On May 30, 1998, I was a guest speaker at the National MultiCultural Institute conference in Washington, DC. One of the panelists was Harold McDougall of the NAACP (formerly the Director of the Washington Bureau). McDougall has testified AGAINST the multiracial classification time and time again. This time he went too far. Below is my answer to him and his attacks on our community.

Dear Mr. McDougall:

Your attack on multiracial children and adults has now escalated to include interracial families and specifically the parents of multiracial children. When you have no valid argument against the multiracial classification you resort to joking about the notion—the notion of doing AWAY with the racist one-drop rule. Shame on you.

You also stated the term "multiracial" is NOT important to racial justice, and that terminology has nothing to do with discrimination. I find that irrational take on nomenclature fascinating coming from a man who represents a racial group that was "colored" then "Negro" then "Black" and now "African-American."

You went too far when you stated that "Project RACE is the extreme right wing of the multiracial movement." Huh? I'm afraid some type of racial paranoia has come over you. Your statement infers that we are somehow connected to white right wing conservative groups. Think about this, Harold: My children and millions like them were classified as "white" by the U. S. Census in 1990 (the Census Bureau took the race of the mother—and about twice as many mothers of multiracial children are white, rather than some other race). So, if "white" was what we wanted, why are we doing this? We already HAVE that!

The accusation that Project RACE is a right wing organization is completely absurd. Project RACE is not affiliated with any political group. Project RACE takes no money from any political group—period. Let me share some definitions with you:

RIGHT WING: the more conservative or reactionary section of a political party or group.

CONSERVATIVE: tending to preserve established traditions and to resist or oppose any changes in these. Adheres to traditional methods or views.

LIBERAL: Favoring political reforms tending toward democracy and personal freedom for the individual. A political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties.

Now, who is the conservative and who is the liberal? You want to preserve established traditions, i.e. the one drop rule. We favor personal freedom for the individual, i.e. the ability of multiracial persons to be counted as they desire, not the established way the government is erroneously counting them now. Harold McDougall, happens to be the extreme conservative right wing on this issue. The NAACP is trying to define my children, and it is really no business of theirs or yours.

You could be basing your misinformation on the fact that House Speaker Newt Gingrich has publicly stated he is for the multiracial classification. He happens to be my congressman. The headquarters of Project RACE is in his district. Your congressman is who you go to when you have problems in Washington—Americans have been doing that since there was a congress. There is nothing sinister about it. Let me also remind you that we have also talked to Democrats and Independents. The scope of our work only excludes groups like the NAACP and the KKK, whose racially regressive words and actions threaten our basic right to self-identification.

This is a true BIPARTISAN issue. Look below at the Governors and their political affiliations who have supported us:

On behalf of multiracial children and adults and interracial families, I challenge you to offer proof of your accusations.