I never chose my identity as black. Despite being racially mixed, my genetic traits present as black. So, I can want to call myself all sorts of things all day, but when a person sees me, they're going to see black and treat in accordance with their experience. I could go out of my way to point out my racial variances, but I don't see anything wrong with being perceived as black. So, I don't fight it.

Ultimately, I've embraced my blackness and I'm proud of it, but I didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. The whole notion of a choosing your racial identity reeks of white privilege. If you have characteristics that present as one race or another, society tells you what race you are and how you will be treated. Personal choice rarely comes into play when it comes to racial identity.