There is no such thing as “transcending race”

One can not “transcend” race because race is deeply connected with identity. Though racial bias and oppression are present across the world in almost every country. We must not overlook the truth that Muhammad Ali was great because he embraced his identity as a black man and spoke out against racism, which isn’t at all like transcending race. The idea of transcending race is built on many myths including the one believes that racism will die if blacks would just stop talking about it. My question has always been, “why are there conditions on our humanity? “ This idea of colorblindness and a race being something to “transcend” also implies something worse. The idea that if Blacks would have to do something extraordinary to “transcend” a construct that others don’t have to is to say we have to earn our right to be seen as anything other than black. That’s dangerous. The implication is that there is a stratification system where human is on top and race is. below so by the very definition of transcending, one could rise above it. To where? To being human? Why isn’t it the other way around? Why is race something that people of color have to transcend? No, one cannot transcend their race because if you see people of color as human first, you will see that that them embracing their identity is transcending, not a descending.