Cross-posted on The Huffington Post
The question has finally wafted over to CNN – is Barack Obama Black or Biracial?
Biologically, White parent + Black parent = Biracial.
But culturally, it’s a different issue altogether. An issue that plays itself out both within the Black and White community.
Inside the Black community, I think there’s a simultaneous and seemingly illogical embrace and sharp snub of the variety of Black skin tones. We see Black as Black, and yet the African-American community has a profound and deep color complex that dates back to slavery. House slave vs. field slave. African features vs. European features. Or, as Spike Lee so theatrically illustrated in his film School Daze, Good hair vs. Bad hair. On a personal level, this is something I feel every day, especially among Black women. And I’m sure I’m not alone. Black women scrutinize other Black women, trying to figure them out. It’s something Black women don’t do to White women – it's an inside thing that’s also quite intimidating. I think the stare is a manifestation of curiosity, competition, and insecurity – all rolled into one.
Inside the White community, historically the conversation can be summed up by the “one drop” rule – again, dating back to slavery. But now – now things are different. I think that White people are beginning to look at Blacks with new eyes, trying to figure out each person’s diverse potion instead of lumping all Black people into one homogeneous group. I mean, the MSM is actually discussing all the threads of Obama’s race. That shows progress.
But let's take a step back. We've been talking about the Black community. About the White community. Two groups of people, working to define the middle.
But really, the Biracial community is a group unto itself and should be defined as such - by those who are Biracial and no one else. Because being Biracial is filled with unique experiences that shape a complex outlook on life only fully understood by those who share them… like being Irish. Or Persian. Or Russian Jew.
Examples?
A scene from Danzy Senna’s Caucasia, in which a very light-skinned little girl and her father are lounging in the Boston Common and they are questioned by the police, who don’t believe that the man is her dad. That's a Biracial experience.
A jaunt to Little Italy on Christmas Eve to feast on the 7 Fishes dinner with family, and then one to Harlem the next day for a Christmas celebration at a Pentecostal church. That's a Biracial experience.
A nervous 10-second pause, and then a double-check on every standardized test accompanied by a scribbled write-in within the margin, “I’m half Black – half White, so I checked both boxes. I hope that's ok.” That's a Biracial experience.
Who defines the life that these experiences create? We do, as a Biracial community.
So what’s Barack Obama? Black? White? Both? Obama is exactly what he defines himself as. Pure and simple.
Related:
CNN: Is Barack Obama black or biracial?
Racialicious commentary
Stereohyped commentary
I have some biracial family members. I would really resent anyone telling me that I cannot share in their heritage (or they in mine) because of how someone else wants to define them -- or even how they want to define themselves.
Blood is thicker than labels, and in the end, we're all part of the same genepool.
Posted by: Cam Beck | June 11, 2008 at 01:20 PM
Hi Cam -
I'd never tell you that you can't share in your family member's heritage. But, while you may share blood, understand that your Biracial family members experience this world in a way that's quite different from the way you do. Just like my experience is different from, say, my Italian cousins. We love each other, we are family, but we cannot fully appreciate every experience that shapes our lives and our outlook - in part because of our different races.
Posted by: RyanB | June 11, 2008 at 02:28 PM
Great post! Well said!
Posted by: Jade7243 | June 11, 2008 at 05:15 PM
I hope Hillary does not accept the VP slot. Barack Obama is toxic and many Black AMericans will wake up to this fraud. We are so quick to embrace Obama as African AMerican with less than 7% black blood in him. Barack Obama is 50% white, 40% Arabic and less than 7% Black African. In Kenya his father was considered Black Arab. His grand parents were Arab Balck. It’s funny how we blacks are so willing to embrace everybody as African AMerican because they look black. Perhaps we should look on the baseball feild and see how many players look black but they are proud to be called hispanic or latino. Tiger woods made it a point to say he is not African American. Obama wants to reap the rewards of being called African American but is yet to discuss controversial black issues with Tavis Smiley.
Barack Obama is manufactured image promoted by a media savvy marketing campaign. Many Blacks will be very disappointed in him when he really start to discuss his policies in depth. OBama is very good at reading other people speeches on a telepromter but when he has to answer tough questions, he is no gifted black orator.
Hillary CLinton should never serve on the VP slot. He is a typical far left democrat who will end up like all the rest leftist. I give Obama 1 month before the media start to see there is nothign behind his soaring rhetoric.
As a black woman, I could not believe he allowed his campaign to labeled the Clintons as racist. When he had the loudest, raging, angry bigot as his spiritual advisor.
I have to give the GOP credit for getting rid of the the demcorats most powerful contender so that Barack Obama nomination will be realized.
Posted by: Anon 1 | June 11, 2008 at 06:26 PM
When I hear Obama labled 'black' 'african american' or the like, I often think about how Tiger Woods preferred to not check any box at all.
I also wonder how that label makes Obama's family members feel - like his sister (the daughter of a white woman and an Indonesian man).
I'm not biracial, so I can't presume to understand that experience. But that doesn't mean I don't think about it, and the labels that seem to go along with it.
Posted by: Lyss | June 11, 2008 at 07:20 PM
Obama is biracial. Half black and half white equals biracial.
Posted by: Rainy | June 12, 2008 at 08:14 AM
Ryan - I saw a movie once where one of the main characters was a priest. The other main character asked him if he ever regretted his decision to become a priest. Was he lonely? Didn't he want kids? etc.
He said something interesting, it went something like, "No I don't regret it. I just chose one set of problems over another."
Now, I have no idea what it's like to be a priest, just like I don't know what it's like to be biracial.
However, we're not talking about the big disparity in my understanding of what it's like to be a priest, because we're so obsessed with this issue of race.
Of course they're going to have unique issues. So do I. They'll never know about mine, either, and that's okay. For that matter, I have unique issues my own brothers will never know about.
It's just one set of problems instead of another.
The point is to LOVE one another, regardless of where we came from or who our parents are. You do that, and the rest of this stuff that the media and politicians talk about is just noise.
You look after your own affairs, and that's great! And you have family members who will look after you, too, which makes it all the better. What "race" they are is irrelevant. They don't need to completely understand you to love you any more than my brothers need to completely understand me to love me.
And God knows they don't understand me. :)
Posted by: Cam Beck | June 12, 2008 at 08:38 AM
Hi Cam -
I read your comment to say something like, "Why are you so obsessed with race? Stop talking about it so much. Love everyone and everything will be just fine."
Yes, it's great to love one's family. I love mine. But the world is not made up of only Barretts and D'angelos. The country IS obsessed with race, just as much as it's obsessed with capitalism or industry. And they're ALL important topics to discuss.
When it comes to race, historically the conversation has been either pushed under the rug or led by others. But recently, I've felt minority communities open up and start driving the conversations on topics and experiences that are important and meaningful to us. That shape our experience of this country. That occur regardless of whether or not we love our family and friends.
...which, in my mind, is the first step to "getting over" race in this country.
Posted by: RyanB | June 12, 2008 at 09:07 AM
@Jade
Where did you get this rock solid data? Obama is 40% Arabic? What are you talking about?
"Tiger woods made it a point to say he is not African American." Should Obama be ashamed of being black, or proud of being black?
Jade? Why so angry? Your momma no love you?
Posted by: Manny Stevens | June 12, 2008 at 09:34 AM
Ryan -
I may not have been clear. I fully accept that problems that surround our interpretation and reaction to "race" is one of the many issues that we confront as a society.
But if that's the case, the problem isn't with "race" or the fact that people self-identify with one thing or another.
That is entirely out of our control, anyway, and it is folly to obsess about it.
Its specifically related to our *attitudes* towards race.
We can control our own attitudes, but we cannot control the attitudes of others. The best way I know how to influence that is through love (active, agape love).
The particular application of that love, and what it looks like, will be different from situation to situation.
If you have a better answer to it, though, I'm all ears.
Posted by: Cam Beck | June 12, 2008 at 01:45 PM
He may not be black enough but what if he was green?
http://www.236.com/news/2008/06/11/what_color_is_your_obama_7024.php
Nah, not green, colorless is the way to go.
Posted by: Alyssa | June 12, 2008 at 09:20 PM
I am an african american women and I had 3 children with an italian-american.When my oldest son asked me what he was I told him this story.
THERE WERE MANY DIFFERENT CRAYONS IN A BOX TOGETHER CRAMMED UP. A GIRL BY RANDOM PICKED A BLUE AND RED CRAYON AND DREW THEM ON PAPER TOGETHER(THINKING"THESE COLORS REALLY COMPLIMENT EACH OTHER AND TOGETHER THE COLOR THEY MAKE IS GREAT")
With that I explained to him that purple comes from that and sometimes people associate the purple with blue because they both are near each other in the color spectrum and they both happen to be dark colors.
So I said no matter what people say you have a part of both your father and me and most of all NO MATTER what ALLL of us colors live in this WORLD together just like the CRAYONS in the box and we just have to DEAL with it .
Because if the sun comes out!(meaning Jesus Christ)
WE ALL ARE GOING TO BE MELTED AS ONE ANYWAYS.!!!!
Posted by: Claire | June 16, 2008 at 12:20 AM
Hello,
I found your blog linked onto Abagond's. Intresting stuff. How's Boston treating you?
It's funny most of the blacks I knew who had a non-black parent or recent mixture pretty much identify themselves as "black" while still acknowleding their other heritages.
When I see your profile pic, I see a black woman. Not a white one. So, if someone sees you as black and acknowledges you as such, is that something that upsets you? I ask because some of the comments by offspring of black/white unions on the internet seem horrifically anti-black and persistent on deintegrating or escaping their black heritage. I mean, do you feel like you have a white consciousness? That you lived life as a white girl?
Just pondering! Anyway, nice blog. Take care.
Posted by: someonesomewhere | June 22, 2008 at 09:47 AM
Here is the way I see it if you are half white and half black then thats what you are just be who you are if your ashamed of one or the other it would be because of one of two things the people you hang around or how you were raised. Obama was raised to hate white people or so it seems as to the church he went to and all the other stuff he is in or was in but you wont here that from him in the office. As for his race he is biracial thats that no ifs ands or buts about it. If anyone is going to put this in the history books it needs to be a very very correct statement he is our very 1st biracial president in history but is this totally true I would bet not. If some is half black and half white and calls themselves black then whats up with that how does that make the parent feel really? If they dont care how it makes them feel then it still doesnt change the fact that they are and always will be part of both races 50-50 no matter what they do, what church they attend, their friends, or what school they go to.
Posted by: hawk | January 21, 2009 at 01:30 AM
I dont care what race you are Ryan, I just think you are beautiful.
Posted by: Mark Boardman | February 06, 2009 at 04:20 AM
The majority of bi-racial people I know do not dislike their African American sides. I think the media is showing one viewpoint only which is creating a stereotype when it comes to bi-racial people. It's so unfair. Bi-racial people - like all human beings - are first and foremost human beings and as such have varying opinions. I think bi-racial people for the most part have kept the "dirty laundry" about color issues in the Black community to themselves out of respect, but; now that many (seemingly) mono ethnic African American's are airing the dirty laundry - accusing light skinned people of hating them, passing, etc. - it's time light skinned people start talking back.
Posted by: Gia | February 23, 2009 at 12:00 AM