Hughey the authors reflect on the social event called "passing". Switching refers to when a person of one race identifies as another race, usually to obtain the benefits that accompany a certain racial categorization. This is generally a mechanism used in relation to race, although it can also be in relation to a person's social class, gender, sexual orientation, caste, and so on. A popular example from the passing past is a man named Homer Plessy. Plessy was a man who had European features such as light skin, soft hair, and a smaller frame. Although Plessy was considered to be below one drop as he had one eighth of African American blood. Plessy used his white privilege to his advantage, until one day he was stopped on a bus for sitting in a section reserved for whites. When asked what race he was, he replied that he was one-eighth black. Homer was later arrested, the court ruled in favor of the State and not Plessy. Death was a way for biracial people to escape segregation and live a better life. A person would “pass” as white to get a better life. This meant completely abandoning their old life, including work, friends and family. To get the best privileges and the "promotion" you had to erase every trace of your blackness