Dearest Pinky: A Letter of Emotion
Dear Pinky,
I am writing on behalf of your grandmother, for she is not able to read or write. As she grows older each day, she is becoming weak and will likely see the Creator soon.
We know what you have done. What you call "passing" is to us a symbol of betrayal. What of your blood-siblings who long to live lives of privilege, but cannot, simply because of their complexion? Your passing is unfair to them, and the life you lead is surely salt in the wound of the miserable, suffering black community. You may think that presenting yourself as a white woman is simply a means of accessing a better life. The new "Pat" gets to ride in first class trains, eat at the finest of eateries, and find the most lucrative employment opportunities. All you have to do is adopt the tendencies of white folk, perhaps raise a white family, and voila! However, "passing" is not just a theatrical performance in order to reap benefits. Your passing is a dismissal of your roots, a willing disposal of your rich heritage and identity. You don't even visit your family, or think of the loved ones you left behind. You have alienated yourself from the community that raised you, and forfeited every single connection, relationship, and aspect of your true identity.
Your grandmother is getting sick. It is not long until she passes away knowing that her own kin was selfish enough to abandon everything and everyone in the blink of an eye.
May God Bless Your Confused Soul,
The neighbor
I am writing on behalf of your grandmother, for she is not able to read or write. As she grows older each day, she is becoming weak and will likely see the Creator soon.
We know what you have done. What you call "passing" is to us a symbol of betrayal. What of your blood-siblings who long to live lives of privilege, but cannot, simply because of their complexion? Your passing is unfair to them, and the life you lead is surely salt in the wound of the miserable, suffering black community. You may think that presenting yourself as a white woman is simply a means of accessing a better life. The new "Pat" gets to ride in first class trains, eat at the finest of eateries, and find the most lucrative employment opportunities. All you have to do is adopt the tendencies of white folk, perhaps raise a white family, and voila! However, "passing" is not just a theatrical performance in order to reap benefits. Your passing is a dismissal of your roots, a willing disposal of your rich heritage and identity. You don't even visit your family, or think of the loved ones you left behind. You have alienated yourself from the community that raised you, and forfeited every single connection, relationship, and aspect of your true identity.
Your grandmother is getting sick. It is not long until she passes away knowing that her own kin was selfish enough to abandon everything and everyone in the blink of an eye.
May God Bless Your Confused Soul,
The neighbor
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