I am black

I am not light-skin, I am not dark-skin, I am brown skin. Perfectly balanced between the two extremes of black culture. Balanced in such a way that you can tell I'm black, but I don't immediately come off as ghetto. With enough black in me to check the "African American" box on the PSAT questionnaire, but enough white in me to tell the story of my ancestors. Last year I took a 23 and Me test, and came back 40% Nigerian, 20% European, and another 35% unidentifiable black due to the inner mixing of so many different West Coast African nationalities in slavery. When I saw the 20% European, I asked my parents if I had any great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents who were white. After being met with a confused no, I had my answer. Much like Milkman, I can blend in in the North, but stand out in the South. I'm too far removed to call myself African, as actual Africans find it insulting, these American washouts calling themselves black when they have none of the culture. But do I not have a right to be black? It doesn't matter that I'm not as light as my sister or as dark as my father, I am black, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. While I didn't face the whipping by the master like my ancestors did, I still get followed home by the police and have my purse 'randomly' checked when I go to the mall. I am black. Even with that bit of white in me, even though I'm not super dark. I am black.