Yes, I am African-American and Caucasian, but I will not let those be the limits of my identity. I am much more than the color of my skin. I am also a Christian, a writer, a musician, an athlete and so many other things. By looking at my skin color, would you have discovered that I love the color yellow or that I hate chocolate? I didn't think so. That's the problem with racial labels: they limit that individual to the stereotypes and prejudice that come with that race and fail to look at that individual as a unique human being. It’s an unfair and unjust reality to place someone in.

Just because I am part African-American doesn’t mean I, or my family members, come from troubled homes, are violent, have a strong fondness for fried chicken, watermelon, corn bread, waffles and many other things.

As far as I knew, those were realities among all races. Same thing stands for Caucasian populations. They are viewed as “Rednecks," “Old Money," “Meth Heads," or silly things like being unable to dance. The problem with stereotypes is this: people assume that those “facts” stand for the whole of that population.

I’m here to tell you that that is not true.

Stereotypes were created by those who did not understand a culture or were not part of it, therefore were missing or failing to understand the larger implications behind things that are done within those cultures. Some things have become tradition for that culture, and we need to respect that.

When I was little, I followed my mother around at church, clinging to her pant leg as she greeted the fellow members. After my mother had greeted a woman, the woman looked down at me, then back at my mother, and asked what I would do when I got older and moved out into society. I was a mixed girl, how would I fit in? I belonged to neither side, she remarked. My mom was flabbergasted at the remarks and I was too, when my mom retold me the story years later.

Why should I, my littler sisters, or any other individual of a mixed race or a minority have to worry about “fitting in?" No one should. I should be accepted the way I am. I and no one else should be viewed as “unacceptable." We are all different. If we weren’t, the world would be one boring place.

I grew up in a small, predominately Caucasian town in southern Michigan. My father is one of the few black men of the town. I went to a private school where I and one other girl were the only “black” kids coming from biracial families. We were that school’s equivalent of "black."

When I talked to kids from different schools during sports seasons and they realized I was part African-American, they would make comments such as: “You’re black. You should be able to jump high or run fast.” I shrugged them off then, but I never realized until now how ignorant they were. Those traits should be applicable to any athlete, regardless of their skin tone. With comments like theirs, they not only limit me, but they limit themselves by making traits like running quickly or jumping high exclusive to a certain race. What’s meant to be an insult backfires on them. It’s silly isn’t it?

Yes, I am African-American and Caucasian and I can be proud of it, but I should not cling so tightly to that reality that I end up creating the separation I so strongly want to avoid. That’s where I find fault in some of the recent civil rights movements. They fight to attain equality but end up segregating themselves via hate and violence. It's hypocritical to fight hate with hate. Nothing will be accomplished. In the book of Mark, it is said: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If we all were to do that, there would be no segregation because we are not prejudiced against ourselves.

So, yes, I am African-American and Caucasian, and I am who I am. I am not limited to one race or the other. I do not have to sacrifice one part of me to satisfy the other or vice versa. I do not need to be “more White” or “less Black” or “more Black” and “less White." God made me with this specific olive skin tone for a reason. I don't have to wear my hair natural or straighten it everyday to make one or the other happy. I don’t have to wear a lighter or darker foundation to embrace one or the other. I am who I am and I’m going to do what makes me happy. Be who you are regardless of what anyone says.