My dad had Black Like Me on his bookshelf, as a psychologist. It wasn't merely professional, either. Our Irish ancestry has a darker skin tone than normal, but still 'white', and afro-textured black hair. In the service at the end of WWII he was denied restrooms in Georgia.
I find the inference that posing as black for discovery is just another form of blackface to be very interesting, and a tell of racism, realized or not, within the speaker themself. It's also interesting see how people want to form the line of color on a spectrum that is largely seamless.
@davidhmccoy@TheConversationUS@blackmastodon The implication being that you can't find out the black experience by, say, talking to black people and then believing what they say.
@TheConversationUS@blackmastodon If only there were black people around you could just go up to and ask, if you wanted. Or, even better, just wait around for one of them to volunteer about what they are going through.