I was sitting at home one evening and my mind drifted and suddenly I found myself fancying the thought of changing the existing classifications of race. The mere thought of eliminating the classifications of white, black, Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander intrigued me as I set out to replace them with more simplified alternatives. If the United States of America government granted me the authority to change the race classifications, I would reduce race to two simple selections, “Melanin Rich” and “Melanin Poor”? I can imagine if others had such power bestowed upon them they would make eliminating race altogether the favorable choice, but I was fascinated by the thoughts of what would happen if I solely highlighted skin color as the defining attribute of race. What would happen if I unveiled a truth behind the classifications of race in America? I would anticipate instant identity crisis for all fellow Americans. I would anticipate feelings of adding insult to injury for many who view classification based on skin color as discriminatory. I even would anticipate being persecuted and verbally assaulted for daring to change the existing race structure. In all the mass confusion and uproar, I envisioned several people demanding I create alternative categories. I imagine hearing the excuse that being exclusively either “Melanin Rich” or “Melanin Poor” just does not fit. In response to fellow Americans’ resistance to change and demand for alternatives, political leaders would ask me to add categories such as “Undecided”, “Not applicable”, “I decline to answer” or “I don’t want to say”? Having such opt out choices to avoid participating in such a simplified version of race may rank as highly preferred by many Americans. Others may ask that I provide a color spectrum to help fellow Americans decide what shades of skin color qualifies them for each category. I would either develop skin color markers or simply allow people to self-identify. I would undergo scrutiny for assigning richness vs. poorness to the race classes? I can hear lighter skinned folks taking extreme offense to being defined as “poor” simply because of the color of their skin. I can hear darker skinned folks taking extreme pride in being defined as “rich” simply because of the color of their skin. What a reversed world it would be? Then I paused and asked myself, would it really be so different? I became increasingly amused by my sudden revelation of hypocrisy. Is white versus black much different from melanin rich versus melanin poor? White versus black are two extreme opposite spectrum colors and in every sense of the words separate people based on the color of their skin. Superiority versus inferiority is embedded in the oppressive history between white and black people in America. Melanin richness versus poorness would be a unique way of challenging, reversing, and unveiling the prejudice and supremacy embedded in the existing race classification system. Imagine an America with two race classifications, “Melanin Rich and Melanin Poor”. It wouldn’t necessarily be a better America, but it would be an eye opening experience for all fellow Americans indeed. It would unveil the prejudice toward skin color which is perpetuated by our existing race classification system.