology. All you have to do is look at individuals that can “pass,” they are descended from one racial category ambiguous and can pass themselves as another race. Usually we have an easier time understanding when a racial minority tries to pass as white, but what makes Dolezal so hard to understand for a lot of people is why she is trying to pass herself off as someone with less privilege and less protections.