I Became a Black Woman in Spokane. But, Rachel Dolezal, I was a Black Girl First

Abstract

Black womanhood is an identity forged in the lived experiences of black children. Anything else perpetuates society’s fetish for celebrating only parts of our bodies. Rachel Dolezal is, after this week, a symbol to many African Americans of the separation of blackness from black people; to me, she is an example of how American society simultaneously devalues the individuality of black women and us as a community to the point that the performance of black womanhood is preferred over the people.