I’m part of the community now. I’m a white boy! I’m as white as snow… |
“…It’s kind of like living in a shadow. It sounds funny, but that’s what it feels like.
I want to be able to walk and say: ‘Hey, This is who I am. This is what I am. This ain’t what you want me to be. This ain’t what I’m thinking to be. This is me.’…
..I’m hoping it [DNA test result] is what I’m thinking it is. I’m hoping that I am a white American…
…They [blacks] got it rough, I know. If I’m gonna be black I don’t want to be in America. Because they don’t get a fair shake.
I’m ready… Here we go.
It says 75% European… so I’m all… I’m white! [Be]cause I’ve only got 22% of African and only 3% of Asian. So hey… that’s sweet! When they ask me ‘what you are?’ I can tell them now. I’m part of the community now. I’m a white boy! I’m as white as snow… I just can’t believe that I’m a white man. I can actually say I’m a white man now. I’m happy! [laughter] I can’t believe this. I should have done this years ago.”
—Jeff Harris (Janitor, Waverly, Ohio Courthouse) on his racial identity before and after reading the results of his DNA ancestry results.
Al Letson and Lu Olkowski, “Pike County, Ohio—As Black as We Wish to Be,” State of the Re:Union, September 28, 2012. (Part 7, Segment C, (00:08:02-00:11:44) http://www.prx.org/pieces/85361-pike-county-ohio-as-black-as-we-wish-to-be.
Tags: Al Letson, Jeff Harris, Lu Olkowski, Ohio, Pike County, State of the Re:Union