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Africa is a huge continent and there are also white people living in Africa and people in Africa also mix -- and have mixed for thousands of years. Look at Egyptians -- they can look almost white or almost black and everything in between.
Most African Americans descend from western African tribes. Not all but most.
But you make my point. It is silly to cling to an antiquated notion of what you are.
We are mixed. An unmixed or very distantly mixed black person (like say someone from the Mende tribe in western Africa) is black as Wesley Snipes. All African Americans are mixed.
Of course there is an advantage to "Whiteness" in America. All one has to do is ask how many poor Whites would trade their "whiteness" for the life of a upper middle class Black physician or attorney. The lowest, poorest White Americans would NOT trade places with the most educated and wealthy Black person.
This is the root of the whole issue that some biracials have with being labeled "Black". Many biracials are literally insulted by the idea that American society dains to identify with this lower "caste". They know that they are not "white" but do not DARE call them "Black"...just ignore what your eyeballs tell yJessou.
I seriously doubt that. Some poor whites living in a hovel wouldn't want to trade places with upper class blacks? Some poor white woman wouldn't rather be Oprah with all her wealth? Or Halle Berry? Beyonce? Or a poor jobless white man wouldn't want to live the life of ultra rich Jesse Jackson or Obama?
That, however, doesn't change the fact that they are of mixed race.
I wonder why people, especially 'black people,' have this need to cling to some notion of racial identity.
I wonder why certain people insist on people ignoring the fact that people will be categorized by race regardless of whether or not that individual approves or agrees with that classification.
Point of order: I find it interesting that some biracials fight so hard to NOT be Black yet they know better than to try to claim to be "White". These same biracials also tend to make a distinction between dark skinned "mixed" race Blacks and those who are lighter in complexion.
Even in this very thread, a dark skinned mixed race person such as Don Cheadle (who has 19% European ancestry) was not a welcome member of the ultra exclusive "mixed" race/biracial club...I guess he didn't pass the "paper bag test"
Logic...hmmm. He could say he's white with a black father, but that won't stop him from having the American black experience. Same goes for your children. Our first impression of a person is what people see. I'm sure there are thousands of biracial people with stories just like mine of the hardships of growing up in a predominantly white environment. There is nothing wrong with the fact that the president and others have embraced that. No one, especially not BP, is forcing blackness on them.
And what about mixed people like me who grew up in "da hood" and faced the hardship of growing up in a mostly black environment? How about us? How about the Coloureds of South Africa who are treated poorly by the blacks?
Anyone who thinks black America embraces us "Dominican looking dirty matha' fu---rs" is on crack. The only reason Obama is liked by black America is because his father was Nilotic, who are some of the darkest people on Earth, hence he came out passable as black...and Nilotic people were never brought to America as slaves, btw.
I did not have the white experience or the black experience. I had the mixed race experience. So what does that make me and people like me?
I seriously doubt that. Some poor whites living in a hovel wouldn't want to trade places with upper class blacks? Some poor white woman wouldn't rather be Oprah with all her wealth? Or Halle Berry? Beyonce? Or a poor jobless white man wouldn't want to live the life of ultra rich Jesse Jackson or Obama?
No, many (if not most) of them wouldn't trade their "whiteness" for the life of a more affluent Black person.
Keep in mind, he also caught a lot of flack (from biracial advocates--and those who actively proclaim to be of "mixed" ancestry) for refering to himself as a "mutt" during a press conference in his first year as well.
As he should. If he referred to himself as "coon," would blacks have let him off the hook?
It's funny, because as insulting as this sounds, this is how some are applying the defintion of what being "black" is. If you are subject to racial discrimination, coupled by racial epithets towards blacks--then you've passed the test and you will be pressured by the black community to identify as such.
So George Lopez is black? How about Asian Americans? Or Arab Americans? Or gay white people?
Makes no sense...black people in general need to understand that they are not the only ones discriminated against in this heterosexist, white power world we live in.
I wonder why certain people insist on people ignoring the fact that people will be categorized by race regardless of whether or not that individual approves or agrees with that classification.
Point of order: I find it interesting that some biracials fight so hard to NOT be Black yet they know better than to try to claim to be "White". These same biracials also tend to make a distinction between dark skinned "mixed" race Blacks and those who are lighter in complexion.
Even in this very thread, a dark skinned mixed race person such as Don Cheadle (who has 19% European ancestry) was not a welcome member of the ultra exclusive "mixed" race/biracial club...I guess he didn't pass the "paper bag test"
I love Don Cheadle.
My point is that people cling to being black. Yes people also cling to "not being black."
They shouldn't do either. Be yourself.
But I'll tell you most of my friends have always been Hispanic or white. Why? Because the only stereotypes and expectations and nonsense has always come from the black side.
I've had people telling at me that I am black. Then they either insist I wish I was white or am ashamed of being black.
I don't think there is any such thing as the "black community." .
THANK YOU!
They say "black community" as if it's an actual place somewhere...like African Americans are the Hobbits from the Lord of the Rings who all live in this one little village somewhere.... well maybe. I could see a little adventurer named "AfroFrodo Baggins" who is the "one pimp to slap them all".
Sorry..., couldn't help it.
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