TRANS RACHEL

Amid the continuing debate over Rachel Dolezal and her racial and cultural identity, a new word has emerged to describe Ms. Dolezal and others: transracial. This word should be wiped out of the English language before it does further damage to American minds, along with similar innocuous terms such as meh and cybersecurity. Does anyone know what transracial means? I used to go to Mel’s Sunshine Tanning Spa because I wanted to brag to my friends about the amazing weekend I had in Hawaii. Now it means I’m transracial? Does Mel know? Can I still tell my friends I went to Hawaii? To attend a conference of the NAACP?

Why is everyone piling on Rachel Dolezal? Especially, why are African Americans so upset? Ms. Dolezal has worked diligently for the betterment of an oppressed people. She was an active member of the community and she doesn’t appear to have used her position to enrich herself. Why are so many people accusing her of some evil treachery? Because she lied and said I have Black in my background? Because she said I identify as Black? The most profound reason for racism or any kind of bigotry is precisely the inability to identify; the incapacity to see ourselves in others. Rachel Dolezal professes to this noble character trait, the ability to identify; yet she is shunned.

Some have criticized her because she can “switch back to Caucasian whenever she wants,” ignoring the fact that she hasn’t done it yet, gives no indication that she will do it, and meanwhile reiterated her identification with Blackness on national television.

The classic movie Gentlemen’s Agreement was about a reporter who decided to pose as Jewish and write a story about his experiences. He examined what it is really like to be Jewish: face overt discrimination, endure subtle prejudice, accept the countless humiliations, insults, lies and stereotypes reserved for minorities in general and Jews in particular. His friends and family urged him not to take on a story that would surely expose him to unpleasant situations. At the end of the movie bigotry is bared and everyone gains a deeper understanding of anti-Semitism. I don’t believe too many members of the Jewish community objected to that movie, notwithstanding the fact that the reporter was actually Christian. Yet Rachel Dolezal is pilloried.

She certainly made mistakes in her past and did lie about specific issues, but she is an individual committed to racial equality, willing to sacrifice her time, willing to do the work. For this she should be applauded and encouraged.

Being a member of a minority confers certain benefits, the primary ones being having a strong sense of religious or cultural identity and a desire for group preservation. It also affords the inescapable sense of vulnerability and the need for the help, understanding and occasional protection of others.

One has an undeniable pride in being able to endure hardship and survive and prosper. It is an honorable virtue. But it becomes a form of masochism when honest help is offered to minimize hardship and it is rejected. This is a time for unity and cooperation. Let’s join hands and sing Hallelujah.