Authors: Kristen E. Broady, Curtis L. Todd, and William A. Darity, Jr.
Abstract: The socioeconomic position of Blacks in America cannot be fully contextualized without considering the marginalization of their racialized social identities as minorities who have historically combated subjugation and oppression with respect to income, employment, homeownership, education, and political representation. It is not difficult to understand why the historical reference to “passing” primarily has been associated with Blacks who were able to—and many who did—claim to be White to secure the social, educational, political, and economic benefits that were reserved for Whites. Therefore, the majority of passing narratives have focused on Black to White passing. This article departs from the tradition in the literature by considering appropriation of various aspects of Black culture and White to Black passing. We evaluate the socioeconomic costs and benefits of being Black and inequalities in citizenship status between Blacks and Whites. Furthermore, we examine the socioeconomic and political capital of Blackness versus Whiteness in an attempt to explore the rationality of passing for Black.
Key Findings
- Our discussion exposes the potential for the acts of abandoning White privilege and taking on a Black identity to be odious, despite the passers apparent identification with the Black struggle.
- History has invariably yoked us to an intricately woven narrative of race, culture, and identity.
- We are bound to the unrelenting complexity of acquiring and sustaining viable group memberships and establishing a sense of belonging, sometimes succeeding and quite often failing to carve out a meaningful and proud existence and to navigate our individual and collective human experience without borders—forced or imagined.
