Categorizing people as simply black or white is nonsensical to my sensibilities. No one is white; no one is black. When people see the color green, there is no discussion as to whether to label it yellow or blue. Mix the two and they make green. Green is green. How about describing the physical appearances we see: rich cream, luscious marzipan, perfect cafe-au-lait, rich chocolate. And for anyone interested in significant differences between people, culture is a far more important determiner of how and why they differ.
Whether writing fiction or non-fiction, I think it is more effective to describe the appearance of a person/character with visually observant and descriptive terms. When writing, I can save black and white to depict a person/character who has a narrow-minded, metaphorical black-and-white perception of the world or to demonstrate that said person/character has a categorical attitude toward race.
The following books are helpful in understanding the very significant impact of cultural differences between people:
On Race and Culture by Thomas Sowell
Intercultural Communication by Tracy Novinger
