So, she was using her whiteness to defend her supposed blackness? So she can gain some benefit that has previously been for black people who have lived in a country that has actively denied them basic human dignity for much of its history?
I think that’s an important point about the constructedness of race. The problem to my mind is that we’re still sorting through the mess that was created so that rich white people could benefit from the forced labor of people they deemed lesser than themselves. So, while race is a construct and we could work to deconstruct it, by tearing down the facade of blackness first, we would do the black community a deep disservice. As you say:
I think I can sort of understand where she is coming from. Being associated with the notion of whiteness puts you in the service of all sorts of nasty things that none of us should like and that we should actively rebel against, because it creates categories of people who are actively dehumanized. But I don’t think appropriating an experience that isn’t your own (as she has done) helps. Amplifying the voices of those who have had that experience helps… hence, why I think she’s making this about her, not about the black community and their struggles…
