Race and cultural identity differ; the same is true for biological sex and gender identity. People who describe former president of the Spokane NAACP chapter, Rachel Dolezal’s, misrepresentation of herself as black, as indicative of being “transracial,†are really talking about cultural appropriation. Cultural appropriation is, often, an expression of the value an individual places on a particular culture, so much so, that his or her own identity is significantly informed by it.
[Related: Women of Color Also Victims of Racial Profiling]
However, in Dolezal’s case, her valuing of African American culture has now become an example of contemporary blackface and racism in America. To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with cultural appropriation, nor is there anything wrong with relating to black culture, having ones identity influenced, or even formed by it. African American culture is American culture, and Dolezal’s dedication to combating racism; despite being Caucasian, demonstrates that whites can and should be just as passionate about issues facing black America.
Still, the argument that Rachel Dolezal and Caitlyn Jenner are the same, that transgender and the term “transracial†share similar qualities, or that, because Dolezal identifies with black culture, she should be considered black, is problematic. For one, such arguments fail to recognize differences between biological sex, race, gender identity, and cultural identity. Biological sex and race are static phenomenon that cannot be changed; this is not true for cultural and gender identity. An individual becomes transgender when their gender identity is at odds with societal ideas about masculinity, femininity, and biological, sex-based behavioral expectations. Being transgender is not about denial of
biological sex, its about accepting that one’s gender identity does not subscribe to the norms espoused by the society in which one resides, it’s also about allowing one’s own instincts and natural tendencies to determine how one chooses to live and, socially, identify. Biologically speaking, Caitlyn Jenner keeps the sex she was born with. But, in all other ways–behaviorally and otherwise, the label of “man†is no longer appropriate.Cultural identity shares similarities with gender identity, but the two differ. When Rachel Dolezal pretended to be someone who was born African American, she went beyond the realm of cultural appropriation; she claimed an oppression that wasn’t hers. Moreover, she engages in contemporary blackface by attempting to look ‘black’ and, though she has presented herself as someone who understands and values African American culture; so much so that she has portrayed herself as a black person, her actions demonstrate a total disregard for it—given the history of blackface in America.
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The controversy surrounding Dolezal doesn’t stem from her identification with black culture, her desire to “culturally†define herself as African American, or her devotion to issues facing black America–everybody’s welcome at that table. The problem concerns the fact that she was the former head of an NAACP chapter and misrepresented herself as a person who was born black and who is, thereby, subject to the racism that results from such.
It’s important to remember; especially when considering differences between race and cultural identity, that racism isn’t about culture. Racism is discrimination, inequality, and social stigma, directed towards a group of people based solely on the fact that they were born of a certain race and have, often times, its physical traits, ect. Being on the receiving end of racism, as we have seen, brings with it a host of experiences unique to those who are members of that race or another oppressed racial group. The implications of Dolezal’s actions are connected to a long history involving the topic of race and culture in this country, just as the comparison to Caitlyn Jenner relates to mountains of research, scholarly and otherwise, concerning gender and sexuality.
If anything, this controversy provides an opportunity for deeper discussions about what it means to be black, and how we define the relationship between race and culture in America.
 This article was written by Rebecca Nichloson.