Anyone African American has no right to even ask that question! We are all mixed. Unless you are first or second generation African… Hey wait isn’t all of mankind from Africa?

So we are ALL “Black enough”

While I do not back his campaign what so ever, I am tired of him having to answer this question (or maybe just tired of him?). The more he answers this question the more it’s going to play on the minds of white voters, “oh wait…he really is black.” This is a planned assault. Right now he is “new” and “fresh” but eventually “black” gets added to that description in the minds of middle america. Him having to prove his blackness everytime he opens his mouth only speeds that process up.

off topic. he looks like a Rugrat on that cover. you know…those cartoons with the big heads??

Yeah. His face looks funny. Where’s Michelle? I’m tired of all these presidential hopefuls. Let’s ostracize their spouses now. Michelle, Bill, Elizabeth and Romney’s wife seem cool. McCain’s wife is okay. I dislike Giuliani’s wife about as much as I do Dubya (not Laura), and that’s a lot of dislike. I don’t even know why. She just seems like a bad person.

P.S.: It’s like 16 more months until the election. The coverage is already old. It seems like they are a good 9 months ahead of themselves. Agreed?

I can only speak for myself but I don’t really see Barack Obama as an African American. It doesn’t mean I’m not going to vote for him. He’s black rather than Black to me. Let me explain. I’m the descendent of slaves, born and raised in Alabama by parents and grandparents who didn’t read about being on the back of the bus-they were on the back of the bus, remember Jim Crow vividly and my great-grandmother didn’t vote until she was 70. With that upbringing, of course, me and others like me are going to have a different worldview than someone who has only read about those things. And I can’t lie, I’m disappointed that the first viable black candidate for President doesn’t come out of that tradition. Imagine the first black president being descended from West Africans brought to the New World in shackles.

The message I’m getting from the mainstream is that will never happend. Apparently, white people don’t feel comfortable voting for someone who is descended from slaves. In fact, it appears that a certain amount of comfort taken from the fact that Osama’s white forebearers owned slaves and his black forebearers were not enslaved. (Oh and they like the fact that he’s not angry) I don’t like that.

Finally, Obama is not helping his cause by showing up late and joking about if that makes him black (because all black people are on CP time.).

-Negro please.

^^great point re Obama. I have never thought about that.

lele19106 - i am so disappointed that you would have these feelings. i am not a descendent of slaves in this country, does that make me “not black”? it isnt bad enough that we are judged by the color of our skin but now you have to go and divide that also by where your “blackness” comes from? thats as bad as the brown bag test. obama shouldnt be president because his ancestors werent slaves? what kind of logic does that denote? i have often been told i am not “black” because i was raised in mid to upper middle class neighborhoods, bought clothes from abercrombie and jcrew and “spoke proper”. guess what i am just as black as YOU. no i dont live in the hood, speak inaudibly or live up to the black stereotype that people like you feel the need to perpetuate. as long as we keep dividing ourselves like these, “whites” will be more than happy to take advantage of the ignorance. this sort of belief makes me feel more bad for you than upset at you, because honestly, shouldnt you know better?

ditto traxtarmar. I am 1st generation American. Your statement is as ignorant and offensive as that of my fellow Africans who state that African-Americans aren’t truly black because the African blood is “diluted.”

I don’t even like Barack much, but I just had to chime in here. There are many black kids who are raised by their white mothers alone. Being raised without a black parent (no fault of his at all) and being biracial doesn’t make him any less black. There are PLENTY of people in his position. Sade is the same. Halle is the same but with a black American father. He is black. I am black. You are black. There’s no “black” vs. “Black.” His political success has nothing to do with his ancestry. Considering the times we’re living in, I’m sure that people would have a greater issue with his African Muslim heritage.

First off, no one, regardless of race, should ever wear Abercrombie or J.Crew. Just…no.

And I think your response gave you away-it seems that you have internalized the idea that “black=bad”. lele never said anything about speaking inaudibly or speaking proper or living up to any stereotypes-you brought that up without provocation. It smacks of stereotyping and a sense of superiority. And being descended from slaves is not a stereotype-it’s reality for a lot of us.

I like Obama, have donated to the campaign, am going to hear him speak next week, and I’ve heard people talking about how he’s not really black (and that has been all from non-black people) and that does bother me, and some of what lele wrote has crossed my mind. And there are huge divisions between African and West Indian immigrants and African Americans-and dont pretend that it is only one side’s fault.

There are MANY problems between black immigrants and black Americans, BUT all of us are black. Period.

Lele’s statement just reminded me a bit of 50 Cent’s statement about Oprah not being black enough. It’s idiotic. Just like being black doesn’t equate to being in the ghetto (though it is a reality for some black people), being or not being descendants of slaves doesn’t make one more or less black.

Daria - I think your first paragraph says it all. Most African blacks and American blacks see some type of difference, perceived or real, btwn them and they segregate themselves. Most Africans I know want to have nothing to do with American blacks and feel they are damn near a different race b/c. I think some American blacks have picked up similar sentiments along the way. I don’t feel that way, but I have heard that voiced before. On the bi-racial tip…that has a looooong back story in this country and some black ppl to this day look at bi-racial ppl different. My father was mixed (black mother, white father) and raised by his mother and on that side of the family, the creole side, they still make differences about how black or dark or creole certain ppl in the family are or aren’t. And it’s not just my black family. Go down to the south or any place in this country for that matter. Black ppl still make differences within our own race about each other. Skin color, hair, how you speak, how “real” you are. We can speak all day long about how terrible it is, but that is not going to change. If it hasn’t changed in 400 years…it ain’t about to change b/c Obama is running for president. I wish I could say something different.

Speaking from the perspective of someone between the two cultures, my view is that being a black American is tied to a view that’s just inaccurate. For the most part, I think what black immigrants shun is a false image of black Americans that they don’t want tied to themselves which is poverty-violence, sloth, materialism-promiscuity, etc (the 50 cent theory on blackness). That isn’t the black American reality by a long shot, but people view it this way. It’s the unfortunate condition of a small segment of the population that has been created by the media to symbolize the “black experience.” Obama didn’t grow up in that small piece of the pie, but pick 10 black Americans at random and I’m sure that 9/10 didn’t grow up like that either.

First of all, I used what I wear as a description (suburbanhoodrat). In your opinion you don’t have to like it or wear it. Thats your choice.

Also, I do not think black = bad and I made no such statement. Dividing groups of black is bad. What is the logic behind doing that? If you can give me one logical qualified reason why being a descendant of slaves makes you more black than someone who isnt than please by all means do it. I realize its a reality and its not MY reality but it doesnt disqualify me from my race. I brought up stereotypes because many people feel that if you do not live up to those steotypes you are “selling out”. Why cant i just be me and not be a representative of the entire race? There are a wide variety of people out there, your skin color does not have to dictate who you are. Thats the point I am making. If you are disappointed because potentially our first black president may not be southern and his ancestors slaves, then I have news for you. You are every bit as racist as those who don’t support him because he is black.

My feelings on this subject do not stem from my like Or dislike of Mr. Obama. I simply wanted to make the point that there is no reason to divide people along more lines than already done.

Furthermore, I wear J Crew. There’s nothing wrong with being preppy. Actually, half of the workers at the local one are black as are lots of the customers. I certainly won’t be going into some overcrowded department store or party girl store to buy my clothes.

Abercrombie has major race relations issues AND their stuff is just low quality and way too young looking for anyone over 15.

Signed wearing my J Crew Tee and J Crew jersey skirt,

Daria

^^ you crack me up sometimes.

I think it is a bit naive of you not to acknowledge that Blacks are a very diverse group of people and there are cultural diffeences. Me recognizing cultural differences doesn’t make me a racist. (Please note I didn’t say I wasn’t going to vote for Obama).

The descendents of African American slaves are not limited to the South. Someone from that tradition doesn’t have to reside below the Mason-Dixon line. I would venture to say that 55% descendents of slaves in the US are not in the South. If you were aware of African American history, you would know that. (Have you ever studied African American History or do you take all your information from BET?)

You ask how not being a descendent of slaves make you less black? I’ll tell you. In the US, being a descendent from slaves defiines your blackness and shapes your experience in this country. Why do you think Rosa Parks was made to sit in the back of the bus? Why did Jim Crow exist? These were actions taken to maintain the social order established during slavery.

Shouldn’t you know this?

Despite the difference of cultures within the black community, a different cultural experience does not make you MORE or LESS black. Different people with different experiences, naturally I acknowledge that. Rest assured I am not immune nor ignorant to the fact that different blacks in this country have VERY different histories and experiences. HOWEVER the fact remains that those factors do not dictate ones “level of blackness”

I am in fact aware of African American history, perhaps its those who feel the need to judge a person’s level of racial belonging by their history rather than banding together as one to support change in this country are the ones who watch a little too much BET.

My point is this. Descendants of slaves or not, and despite the rich and diverse history of “African - Americans” in this country. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “BLACK OR black”. Until people stop dividing themselves and CREATING divisions that serve little or not purpose, we will continue having to ask people if they are in fact “black enough” to represent their own race.

By the way Rosa Parks would have had to sit in the back of the bus REGARDLESS of whether she was “black or BLACK” as some of would say. Jim Crow did not apply only to those who’s ancestors were slaves. Shouldn’t YOU know THIS? And when people look at me and see black and choose to discriminate based on that factor, it doesnt matter to them whether my descendent’s were slaves or not. I wont let someone tell me I am LESS black than anyone else, its so unfortunate that those of the same race would choose to discriminate against their own people. Thats not how change comes about.