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Black is the new white? What the hell?

So yesterday morning I am wandering around the house, doing my morning "get ready for the day" routine and Montel is watching me run around doing my thing. Suddenly something catches my ear:

"I'd like to introduce you to a black woman who says she isn't black."

This stopped me in my tracks and I ran back to the den to see this story. It seems this woman, who is a very beautiful black woman, says she doesn't want to be the "typical fat, big butted, loud black woman." Ok, I can understand that, but why say you aren't black when you quite visibly are? DAMN! Some "black people" really piss me off.

OK, let me state this right now:

My name is Osiris. I am married to a white woman. I am multi-heritaged. I am fat, black and PROUD OF IT!

So after reading many an irritating thread on something doing with race, multi-cultural children, and seeing a functional idiot on national television proclaim her dilusional racial heritage, I'm irritated. No, I'm downright pissed. People tend to have racial pride and there is nothing wrong with that. Be proud of who you are by all means, but don't do it by demeaning another race.

The biggest problem with race relations is people "priding up" by downing another. The Aryan Nation "prides up" by pointing out that black people are inferior. The organized Nation of Islam "prides up" by saying the white man is the devil. This is wrong, wrong, WRONG! A very wise friend on the forum, DC_Deep, was relating to me about another wise member of this forum who is also black. This member had this to say about his ethnicity:

"I only remember I am black when someone points it out to me."

Now I can hear several of you saying "what the hell is that?" What that means is he is aware he is black, but it isn't something he needs to deal with 24-7 until someone makes it an issue. He is right. I am thoroughly capable of looking in the mirror and seeing I am black, I definitely don't need someone to remind me. Yes, remind me I am leaving my sunglasses on the table when I leave, remind me the headlights are on when I am getting out of the car, but you really don't need to remind me I am black, I know and I won't forget it at home on the coffee table. So why am I so pissed? Because I sit here and look at my little angel. My miracle that wasn't supposed to be able to happen. My 1 year old daughter. For those of you that have not been graced with the pleasure of seeing a picture of naughty, my daughter is the same complexion as her. Their complexion is like a creamy latte. Fair yet with a beautiful hint of brown that gives it character. I look at my girl and I look at the woman on Montel and ask myself, "Will that be my baby in 20 years?' I can answer that. NO!

My girl will proudly say she is white AND black. She will know where her heritage comes from. She will be able to quote chapter and verse the rich history she inherits from both sides of her family. She will be a hallmark of the growing multi-racial world. It is my hope and dream that all children of heritage like my daughter will know the power they hold to affect change in how we see race and culture. That they will be the true hallmark of dream the late Dr. Martin and Coretta Scott King set out to bring to the world. It is my hope that her credo will be this:

Black is beautiful, white is beautiful, humanity is beautiful. Life is the most beautiful of all.

I step down from my soapbox now. Sorry to rant. Happy Thanksgiving all.

Comments

N
Amen! Preach it, brotha! Preach it! It is the day before Thanksgiving, don't make me ungrateful for some of the folks. I am embarassed whenever I see that kind of self hatred. I wish people would keep that illness between themselves and their therapist.
 
B
Maybe she meant that she just didn't want to be a stereotype. Since racial distinctions are social constructs, they don't really have much value or meaning outside of being a collection of stereotypes. I don't feel like I'm "White," even if small minded people looking at me are going to insist that I am "CLEARLY White." Who the fuck are they to tell me what I am or am not? I don't want to be pigeonholed. I don't want to be categorized and filed away. I don't want to have my Native American, Asian and African heritage completely disregarded because my skin is light. I'm not PROUD of any one of those things. I think pride is a fault. Particularly in something so meaningless and something so completely beyond your control. But neither am I going to choose only to acknowledge the groups that my immediate ancestors were crammed into by the census bureau as my sole source of identity, and as a point from which I can celebrate my otherness apart from those who's mom and dad were crammed into other groups.

Or maybe she's just ignorant and racist.
 
nicenycdick
Osiris...I loved this post. And it couldn't have come at a more appropriate time. One of the things that we Americans have to be thankful for is that we live in a country that includes people from so many cultural, religious, national, racial and ethnic groups. And what signifies the blending of cultures more than the generosity of spirit exhibited by those Native Americans and Puritans so long ago. While our history has certainly been stained by too many horrible attacks brought by one group against another, our strength is best seen in the multi-hued canvas that makes up America today. Despite what some short-sighted and self-concerned extremists might say, I have great faith in our ability to live hand-in-hand with all peoples of all faiths and colors. So...while you will always be a proud Black man (and I will always feel pride in my Italian heritage), we can rejoice in a common meal taken tommorow...and a common belief that we are more alike than we are different.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
 
S
wonderful post. the love you have for your family is apparent in everything you post, and i'm constantly amazed at what an inspiring example you are for all men. your wife and daughter are very lucky ladies.
 
northwestone
you're obviously a man of heart and mind.

not really sure what the whole thanksgiving thing is about (is it like a harvest festival?) but have a happy one anyway x
 
D_Sir Fitzwilly Wankheimer III
That's not self hatred. If your half white then there's nothing to be ashamed of. I get a kick out of the Hollie Barries out there that talk about their stuggle as a black woman, my ass. No one ever called her a nappy headed ho. The only black features she has are that she's got a bit of a tan. Please!
 
N
Big_E, I disagree with you. People of multiple ethnicities almost/if not have it harder than simply put 'black', 'white' or 'hispanic' people. Hally Barry does have to struggle as white female and as a black. If she isn't one or more of the other than she's straddeling racial lines... but if she is more of one or the other she's forgetting about her other half.

Osiris.. I totally know what you mean. I'm a mut myself. I get just as angry about [distasteful] things said against Mexicans as I do about things said against whites [what a large group that is consider Mexicans are actually whites... LMFAO, lets not even go into that].

Your daughter will grow up fine.. she has a strong dadd and I'm sure mommy to show her the right path. I know mine did.
 
T
Notthe7 I think that you mean well by what you say, but you have forgotten one little piece of information. Listen closely, when people are of mixed heritage, especially black/white society sees them as the black etc. In this country and elsewhere, if you have one drop of black blood in you, you are considered a "black" person. Halle Berry is not strandling a race line. She is considered a black person the same as society sees Tiger Woods. At this very moment the Indian tribes in this country are excluding recognition of "Indian" heritage to any "Indians" who have even a hint of Afircan American blood in them. Do a search on it. When biracial (blacks) fill out the little questionaires that asks you to circle ethnicty Black/white/ hispanic etc. What would happen if they circled "white"? Just food for thought.
 
B
True,True,true!
Many of the Indian tribes are excluding blacks from the roles now.This has been a source of outrage for some of us trying to understand,why they want to exclude us now,at this juncture.
O.that women is fucked up! obviously.
C.B.:saevil:
 
N
M,

Girl, dont get me started on my Cherokee rant! Though color has come to represent race , it really is more a cultural entity. This is why so many individuals confound the status quo when they dont fit into a box comfortably and why many blacks who's closest contact with the ghetto was "Good Times" have been accused of not "Being down" or trying to "Be white" . How could they possibly? Even if they forget "Who they are" others dont. I think the confusion for many children with bi racial (misnomer) parentage is that they experience the double standards that exist here in this country in terms of the parameters that are placed on how one defines themselves.

Often in school you see a child who clearly has taken after the African American parent in coloring or features who may emotionally identify more with the caucasian parent want to identify themselves as white. Clearly they didnt know that they did not have a choice. What is the best thing to do? Not say anything and have the child hit the brick wall of reality at some point? Or point out to him or her that in the world we live in, though we may not like it, people still judge one by the color or one's skin and not necessarily the content of one's character? I know a case where the Caucasian mother of a brood of 11 has home schooled her children hoping to stave off "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" to be found for them at the local public schools. The problem is that eventually the children will grow up and be faced with not how they chose to define themselves but how other have chosen to define them and then they must find a way to bridge the gap of those two realities....

Big E,

Do you know for sure what Halle Berry's experience has been. Her coloring is clearly that of an African American and you do not know what she may have encountered in all white settings as the child of a white mother and black father. This is something that always bothers me. No one of us can say what anyone else has encountered on the road of life. Though the experiences may be different, one is not always a bed of roses and the other perpetual heartache.
 
G
I honestly done care about race or ethnic background. It has really come to a point where the concept of it pisses me off in general. People care too much about it. I'm like 3249320843298 different "races" technically, but to me, each person is their own individual and we should just somehow abolish the need to even be bothered with race. "Your chinese you say? Good for you! I'm Steve." I'm probably as pissed about people caring about race as you are about people ignoring race. That all being said, it's your own opinion and you are entitled to is.
 
Osiris
And in a perfect world G_U, i would more side with you. I would rahter it be about people. If you have to identify race, be honest about it, but don't call yourself something you most obviously aren't. What truly pisses me off is not race accptance or leaving race out it would be just pain old lying. To use your example:

"Hey Steve!"
"I'm not Steve, I'm Phil."
"But your name tag says Steve."
"It's wrong, I am Phil."

So I guess I misrepresented myself a bit. Race is inportant on a personal level, but on the world stage, you are who you are, regardless of color or creed.
 
Osiris
Your words carry weight friend. Not easy to be invisible when you have such depth of character.
 
invisibleman
Sometimes people want to box you in and paint pictures of you and they could be abstract expressionists...surrealists. But they don't color you the way YOU see yourself. :smile: <==This is me. (Cool and sane.) It is always the way THEY see you.:eek: <==This is how they see me. (Louis Vuitton). Hehehe.

When you are invisible, you are Harold with the Purple Crayon...you draw and dictate your surroundings. (How cryptic yet true is that? HaHA!!!)

I am the "new" invisible. The old is still new again.
 

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