Challenging the One-Drop Rule

Nikole Hannah-Jones recently wrote in the New York Times about former President Donald Trump's attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris’s identity. Trump asserts that Harris “was always of Indian heritage” and “now wants to be known as Black.” The writer points out that Trump effectively has "historical amnesia," suggesting Harris was being politically manipulative by claiming Blackness as her sole identity.

This idea that a person must choose just one part of their heritage is based on the outdated and racist one-drop rule, which states that any amount of African ancestry makes a person Black. This rule is rooted in a history of racism designed to maintain a rigid social hierarchy. Resmaa Menakem, in his book "My Grandmother’s Hands," talks about healing from white-body supremacy. He emphasizes the need to challenge the deeply ingrained idea that white skin is the ideal, which includes rejecting the one-drop rule and allowing people to identify with all parts of their heritage.

Nikole Hannah-Jones’s piece highlights that when an individual of multicultural heritage identifies as a Black American and begins to access historically white power, their "ascending" challenges the rules that white Americans instituted to maintain control. In her autobiography, “The Truths We Hold: An American Journey,'“ Harris herself explains that her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, an Indian immigrant, recognized that society would see her daughters as Black and worked hard to ensure that they had a strong Black identity. Her mother’s efforts were meant to protect and prepare her daughters for a social system embedded in white-body politics.

The one-drop rule oversimplifies the rich, complex identities of multiracial people. Research by Marc P. Johnston and Kevin L. Nadal shows that multiracial individuals often face microaggressions — subtle, everyday insults — that invalidate their mixed identities. These experiences push them to fit into one racial category, ignoring their full heritage.

As a therapist who works with individuals and families from different cultural backgrounds, I find this perspective deeply flawed and harmful. Allowing people to embrace all parts of their identity is crucial for their well-being. As a Black mother with two children who have a Jewish father, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of embracing all parts of one’s heritage. My children’s Southern roots and their Jewish grandfather’s experience as a Holocaust survivor are both integral to their identities. Denying either part of their heritage would mean denying a part of themselves.

For multicultural children, being forced by society to choose one identity over another is not fair or healthy. As a therapist, I support my clients in embracing their full, complex identities. This includes understanding their unique challenges and advocating for their right to identify with all parts of their heritage.

Challenging the one-drop rule and supporting multicultural identities is crucial for moving beyond an identity built on white-body supremacy. This means facing the discomfort of changing old beliefs and rejecting harmful ideas, no matter how popular they are. By doing this, we can create a society where everyone feels free to be their true, whole selves. My journey as a mother has shown me the profound impact this acceptance can have on my children’s well-being and sense of self.

-Denica Gordon-Mandel, M.A., MSW, LCSW, & Director, Women’s Wellness Program at CBH Partners; &, Dean’s Advisory Board, University of California at Irvine, Merage School of Business