A Creative Response to: “So, what are you?”

We came across this powerful video from Becca Khalil and Nayo Jones from a segment in CNN’s “Who is Black in America?” which was hosted by Soledad O’Brien. The question ‘So, what are you?’ when asked about your ethnic background can be a loaded question. For some, ‘what are you?’ can be a complex question that is not always simply answered. For others, it might be an OK question to answer and for others, offensive. In this video, Becca and Nayo’s powerful spoken word piece about addressing the question really hits home for us. Answering, ‘human’ just isn’t enough for some people. Furthermore, answering ‘black and white’ simply does not cover it either. People can make assumptions, and treat you like a puzzle piece to be figured out.

‘Which side do you associate with more?’ can often be asked and again, isn’t easy to answer, nor should it necessarily be something to answer. Everyone identifies differently. After all, we’re all the same: human. As Becca and Nayo say: We are more than our race, and more than our color.

What are your thoughts on this video? How do you react to the question, ‘So, What Are You?’