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I remember being really upset when a few of my friends in college (Kenyan) said the same thing to me. I was quite upsetting and I even remember crying about it.
Many years ago I saw a pic of a white guy with a bunch of Black dudes in some African country: that guy was Mohammed Ali. He looked nothing like those Africans so what happened to you with those Kenyans I def believe.
This is what I have heard as well. I have a south African friend and we discussed this very issue. Even though I would fail the pencil test, my american-ness would make me white in SA.
The "pencil test" ain't always right: many def white people have kinky hair like some Jews and Italians.
I have a friend who is Egyptian (she looks like she could be Vanessa Williams' little sister) and she considers herself "Black". When I was in Morocco, several people said that I looked Berber and I am most definitely a "Black" person.
Some Arabs looks more "white" and others look more "black" and with many more still that fall in between. In my opinion, this is the reason that even the "whiter" Arabs will never really be considered "white" by most people because too many of the members of that tribe also look very brown or black.
There are 22 Arab countries and skin color runs from white to black and every shade in between, with varying hair color and texture as well as different eye color. In Tunisia blacks, make up about 2% of the population. So you will have Arabs who are white, black and brown. I guess brown gets to choose which box to check off as well as having the choice of "other". It's funny because my husband is brown but I never asked him what he considered himself, nor did he ever say in the 24 years we have been married. Now I'm curious and will have to ask him.
Which makes sense now you've spelled it out. Tho the Arab business owners I've seen around here in Phoenix ARE "white" but not "pasty" white. Maybe cause many of them are from Lebanon and there's little "Black" in them.
I have a friend from Jordan who is very light skinned or "white" (sort of looks like a prettier version of Julia Roberts) and married to a very light skinned, light green eyes Italian American man. They have the most beautiful son but he is definitely darker than both of them with dark features. The son's looks are more like her father (his grandpa) and some of her sisters (his aunties) who are definitely darker skin.
Yeah, you probably are the only actual dark black black ebony Nubian black woman online.
My family ranges from the nearest white hi yella to the blackest black. I'm smack dab in the middle. I love black folks of all types.
It seems like I am the only one. The other black people posting in this thread claim to be mixed looking or lightskinned. I am the only one that is darkskinned and unmixed. Now why is that?
Identity politics are confusing. One of my closest friends is Egyptian. She looks ambiguously ethnic: curly hair, brown eyes, olive skin. It took her a little while to identify as "brown" because she always felt she stuck out being 1st gen American. And not being "in" the Egyptian community. Her relatives run the gamut of looks but many of them grew up in primarily Egyptian communities.
I have another friend from Kenya. He is Indian. He considers himself African and Indian. Clearly he is more African than I am.
I decided to just stop asking people and let them tell me what they think they are. It is easier.
It seems like I am the only one. The other black people posting in this thread claim to be mixed looking or lightskinned. I am the only one that is darkskinned and unmixed. Now why is that?
Okay, I don't feel so alone now However online, there seems to be a high number of mixed looking black people (so they claim). I don't know whether they just have more access to computers or some are fibbing. But its very rare for an African American to admit that they are darkskinned and have little to no mixed ancestry. Just about all of them claim to have a white parent, grandparent or great grandparent.
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However online, there seems to be a high number of mixed looking black people (so they claim). I don't know whether they just have more access to computers or some are fibbing. But its very rare for an African American to admit that they are darkskinned and have little to no mixed ancestry. Just about all of them claim to have a white parent, grandparent or great grandparent.