Der Trihs,
I’m not sure why you say that different people have different ideas as to who is, or is not black. Or white. As I said in my post, there is “virtually” complete agreement on this score, meaning, shall we say, 80% agreement among respondents? Ninety percent or more? Probably the figures would be much higher. I think your statement “different people have different definitions” is a quibble, and refers to a very small margin of people. I suspect you have reasons for wanting the notion of “race” to be as fluid and imprecise as possible.
I’m aware that African Americans have about a third white ancestry. This doesn’t mean that current African American marriages are 33% mixed, black and white. The African American gene pool, having about a third white ancestry, is relatively stable.
You said that nothing is wrong with the idea of “a relatively discreet gene pool.” O-K. Now then, do we have to use all of those eight syllables to reference that category? Why not reduce the phrase to a one syllable word. What’s wrong with “race” as a definition of the eight syllable idea?
In fact, a definition of race is “a population partially isolated reproductively from other populations.” Note the word “partially.” In other words, a relatively discreet gene pool.
Sheesh. What’s the PROB-lem???
P.S. Just read your recent post about how people from different groups “given the same opportunity, perform equivalently.” Sorry, I didn’t realize you’re a light-weight.