Cassie C.,
VA

As the child of an interracial couple (which are not just black & white but also Native American) that ended in divorce – and my parents remarried people of similar races – it has been a struggle to truly fit in anywhere. A Sociologist would say I’ve been “socialized” as a southern, middle class, suburban white girl, but my hair, skintone, nose, and lips say otherwise. Growing up with my white mother, stepfather, brother, surrounded by my 99.9% white family, I stood out – and still do. It has always been difficult to date because of this; I’m not white enough for most men, not black enough for most black men’s families. Not white enough for society to see who I really am… but black enough to still get racially profiled when shopping.