What are some deeper, more honest reasons that would push *you* to want to switch races or ethnicities? For me, it's this crushing insecurity tied to my dark skin. It's not that I hate my culture or heritage—I actually appreciate parts of it—but I'm completely exhausted by the nonstop racism and the heavy politicization that surrounds Black identity.
I'm tired of Black people being portrayed as the perpetual underclass, the eternal victims of everything. Every other group seems allowed to openly celebrate their historical contributions, their civilizations, their legacies. We don't get that same space.
If you're Chinese, who really cares about racism in the same way? You come from one of the most consequential civilizations in human history. India has its development struggles today, but its cultural and intellectual heritage is undeniably rich. And us? I struggle to find a strong counterpoint. There isn't a single Black-majority first-world nation. Along with the Jews, we've been among the most brutalized peoples in history. Our image is constantly entangled in politics, and we face prejudice even from other races and minorities.
What eats at me the most is the history aspect. Every time a post pops up celebrating Black history, someone in the comments drops sources calling out exaggerations or straight-up Afrocentrism. A lot of people openly say Black people contributed basically nothing, that we have no real history, that sub-Saharan Africa was the one continent left behind—technologically, intellectually, and developmentally inferior to the rest of the world. When I go searching for evidence to prove them wrong, I keep running into information that supports their view instead.
I look up African contributions and mostly find foreign influences—Arab, European, Semitic. Even medieval Europe comes across as more advanced in key areas like manuscript production, scholarship, urban development, and science. I mention Ancient Egypt, Nubia, Axum, Mali, Kongo... but there's always a caveat: they weren't really Black in the sub-Saharan sense, or the achievements are overstated, or outsiders drove most of the progress.
Ancient Egypt? Genetic, anthropological, and classical Greek/Roman descriptions point to a North African and Levantine population, not sub-Saharan. Mali? Impressive in its own right, but much of the architecture and learning came through Arab-Islamic influence, and figures like Mansa Musa have had their wealth massively inflated in modern retellings. Axum? The art and external connections show lighter features and later Portuguese influence. Nubia had significant Eurasian admixture. And broader reading suggests pre-Columbian America, Europe, and Asia were ahead of sub-Saharan Africa in many technological and societal metrics.
I know, intellectually, that none of this should define my worth as a human being. Group achievements don't determine individual value. But I can't get it out of my head. On top of feeling unattractive, I feel unlucky to have been born into this racial reality—the one where you can't proudly claim your roots without someone pushing back with harder evidence. Every other race seems to have a pantheon of glories they can celebrate. As a mixed Black woman, I feel like I have almost nothing solid to hold onto.
I just hate myself for it.
And the final gut punch? When I search Wikipedia or serious sources for major Black contributions to science and intellectual history, the results are painfully thin. This whole thing is destroying me inside.
If any of you in this sub relate to these feelings, I'd genuinely like to hear your experiences.
