I think the issue is tribalism. People who identify based on their skin color, see the world through the lens of skin color. People who don't... don't. I don't.

As you say, you could make a profit either way. As a PhD educated Black woman, you decide whether you identify as "black" or simply as an educated woman. How you identify, will likely guide your thinking.

I married an Asian woman, my children grew up not identifying based on their skin color and so far, the two oldest both married Africans and the third oldest married a white guy. Still waiting on who the last two will end up with. These days racially we are evenly divided between whites, blacks and Asians, and so identifying based on skin color would divide us into three camps. Why would that make sense to us?