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If being black is soooo bad...

radcen

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If being black is soooo bad... why do people choose to identify their bi-racial kids (and themselves, when appropriate) as black. Theoretically, if the parents are one white and one black, couldn't they insist that the kid is white? Again, theoretically, wouldn't being categorized as white give them a better shot? Yet, black seems to almost always be the default choice, the article below being one example.

Bi/multi-racial people are so common, should we have that designation and distinction on government forms and in society? Carve out another distinction?

Would it make a difference in people's thoughts and mindsets?

It seems to me that society in general, possibly subconsciously though maybe not, just defaults to this... for what reason I do not know. Maybe the elderly white couple in Nebraska sees the white parent as "tainted" and defaults to what they see as the negative, while the white parent them self is fine with the scenario and doesn't view black as a negative, and maybe even views it as a positive. Just thinking out loud.

Thoughts?
Mom Asks What Will Happen When Her Toddler Son Becomes a 'Grown Black Man'

https://gma.yahoo.com/mom-asks-happ...omes-grown-174139124--abc-news-lifestyle.html
Note: This story and link is also in another thread I started a few minutes ago, but this is a different question, hence the separate thread.
 
If being black is soooo bad... why do people choose to identify their bi-racial kids (and themselves, when appropriate) as black.
First off....this was a question....so put a question mark on the sentence, that is how if/then questions are posed.

Second, why in your question do you assume those who are around those bi-racial kids... are blind?
 
Ever heard of the "one-drop" rule? It's not that parents "choose" to make their kids black. It's that society perceives you to be black when you have dark enough pigmentation that you can't pass as white.
 
It has to do with cultural attitudes towards race in the US which typically follows the one-drop rule if anyone in your family tree is black, you are black. Whereas in South Africa they would be called Coloured for example.
 
Ever heard of the "one-drop" rule? It's not that parents "choose" to make their kids black. It's that society perceives you to be black when you have dark enough pigmentation that you can't pass as white.
Sure, and I offer that in the original post. But taking the mother in the linked article as an example: She's already making that distinction. Possibly has since she found out she was pregnant, and didn't even wait until the baby was born. Is she subconsciously conforming to society's perceptions?

And I don't disagree with you, btw. I do believe it has more to do with societal perceptions overall. But I also find it curious.
 
It has to do with cultural attitudes towards race in the US which typically follows the one-drop rule if anyone in your family tree is black, you are black. Whereas in South Africa they would be called Coloured for example.

I hardly think we should be using Apartheid as a model.
 
Sure, and I offer that in the original post. But taking the mother in the linked article as an example: She's already making that distinction. Possibly has since she found out she was pregnant, and didn't even wait until the baby was born. Is she subconsciously conforming to society's perceptions?

And I don't disagree with you, btw. I do believe it has more to do with societal perceptions overall. But I also find it curious.
YOU FIND "what" CURIOUS? THAT A MOTHER OF A BI-RACIAL CHILD UNDERSTANDS THE LEVEL OF RACISM THAT EXISTS IN THIS COUNTRY?

GOOD GRIEF!
 
I hardly think we should be using Apartheid as a model.

It is a racial group with their own unique cultural identity. They are primarily Afrikaans speaking people, with their own culture that is combination of both Afrikaners and Blacks. That is how they define themselves, mixed-race. They are also a very powerful voting block, first for the Nationalist party then their spiritual successor. It also makes sense, instead of choosing one, just make a new one.
 
If being black is soooo bad... why do people choose to identify their bi-racial kids (and themselves, when appropriate) as black. Theoretically, if the parents are one white and one black, couldn't they insist that the kid is white? Again, theoretically, wouldn't being categorized as white give them a better shot? Yet, black seems to almost always be the default choice, the article below being one example.

Bi/multi-racial people are so common, should we have that designation and distinction on government forms and in society? Carve out another distinction?

Would it make a difference in people's thoughts and mindsets?

It seems to me that society in general, possibly subconsciously though maybe not, just defaults to this... for what reason I do not know. Maybe the elderly white couple in Nebraska sees the white parent as "tainted" and defaults to what they see as the negative, while the white parent them self is fine with the scenario and doesn't view black as a negative, and maybe even views it as a positive. Just thinking out loud.

Thoughts?

Note: This story and link is also in another thread I started a few minutes ago, but this is a different question, hence the separate thread.

000_0006.jpg

Black or white? My choice is pain in the ass but that is not relevant to the thread.
 
If being black is soooo bad...
Who said being black is bad? The concern being expressed here is that people who are perceived as being black are treated differently (generally worse) than people who aren't. How they identify themselves doesn't really make any difference to this.

If people with any black heritage start refusing to acknowledge it or pretending it doesn't exist, that will only compound the false impression some people have that simply being black I fundamentally bad - which is where you started.
 
Ever heard of the "one-drop" rule? It's not that parents "choose" to make their kids black. It's that society perceives you to be black when you have dark enough pigmentation that you can't pass as white.

That's the old rule.
Just from my personal experience, White people will refer to people like that as mixed if questioned.
 
So sad that this long after 1862, we still feel the need to think of each other in terms of "black & white" ...
 
So sad that this long after 1862, we still feel the need to think of each other in terms of "black & white" ...

Or 1791...
 
Alright, let's not get carried away here ...

/eye's the Magna Carta

I almost pulled that card too... then I remembered my Cicero.
 
Who said being black is bad? The concern being expressed here is that people who are perceived as being black are treated differently (generally worse) than people who aren't. How they identify themselves doesn't really make any difference to this.

If people with any black heritage start refusing to acknowledge it or pretending it doesn't exist, that will only compound the false impression some people have that simply being black I fundamentally bad - which is where you started.
People such as Al Sharpton have made quite the career out of telling black people just this.

He doesn't use those words exactly, of course, he's much more subtle, but his message is still the same.
 
People such as Al Sharpton have made quite the career out of telling black people just this.

He doesn't use those words exactly, of course, he's much more subtle, but his message is still the same.
Well this fits in with the rest of your narrative, Al is wrong, blacks are not treated differently in this country.
 
If being black is soooo bad... why do people choose to identify their bi-racial kids (and themselves, when appropriate) as black. Theoretically, if the parents are one white and one black, couldn't they insist that the kid is white? Again, theoretically, wouldn't being categorized as white give them a better shot? Yet, black seems to almost always be the default choice, the article below being one example.

Bi/multi-racial people are so common, should we have that designation and distinction on government forms and in society? Carve out another distinction?

Would it make a difference in people's thoughts and mindsets?

It seems to me that society in general, possibly subconsciously though maybe not, just defaults to this... for what reason I do not know. Maybe the elderly white couple in Nebraska sees the white parent as "tainted" and defaults to what they see as the negative, while the white parent them self is fine with the scenario and doesn't view black as a negative, and maybe even views it as a positive. Just thinking out loud.

Thoughts?

Note: This story and link is also in another thread I started a few minutes ago, but this is a different question, hence the separate thread.

Its funny how bi-racial individuals are perceived by some. My kids are quite light skinned but can really get tan. When they were young I remember being in Clarkstown (area in Rockland County, well to do and predominately white) for a softball game. My wife took my son to the park during the game as he was bored like many a 4 year old. Anyway my wife (black) told me she was questioned at the park by another mother if she was the maid/babysitter of the child. My wife had to explain the child was hers. I remember her being quite annoyed. Yet in my experience black people spot my kids as bi-racial right off the bat. We are fortunate. I live in a nice suburban / rural neighborhood and have not experienced any racial bias I am aware of. I believe my wife is the only black person in the entire neighborhood. Personally I see economics as more of a factor than race when it comes to peoples perceptions. Just some rambling thoughts and experiences.
 
Its funny how bi-racial individuals are perceived by some. My kids are quite light skinned but can really get tan. When they were young I remember being in Clarkstown (area in Rockland County, well to do and predominately white) for a softball game. My wife took my son to the park during the game as he was bored like many a 4 year old. Anyway my wife (black) told me she was questioned at the park by another mother if she was the maid/babysitter of the child. My wife had to explain the child was hers. I remember her being quite annoyed. Yet in my experience black people spot my kids as bi-racial right off the bat. We are fortunate. I live in a nice suburban / rural neighborhood and have not experienced any racial bias I am aware of. I believe my wife is the only black person in the entire neighborhood. Personally I see economics as more of a factor than race when it comes to peoples perceptions. Just some rambling thoughts and experiences.
Good thoughts, and I appreciate your perspective. It adds a lot of value.
 
Good thoughts, and I appreciate your perspective. It adds a lot of value.

Thank you. In reading your thread and playing with my dog a related thought came to mind. We adopted our first dog about 13 years ago after moving to the house where we would raise our 2 kids. I went to the shelter after viewing the animals on line looking for a smaller white and brown dog I had seen. Turns out it was adopted but they had plenty to adopt including this larger black dog. Well after making sure he did not have any food aggression I adopted him. In talking with the caretakers of the shelter they explained the black dogs, particularly larger, are harder to get adopted. I wasn't so much interested in the color as the size but it turned out wonderful. Bear was a faithful walking and hiking companion for 12 years. And a great guard dog even if he didn't know it. A similar thing happened when we adopted Rosie last year. Looking for a smaller dog available from a private rescue operation (generally from southern kill shelters). Again the dog I was interested in was adopted but she had a medium sized all black lab, whippet, terrier mix. I do think there is some at least subliminal negative connotation with darker colors. No stats other than personal experience and talking to those responsible for rescuing these animals. I wonder if anyone else has had that experience?
 
Yeah, I drive my white Buick like a limo, while I drive my black Alfa very hard.

Seriously....sigh.....
 
Thank you. In reading your thread and playing with my dog a related thought came to mind. We adopted our first dog about 13 years ago after moving to the house where we would raise our 2 kids. I went to the shelter after viewing the animals on line looking for a smaller white and brown dog I had seen. Turns out it was adopted but they had plenty to adopt including this larger black dog. Well after making sure he did not have any food aggression I adopted him. In talking with the caretakers of the shelter they explained the black dogs, particularly larger, are harder to get adopted. I wasn't so much interested in the color as the size but it turned out wonderful. Bear was a faithful walking and hiking companion for 12 years. And a great guard dog even if he didn't know it. A similar thing happened when we adopted Rosie last year. Looking for a smaller dog available from a private rescue operation (generally from southern kill shelters). Again the dog I was interested in was adopted but she had a medium sized all black lab, whippet, terrier mix. I do think there is some at least subliminal negative connotation with darker colors. No stats other than personal experience and talking to those responsible for rescuing these animals. I wonder if anyone else has had that experience?
I find that interesting and it never occurred to me. Especially since black Labs are extremely popular, but maybe that's the exception to the rule.

My current dog is black and brown... and VERY handsome... and is a basset hound/black & tan coonhound mix.
 
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