A Philadelphia teacher and activist recently admitted to falsely claiming Black and Palestinian heritage, despite being White. Hannah Gann’s Instagram confession is the latest turn in what has become a strange stolen identity saga. She follows in the footsteps of such people as Rachel Dolezal, Jessica Krug, Raquel Evita Saraswati, Jamake Highwater, and Buffy Sainte-Marie. White people wielding privilege to access and credibility in Black, Native American, and other communities of color while cosplaying races that were not their own is especially problematic because “They’re not experiencing race in the way that other ways that other people do, but they get the direct benefit of pretending that they are a part of the community,” Dr. Kamilah Woodson, a clinical psychologist and professor at Howard University, told The Emancipator.
She has previously worked for ABC 7News and Hawaii News Now, where she fell in love with getting out in the community and reporting. Kate is from the San Francisco Bay Area and grew up watching the local news at home. Seeing Asian reporters and anchors on her local broadcast news channels inspired her to pursue journalism. Her deep connection to her Filipino heritage and culture drives her to continue advocating for greater representation of underrepresented communities in the media. She is a proud... More by Kate Amistoso