I've been very ill...

"Greetings Sis
I agree that phenotype is more of deciding factor in race descriptions in America than genotype. I also acknowledge that light skinned black people generally get better treatment than darker black folks. I however think that self-identity plays a big part in whether a biracial person is able to lead and identify with black people."

I would tweek what you have said and say that self-identity plays a HUGE PART in whether a biracial person is able to WORK FOR and identity with African/Black people...

The reason I subsitituted 'work for' with 'lead' is because the focus by individuals should be on the work they contribute, not whether or not they are in 'figurehead' position. Thoughs who claim to want qualitative change in the conditions of life for the African masses, and simultaneously know that they have an unfair advantage based on colour/phenotype under white patriarchal supremacy when compared to the dark skinned African masses, and are focussed on being the symbolic figurehead of any African movement have questionable 'motive' and/or 'overstanding' IMO.

Since leadership is largely symbolic in revolution because the strength should reside within the organized and ideologically trained masses, and symbolic language is EXTREMELY important, than it should be a priority for anyone with the psychological well being of the African masses to want the 'figurehead' to be a member of and representative of the most oppressed and exploited, which also 'happens' to be the vast majority. Numerically speaking, this should be absolutely no issue whatsoever considering the light skinned/ biracial folk are a small minority within the global African population. BTW, I also think that gender plays a role in this(as it does win oppression/exploitation), and that the leader(s) should be womb-men. I'm not talking about exclusivism... I'm talking about the leadership reflecting the masses accurately.

"For instance, I find that a bi-racial child will take on the identity of the race of the primary caretaker(typically the mother). If a biracial child is raised by a white woman, then the child will more than likely identify with white people due to being raised around his/her mother's family. If the mother is black, the biracial child will more than likely identify with being black due to his/her surroundings and upbringing."

I would say with the current generation this is pretty much true. Anyone born during the 70's or earlier... not as much. From what I've noticed, reguardless of the parental situation because of the social conditions, biracial folks identified as African/Black prior to the 80's. That is not to say that loyalty to the African community was guaranteed. It isn't guaranteed with clear cut phenotypical members... but it was more likely.

"Does that fact that the person is "half" black and light in appearance, supercede the mentality of the individual and their identification with being black in America?"

That depends on the individual and largely IMO the time frame and surroundings(familial and geographical/social) in which they are raised... I was talking more along the lines of the biracial persons place in 'symbolic leadership' of the African masses. I do not think that should be the focus or aspiration on biracial/lightskinned people..

I hope I answered your questions...