Black People : Who are you?

I was going to start thread to continue a subject started in another thread, but this seems like a good thread to put it in so I'll start here.
This is continuation of a topic from here What Does This Picture Say to You (2)

You may or may not realize but you are thoroughly indoctrinated with a white supremist attitude. Two thirds of everything you post contains the words “white”, 'light' or 'mixed'.

You are exercising what is called ‘white privilege’ for that is what white people do – I hope you can learn from that!:SuN030:

If you do not understand White Supremacy (Racism)-what it is, and how it works-everything else that you understand will only confuse you". Neely Fuller
@SeekingMaat

The reason I probably go on too much with the words light or mixed is for the very reason I've never come on here pretending to be black - I have never ever said I was black - you can check conversations I've had on here with medusanegrita and others where they've wanted me to say I was black and I've said I wasn't I was just mixed. I've always wanted to make it clear that anything I've said is coming from a mixed girl not a black one and that way people can view what I say with the right caution as to accepting it.

Now I know you may never believe this cause it may well go against all you believe about mixed people, but I am under no delusions that I am superior in any way to anyone on this forum - quite the opposite is the case - most of you guys just totally intimidate me -

We're probably never agree on this point cause we're starting from just totally different bases here - you thinking of me as white and me believing I'm not - that doesn't mean you're not right about the white privilege bit, though I genuinely don't understand how that applies here - like this is surely the one place where my actual color is totally a disadvantage to me

Correction, I never wanted you to say you were black. I said I saw mixed people as black, therefore they are black to me. Question, what makes you different than Halle Berry? Obama? Kidada Jones? Mariah Carey? You may identify more with Kidada Jones & Mariah Carey because of skin color (they are so light they can nearly pass) but all of them are mixed and have a white mother and black father. It may be easier for darker skinned biracial folks to claim blackness than it is for lighter/whiter skin - but should skin color be the determining factor for who is 'black' or not? That's not a rhetorical question and I pose that to anyone - because it's a very good question that even us who are fully black struggle with. We don't know who is our 'group' and who is not. And I mean by Black American standards, not anyone else.

So I don't confuse myself about who is black and who is not - I narrowed it down to - anyone who has a black parent is black, regardless of skin color. Should you call yourself otherwise, so be it.

StephiA, I think your perceptions are shaped more by the fact that you lived in all white environment, along with the fact that you so very light enough to pass. I understand this, so your saying you're 'mixed' or 'light skin' does not bother me because that is what has shaped you experiences. And this piece of information is interjected where you feel necessary, not imputed on any subject where it would stand out alone and leave people questioning 'why she had to put there in there? Does she think she all that 'cus she light?' I also don't get the impression that you think you are better/superior because you are light enough to pass. You seem to be struggling to find out who you are or can identify with just a little... something a little beyond being 'mixed' and 'light skin/nearly white.'

However, you should know that yes, being light enough to pass for white or near white will endow you with some forms of light/white skin privilege. That's just the fact of the matter that is there and will not go away (yet). This is not new and really isn't something you can control... how others will treat you because your skin color... but do note injustices about such and you may want to speak up or grievance any discrimination if you can. For instance, whites who feel comfortable to say racial joke around you, not considering that you may indeed be 'black' (in my book), then you may want to note you find such things offensive because you have a black father or close black relatives. If you notice like rental discrimination that some people may not want to rent to darker skinned folks but they rented to you - that might be something you grievance. You are not obligated to do any of this, but it would be nice. No matter the color, or even the race, fighting racism and white surpremacy is something we should all be aware of and do something about if it is in our means to do so.


My question remains that was put to Nameless and now you - how can a black person 'pretend' to be black?

Why is your actual skin color a disadvantage here?
Because you partake of white or light skin privilege?
Because you don't identify or can't relate to being black?
What is black and blackness to you?
 
@medusanegrita

"However, you should know that yes, being light enough to pass for white or near white will endow you with some forms of light/white skin privilege. That's just the fact of the matter that is there and will not go away (yet). This is not new and really isn't something you can control... how others will treat you because your skin color... but do note injustices about such and you may want to speak up or grievance any discrimination if you can. For instance, whites who feel comfortable to say racial joke around you, not considering that you may indeed be 'black' (in my book), then you may want to note you find such things offensive because you have a black father or close black relatives. If you notice like rental discrimination that some people may not want to rent to darker skinned folks but they rented to you - that might be something you grievance. You are not obligated to do any of this, but it would be nice. No matter the color, or even the race, fighting racism and white surpremacy is something we should all be aware of and do something about if it is in our means to do so"

Was just going to comment re a couple of the things that came up in that other thread by copying acroos some things I'd said before - the first is a comment I posted on a board about a YouTube video I'd watched and the second is part of a PM conversation I was having with a mixed girl in the States

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9evkxEdfocY

An interesting story, especially to me. My black ancestry is much more recent than Maurice's - I'm a quadroon, but able to pass for white - in fact able is the wrong word really - basically white people just assume I'm white or light latina and I get treated that way by them - so I do get to overhear some things in conversations that they probably wouldn't say in front of someone who looked black and its interesting to see their reaction when I tell them I'm not white. Like him I do identify as non-white but prefer biracial or mixed to black / African American. It's kinda strange coming from a family of darker people who wouldn't pass for white - I do tend to tell people soon after meeting them that I'm mixed, but that doesn't stop people judging me as white when they meet me for the first time, but that isn't something I appreciate - not much I can do about that though unless I carry a big sign around saying 'Hey I'm not really white, so stop being so nice to me'.

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Originally Posted by StefiA
I know what you mean cause friends of mine get the same thing, but that sorta situation wasn't what I was meaning really - what I was meaning was like what happened this afternoon when I was in a mall and overheard two guys talking about the black couple who were talking to an assistant and they were saying like 'these f*cking ****** can't even talk proper English' and I felt like saying something about them being racist, but I was too scared in case one of them might hit me

Originally Posted by XXXXXX
Yes it was a good idea for you to not say anything. Wow

Originally Posted by StefiA
Yeah, exactly - that's what I meant by 'my safety switch' - I always feel sorta bad not doing/saying something in those situations, not sticking up for darker folk who don't have the advantage I can use if I want - but in my head I know that being a lightly built girl I just can't go in guns blazing the same as if I was like some 200lb guy.
 
Be interesting if the broad range that is allowed for blackness, was reverse and the same was allowed for whiteness; and instead of passing for whiteness... one would be passing for blackness instead. And if you too light, hair to straight.... there was no way you could be black and you would not be claimed.... because then you would be tainting black blood with whiteness and we have to have a way to keep blackness pure. If your phenotype did not fit into blackness... then you were white, not black.

Is't that currently how it is for whiteness? But I guess then everything would have to be reverse maybe. Maybe we would need a system of black surpremacy and domination.


Funny thang is.... some 'white' black people are already pretty much rejected out of the black community in this day and age. You marry somebody black, and they say you're in IR.... and you're black yourself.

Well I passed my paper bag test... and I knows who I is.
 

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