He falsely claimed that Harris and former President Barack Obama are not truly black because they are not direct descendants of slaves or African immigrants. Recently, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh piled on with the racist attacks. Trump quickly deleted the post, but not before a wave of tweets went out that revived the debate questioning Harris’ legitimacy as a black American. I’m so sick of people robbing American Blacks (like myself) of our history. The tweet, originally written by conservative commentator Ali Alexander, read, “Kamala Harris is *not* an American Black. shared a post on Twitter that implied Harris was not black enough to be commenting on the struggles of African Americans. Some people in the Indian community have also complained that Harris isn’t doing enough to win their vote. But even despite her background and push for ambitious proposals, people on both sides of the political aisle aren’t convinced she’s truly loyal to the black community. Some of her recent proposals include investing in black entrepreneurs and increased funding for historically black colleges and universities. She dealt with federally mandated school busing, attended a historically black college, and joined an African American sorority while she was a student. Recently, Harris has opened up about her experience growing up as a person of color. Even so, identifying as multiracial isn’t always digestible to the general public. Thankfully, our society no longer subscribes to the idea that a person must identify as only one race. If I refer to myself as “black,” am I subtly rejecting my Irish heritage? Will I be rejected by the black community because my complexion isn’t dark enough? How many times do I need to be called the N-word before I can convincingly say I’ve experienced being black in America? The internal dialogue can be exhausting, and there is never a right answer.Ĭhallenging people such as Harris on something as inconsequential as having a “black experience” is insulting to all people of mixed cultures. As a biracial woman who is half-African American and half-Caucasian, I am occasionally torn by how to self-identify. Many multiracial people have faced criticisms similar to the ones being thrown at Harris. Harris has been accused of implying she is African American, neglecting her Indian side, and not having lived through a truly “black experience.” Harris, whose immigrant parents came from India and Jamaica, has been bending over backwards to prove her “blackness” to those who challenge it. But as the presidential candidate inches her way toward the top of the polls, she has routinely fought off critics who not only challenge her policies, but question her racial identity. Kamala Harris is no stranger to conflict.
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