"Try to give me a little more Aretha..." "Do it again but with more soul." "Maybe try a more southern accent" "I need a Gospel flair." Let's back up a little. Not that I need to give any explanation of myself, but it does help with the context of my dilemma. My mom was half white and half native American. My dad is black. I grew up in a town where all of my friends were either Mexican (yes specifically Mexican), or white. I had a couple of black friends and Native friends growing up, but nearly all of my friends were LatinX. My parents separated when I was in elementary school and I spent most of my life being raised by my (white-passing) mother. Growing up, I questioned my blackness. People didn't start specifically referring to me as black until I was nearly in high school. I always knew I was a little black. But there came a turning point where I was specifically and solely categorized as black. But I did not have