The "Incognegro" and why its better not to pass as a celebrity

Vin Diesel, Wentworth Miller, and Jennifer Beals all claim to be multiracial and biracial. But they all look like they could pass. In fact, I never would have assumed they were mixed, but that may not being saying much since I thought Leona Lewis looked white in her Bleeding Love music video...but in some pics she does look biracial.

The "incognegro" is an incognito black person. Meaning, they look white, sound white, and you'd assume they were white if you didn't know any better. They essentially go through the opposite of what most biracials go through which is being mistaken for black or that your white family is black because they assume you are black.

Some people have wondered why people like Miller, Diesel, and Beals are open to admitting that they are not white. Some say its because they are not ashamed of their heritage, which may be so. But maybe the true reason is, that they want to avoid a scandal.

Think about it, there are 3 routes these guys could take:

1. not admit or deny it. if no one asks, why feel the need to tell people? I mean you aren't trying to pass intentionally, you can't help it that someone looks at you based on race first.

2. openly admit to not being white, may lose a role or two or more because white society does not want a non-white action hero more than what you already see.

3. deny any black heritage, try to pass for white...but when the tabloids eventually find out the truth, you are doomed and your career is over because well, blacks don't want to support someone who would be that way, and well whites don't want to support someone who tries to fool them like that or better yet, pretend to be that way.

So if anything admitting the truth is a great way to avoid a worse scandal later on.

But is passing really all that wrong? I'd say to the person who passes, always go with #1. You can reap the benefits of looking white, but never deny your heritage for if you do that, it could work against you someday. Not being open about your racial heritage is not wrong. Pete Wentz's mother is biracial, but to this day most are not sure what her mix is. He is not very open to discussing it.

You don't have to prance around letting everyone know you are mixed....but if you can reap the benefits of looking white, I would say go for it...lets be real, society is racist and if you have anything that can make your experience in this racist world better, why not utilize it?

Blacks rail on the passing incognegro only because they are doing what they only wish they themselves could do.