Racial Fluidity an attack to eliminate Black Culture

The old saying goes "in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue," this clever expression for decades is used to teach elementary school kids the discovery America. Although the land was already inhabited with people, Columbus was credited as Europe's first for successful voyage across the world. After the discover many began to settle in the Americas seeking gold, power, religious freedom and an overall new way of life, ultimately establishing America as "the land of the free."

Now, fast forward over 500 years later, after the Atlantic Slave Trade, Jim Crow Laws, Nazi Germany, “Reganomics,” and even present day Black lives matters campaigns, America is still seen as this free country. In comparison to the Middle Eastern countries like Iran, who prohibits alcohol or practicing religions outside of Islam, I can understand why America is "free." However, the question is, are all Americans free? CNN published an article titled, “The blurring of racial lines won't save America. Why 'racial fluidity' is a con," and the article features the story of Johnny Ortis, a Caucasian guy of Greek descent, who is influenced by Black culture. Racial fluidity is the belief that race, like gender, is a choice, not a biological identity you're assigned at birth. Racially fluid people reject the box they're put in and craft their own identity.

Although sharing cultures can be beautiful, taking a culture while imposing discrimination towards that same culture does not implicate racial equality. Incomparable to gender, because women fight for the same opportunities as men, but a man has never fought to receive the same treatment as woman, because they know it's flawed. Although the same concept can apply to race, the separation of color outcome would always be different, unless he were to paint himself in black face daily. Johnny Ortis may deeply feel like he's a Black man, but he can never relate to receiving those kinds of discriminations. Many black kids fear the law, not because they're guilty of a crime, but since their ancestors were brought to America, it's proven that they are not guaranteed a fair trial in our legal system because of discrimination. At one point in US history African Americans were not counted as a person, and unfortunately that racist mentality carried and is still apparent today. Johnny Ortis is concerned about how he and the world identifies himself, while black people are still seeking recognition. That thought alone shows a completely different thought process between the races, which is only instilled in black people because of our history. Ultimately raising the question about how "free" are we really.