I'm Confused

Toni Morrison, author of Tar Baby and the black woman who dubbed Bill Clinton "the first black president," endorses Barack Obama for president. But if Bill Clinton was the "first black president," doesn't that make Hillary Clinton half-black just like Obama? (Think about it.) And if Obama wins would he be the second black president? So many questions in need of answering. (Not really.)

BTW, if I read just one more person asking the stupid question of why Obama is thought of as black when he has one white parent, I'm going to send that person a load of US History links...or perhaps I'll just ask them how they think all we millions of not-jet-black black Americans came out not-jet-black. (Hint: not through osmosis.)

(Thanks to Dan Collins at Protein Wisdom)

Comments

[Wry Mouth]

Is this where the word "octaroon" enters the parlance of the nation again?

Gek. I hope not.

Interestingly, I had a student once, who was half Black and half White, but obviously -- OBVIOUSLY -- took after the Black parent.

Yet she thought of herself as White, and would get visibly upset even at the suggestion that she was Black. It would have been comic, had not a real, live young girl's feelings been at stake.

Since then, some years ago, my perception of persons of mixed racial lines has -- I dunno how to explain it -- I just let people tell me what they are, like Tiger Woods' "Blasian" thing.

Nevertheless, I'm not voting against Mr. Obama due to either of his mixed races. Rather, I'm voting against him (if nominated) because Teddy Kennedy thinks he's a moderate -- which probably puts him just left of John Kerry.

OTOH, if the GOP puts up a total a**hole of a person, I'll vote for Mr. Obama because I like the man.

Hillary doesn't have to worry about the "likeability" factor, in my case.

;o/

[baldilocks]

I have a post partially written on this subject and I think you've written some of it for me. Will credit.

[David]

Hey! I'm a quadroon!

My grandma's birth certificate says "Negro" on it. However, after marrying a blonde German guy and my dad then marrying a redheaded woman, I came out blue-eyed and straight (but dark) haired. But I'm black, right? Right?

And whom do I pay reparations to?

This whole thing is silly. Obama's black...and white too. So are a lot of people. or black...and Asian...or white and Asian...or all of the above. Who cares?

What about that whole "content of character" blather we've heard so much about?

[Bozoer Rebbe]

I'm just waiting for someone to call Halle Berry a Jewish actress.

It's interesting how many people have embraced the KKK/Nazi definition of one drop of black blood makes you black.

[baldilocks]

They aren't KKK or Nazi definitions.

It's interesting how many people want to talk about this subject without the barest bit of historical knowledge or insight to go along with it.