Coming from a predominately white high school, I was, in term, surrounded by white people. This caused for their personalities to rub off on me. Also, being raised in a mulatto household, I was brought up on two different ethnicities. Despite all of this, I am still a black man living in America. So, why do people believe that it is okay to say to me "you're so white"?

Last time I checked, my skin has plenty of melanin embedded within. I don't look white. So why do people hurl that racist comment towards me? Because that is exactly what it is--racist. By calling me white, you are saying that I do not go through the same oppression that the rest of my people do. By saying racist comments like "You aren't black, you're white," you are saying that the races are on different levels. One above the other.

Also, just wondering, what classifies me as white? If you can tell me why I act "white" without being racist then you have won this argument, but you can't. Is it because I speak properly? Is it because I don't do "thug" things? Is it because I come from a two person household? A.K.A in order to act black, I have to used a slurred vernacular, I have to do "thug" things, and I have to come from a single mother family. By saying that I "act white" you are saying that I am acting on a higher level then other black people. Therefore, you are saying that black people are lower.

Plus, why do I have to act a certain color? Why can I not just act like myself? I am my own person. But you know what I hate the most? When other black people tell me that I "act white." You are putting down your own race. Your own people. You are saying that only white people can be educated and speak properly. Society has instilled in you that white is associated with good and black is hand in hand with the bad. Don't let what society has taught you make you think that you are any less.

Just remember, next time you're thinking about telling someone that they "act white," make sure you think about what that actually means.