Discussion

When dealing with your exam question, you are also required to discuss whether people should be allowed to choose which race they prefer to belong to, starting from the ideas expressed in Text 3.

“Let Rachel Dolezal Be as Black as She Wants to Be” by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar defends Rachel Dolezal and focuses on the woman’s contribution to the fight for equal rights in America. In his comment, Abdul-Jabbar puts forth several arguments and examples which support the idea that people should be free to decide which race they want to be associated with.

The myth of race

The author’s first argument is that race does not even exist to begin with. He mentions scientific research which has proven race is actually an invention, a myth based on people’s skin colour:

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Race and society

Even so, the author of the article admits that ideas of race are so embedded in people’s consciousness and vocabulary that the word is still very much used today. However, by giving the examples of several people who have been more attached to other races than their own (Al Jonson, Quentin Tarantino),...

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Questions and arguments to consider

In order to reflect deeper on whether you agree with this view or not, here are some additional points and ideas you can take into account.

Think contextually. First, think about those who – by worldly standards – are biracial and multiracial: African-Americans, metis (American Indian + Euro American), Australians with Aboriginal and English roots, etc.

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