READERS REACT:BARACK OBAMA’S WIN BRINGS ON CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE “ONE DROP RULE”
In this POST,readers were introduced to President-elect Barack Obama’s parents,one of whom is black and the other who is White. Many readers reacted to the fact that media outlets are referring to Barack as the first “African American” president:
If this were still slave times he would have been right out there picking cotton,even though his mother was white. They go by the color of your skin. He wouldn’t have even been close to a house slave.He lists himself as black. The man is black.~lolalove
Judge not the man by the colour of his skin. Racism is not dead since so much reference is made to ‘The first black president’Who cares what colour he is. Lets see what he achieves as a man then shall judgement be made.~RobEngland
Well, first of all it should have NEVER mattered what color or nationality, or anything of that nature. He is a human being first and foremost, and our ONLY concern should have been who we can get in office to change the way the world is NOW. I think the most disturbing thing to me, is that his mother was white and his father was black, and he is being addressed as African American! Hello? He is from both races and should NOT be categorized in any ONE race. He is Mulatto which means mixed race not African American or white. The white race has caused the categorizing of a mix race and the only thing, I can say is that, it is IGNORANCE. The white man made the rule if you have 3 % black in you, you are considered African American. Tell me, who the heck, made US think we have a right to address someone because of the color of their skin. He is who he is and that is a HUMAN BEING! Live & let live! The ONE thing that is not in the bible and that is NO ONE is better than anyone else, or have any other rights, that the other race of people shouldn’t have no matter what race it is!!! YEAAAAAA BARACK!!!!! P.S. I myself, am an Italian Amercian, and I feel we are ALL equal! ~Maria Angelozzi
However folks wants to label Barack Obama, he is our next president and all of America voted for him: black, white, Latino, native American, and Asian! Just shows how we are evolving as a nation.And you know, we do need to acknowledge racially mixed folks. We keep on saying you gotta be one thing or the other? Says who? Some antiquated racist law from 200 years ago and yet people (black and white) continue to use today? Puh-lease! That BS was made by ignorant and scared people to hold other people down. And yet, it persists today. So I am black even if I have a white parent? How insensitive and dismissive of that white parent. How would this board be if it were reversed? One drop of white blood made you white? Let us racially mixed folks identify ourselves! Peace to you all!~Raya
SOME RESEARCHED FACTS/OPINIONS: The one-drop rule is a historical colloquial term in the United States that holds that a person with any trace of African ancestry is considered black unless having an alternative non-white ancestry which he or she can claim, such as Native American, Asian, Arab, or Australian aboriginal.(wikipedia)
BCK Says: Let it be known that BCK does not believe in the one-drop rule. A person who is of mixed ancestry is exactly that:mixed. However,as long as any celebrity kid has a percentage of African ancestry in him,he or she will be featured on this site. On that note,do you believe that it is unfair to say that Barack Obama is the first “Black” president?
Maybe because i fall into the same description as our next president and i am from the same generation…i only see myself as black. Born in the 60’s, i am black.My peers and teachers (mostly white) saw me as black; maybe kids of mixed ethnicity (i hate being labled mixed “race”…we are all of the human race)can now, in these times and with help from Obama, claim just that- mixed ethnicity. The last u.s. census (and many other official forms) i have had to fill out still gave instructions to “check only one” box…i am black. The directions on the census also instructed to choose the ONE that the person most closely identified with “culturally” …that made me lol! (What about all the adopted kids?). So….I am proud that we have our first BLACK president!!
The “One Drop Rule” is offensive and dismissive! It is saying that any White person with one drop of Black blood in them is not good enough to be considered White because they have been tainted with Black blood. I never use that term and I can’t stand to hear other Black people use it, as if it is fact and true. I hear Black people say it all the time, it’s like they’re so used to hearing it that they believe it to be true or even a good thing. Now on the topic of Barack Obama he is the first Black President and there’s no question about that. His father was African and his mother was American…He is African-American!!
This is a new era in our country. It’s time to drop all the partitions between us, i.e. colorism, racism, sexism, and all the other “ism’s.” It’s old and tired, and frankly I’m sick of it. President-elect Obama calls himself a black man, so be it. He knows who his parents are. I acknowledge that he is a mixed parentage, but so what. He’s a human being and one that was destined to become our president at this time and history. When he was elected, I was so filled with joy because the barriers were brought down. I saw white, black, Latino, Asian, other nationalities, religions and so forth rejoice at this man’s victory. It reminded me of when this nation came together at one of the lowest times in our country: 911. We were one nation and color didn’t matter. How soon we forget. Regardless of his racial make up, I back Barack Obama and his family all the way!
“time in history.”
Amen and amen, it IS time!
Anyway, whose to say there hasn’t already been some color up in the white house? Obama is PROUDLY claiming his, OUR, place in history!
And a big thank you to the white voters that cast their votes feeling a little better thinking he’s “not really black”. You all did your part for history, too!
He is black because that is how he defines himself. He never discounts the fact that his mother is white. Besides, race is not a fact but a category.
Who cares. he’s got problems to deal with right about now,not whehter he’s black but actually mixed race but is a darker shade of brown so looks black but identifies with…. sheesh. its historic, we’ve gathered that but he’s getting right to work. No point losing sleep over it.
I think we have to differentiate between biology/genetics and self-identification. Genetically BO is mixed race; he self-identifies as black.
His self-identification is certainly influenced by how (white) America views him. When they look at his deeply tanned skin, many see the “not white” sign flashing brightly. I also hazard a guess that ’some’ white policemen stopping him in his car would care less about the white side of his family; just as ’some’ blacks would scream he’s not black enough because he doesn’t have roots in America’s history of slavery and doesn’t confuse being ‘black’ with a specific (and extremely limiting) ghetto-esque lifestyle.
On the other hand, I - personally - am deply pained when ’some’ black people appropriate the ‘one drop rule’ as their own, and use it as an excuse to corral everything with a smidgen of black blood into their fold. To me America’s racialist society is something I must reckon with in order to remain realistic, but it is also something that I don’t personally adher to for a single second! Everyone has a right (and many would say a duty) to honor and respect ALL the many genetic and cultural facets that make them into what they are.
So - for American society BO will be the first ‘black’ president; both because of how American society (still) ticks and because of how he self-identifies. That does no discredit to the white family who raised an extraordinary human being. If anything, it’s their love and dedication that will ensure that a future biracial president can more proudly claim - and be associated - with ALL his heritage!
I also have to agree with the people who say… Its about how a person identify themseleves. I look at fabolous black (with a mult racial backgroud) people like Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, Claudia Jordan, Kimora Lee Simons etc. Who love their mothers with all their hearts. But still call themselves black. These women don’t feel they are “dising” their white/other mothers by calling themselevs black women. So who are we (white and black society) to have a problem with how a person sees themself?! Also on the same token. What makes you black or white or other? Is it your skin color? Or is it your background? Because if thats the case 90% of us have a white person or two in our family tree. I know these covos are important for us to have the black community. I hope one day people will be just people. And you can marry who you love. And have kids and it not be a dabate about the race of your kids. Let people be who they feel they are. And we all respect that!
One more thing: We also have to get over the thinking that… If someone with parents who are of different races. Decides to call themselevs one of those races and not both. They are some how disrespecting the parent that’s race they aren’t claimming.
He calls himself black, though he has a black/white background. That is his decision. Be respectful — leave it at that, and keep it moving.
I have a close friend who is biracial and considers herself biracial — that’s her decision. That’s how she felt best fit to define herself and she has every right to that. It’s different for everybody.
It’s not a big deal. At all. Like really…it’s silly.
Barack is a black man in America with white ancestry, and he’s defined as he chooses! The rest of America has to get over themselves and move on.
I agree with most…If he refers to himself as black, then we should refer to him as black. He doesn’t dismiss the fact that his mother is white, but when you look at it, America views him as black, “…our first Black President”…”…who would guess a Black man would be president”…the list goes on and on.
Forget about the one-drop rule, it just depends on how the individual views themselves. Take Ben Harper (Jewish and Black), he married a white actress and had children that look WHITE…even though they are 25% black, they would be viewed as WHITE…there’s no harm in that, as long as they do not dismiss another other part of their heritage.
when you look at him you see a black man, not white. when you think of what african-americans have been through in the past(and present), it is pretty amazing that we’ll have a Black president
To echo the comments above, Barack is a black man because that’s what he identifies himself as. Point blank.
I will say this though; the black community would not have embraced Barack nearly as much as they did had he classified himself as mixed instead of black. I’m just saying…
He is still the first black President, because he is part black. Acknowledging both of his parents…
Co-sign Leo 100%!
I don’t think it’s unfair to call him the first “black” president because he is partially black. But it in a way isn’t the best way to put it.
And MARIA ANGELOZZI=Woo hoo!!Another Italian mami! =D
I shall consider him and call him biracial because we know he has an African & Caucasian parent, so he is biologically/gentically that.
And of course he can claim and call himself whatever he wants, but I shall not just call him African American.
A great man though and I’m glad I was apart of history. And “JUSTSAYIN” it wasn’t to “feel better” either. Smh…
Suz, if anyone is African-American, it’s Obama. His father was African, and his mother American, but whatever makes you feel better.
Teri, why are you confusing terms here? The term African American denotes race in this country, not nationality. Putting slave laws aside, Obama is racially white AND black. But, hey, whatever makes you feel better.
First of all Obama is BLACKER than many BLACKS because he made a conscious choice to be BLACK(when he could have been like tiger woods or michael jackson),married a BLACK woman darker than him, went BACK TO AFRICA to see his BLACK roots,chose to work in the BLACK ghetto, went for a BLACK course on how to be BLACK,learned to preach like BLACK preachers and on and on! His identity is intact and unlike many BLACKS if they had a choice would be white he,like Malcolm X ,chose to be BLACK! So no one can deny him his BLACK CROWN! BLACK ON BROTHER OBAMA! OLODUMARE(GOD ALL MIGHTY)WILL HELP YOU OVERCCOME ALL THE DEVIL’S PLANS AND LET YOU DO HIS WILL TO RIGHTEN AMERIKKKA!
YOUR SISTER from Lawrence,Kansas,BACK TO AFRICA 30YEARS AGO IN YORUBALAND,NIGERIA
Yeye Akilimali Funua Olade
Yeye, so since Obama grew up in a WHITE household and was raised during all of his childhood by WHITE relatives, went to predominately WHITE schools, lives in a WHITE neighboorhood and has also worked in a predominately WHITE law firm, why aren’t we saying he’s WHITE? Again, he is both WHITE AAANNNNDDDD BLACK (hey, I could get used to chatting with pointless caps like Yeye). I understand there are people out there who simply can’t comprehend that there are more races that exist than black and white, but damn. This is 2008. We should no longer have this type of confusion.
This topic never ceases to amaze me…President-Elect Obama is whatever he wants to be identified as… the real question is what are we really?
Should I call myself “white” because my family has one drop (and even more than that) in my family? Would I identify as white even though my skin is a beautiful rich brown color, my hair coils beautifully, my nose a little wide? Should I identify as Native American? Or Hispanic? Or African? Mulugeon, even? My racial background (thanks to all my ancestors’ gene contributions) is all of these things but I am not ashamed to be labled as “black”. My maternal grandmother looked like one of the Golden Girls and loved me to death, another grandparent looked like Sitting Bull and yet another is straight African, yet I am still black (or multiracial, like most of us are). Should we do away with labels? Perhaps one day we will, if we can stop dwelling on this topic, until then I am proud to be black and do not fear others disdain. Also, I do not think about this on a daily basis. Unfortunately for us all, we dwell on this topic a bit too much when there is much more at stake in our world. Lets just be glad that all of our children once again have a role model (besides ourselves) worth aspiring to be like. I am the mother of three sons and I have told them that if they do their best and not let anyone block them from achieving greatness- they too can make history!
I don’t think it really matters if people call him black or biracial. As long as they acknowledge both of his parents then it’s cool, but if he were in the news for something negative would this even be a debate. Everyone including most black people would just label him as black.