Introduction
Race refers to how individuals differentiate other people for social or biological reasons. A social construct is an idea created and accepted by many people in the society. After reading and listening to Dolezal’s story, my initial reaction was filled with some questions. They were if Rachel Dolezal could actually choose her race or what made her feel better identifying as a black woman and not just appreciating the black culture. Rachel Dolezal has repeatedly invoked the concept of race as a social construct (Morning, 2017). She consistently defends her identity with a race different from that of her biological parents. However, the identity of a person is not what they are born biologically.
Discussion
In my honest opinion, I agree with Rachel Dolezal that race is a social construct since there is no race gene that exists and can be retrieved and referred to as somebody’s race. After listening to Rachel Dolezal’s story, it is evident that she is a person who turns the existing racial categories to her advantage. Rachel also rejects the widespread beliefs regarding the criteria used in racial categorization (Dolezal & Reback, 2017). Hence, the concept of race as a social construct it is human-invented and was also created to identify physical differences between people. However, it has been used as a tool for violence and oppression worldwide.
When a topic concerning race or gender is raised, the context of that conversation is apparent. There might be cases where it is hard to tell what gender or race a person is, but it is easy for an individual to assign another a race. Nevertheless, it is sometimes vague when someone says they are white contrary to their physical appearance. Rachel Dolezal insists that she is a black woman, even after her parents say and proving otherwise. She is a perfect example of a race eliminativist who insists that the topic of race is very vacuous and that no one is either black or white despite their skin color. According to Orbe, Rachel Dolezal is black because she identifies as a black woman (Orbe, 2016). Her claim for that identity was authentic since people are now getting used to the fact that a sense of belonging or racial affiliation can change in various situations.
Dolezal goes to the extent of lying to explain what it means for race to be a social construct. Her decision to lie about her identity and those of her parents led to many issues with everyone. She was a white lady who claimed her parents were African American and their adopted son was also theirs. This was farfetched because she was the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, whose mission is to secure the social, political, economic, and educational quality of rights (Bey & Sakellarides, 2016). This was to help people from all walks of life deal with discrimination and ensure their health was considered. Rachel Dolezal did not have to lie about her racial ethnicity, even if it was a social construct. This is because their mission as the NAACP was to deal with and prevent discrimination. Moreover, they had a vision of ensuring every individual in the society had equal rights and that they had eliminated discrimination based on race.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Rachel Dolezal’s controversy significantly described race as a social construct since her race varied over time. She was born white, which her parents proved through her birth certificate, but she later identified as a black woman. She identified as a black woman because that is what she felt she was. However, she did not have to lie about the identity of her parents or her adopted brother. Trying to convince people about her views on race and why she identified as a black woman would have worked in all aspects. For instance, it would have worked in line with her career as the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
References
Bey, M., & Sakellarides, T. (2016). When we enter: The blackness of Rachel Dolezal. The Black Scholar, 46(4), 33-48. Web.
Dolezal, R., & Reback, S. (2017). In full color: Finding my place in a black and white world. BenBella Books, Dolezal.
Morning, A. (2017). Race and Rachel Doležal. Contexts, 16(2), 8-11. Web.
Orbe, M. P. (2016). The Rhetoric of race, culture, and identity: Rachel Dolezal as co-cultural group member. Journal of Contemporary Rhetoric, 6(2), 11-25.