Why is obama said to be black when he has a purely white mother?

[Talula]

Please no insults!

I simply don´t understand why the media keep saying that he is the first "black president" of america when he clearly is half white and half black.

I know in Africa if your dad is a Kiuk and your mum a Jeng then you are automatically a kiuk traditionally. But is this also so in the rest of the world? As far as I know in the country am in at the moment people say " am Japanese nigerian" etc

Is there any scientific evidence that the black gene is stronger than the white one that it makes you more of a black and thats why people refer to such kids as blacks instead of mixed race?

Please no racist remarks!

[acq]

Thats what one reporter was asked during the primaries...

'Why do u call him African American?'

Reply

"Because thats what he calls himself"

[snowcard]

Originally Posted by Talula

Please no insults!

I simply don´t understand why the media keep saying that he is the first "black president" of america when he clearly is half white and half black.

I know in Africa if your dad is a Kiuk and your mum a Jeng then you are automatically a kiuk traditionally. But is this also so in the rest of the world? As far as I know in the country am in at the moment people say " am Japanese nigerian" etc

Is there any scientific evidence that the black gene is stronger than the white one that it makes you more of a black and thats why people refer to such kids as blacks instead of mixed race?

Please no racist remarks!

In AMERICA THERE ARE NO 0.5 (POINT 5s) if you are not white you are black . Most african americans have white blood in them because of slavery -white masters usedto enjoy other pleasures) so point 5s are treated no different from blacks-Obama is black based on that -i guess its a cultural difference you can only understand when you live in the states.light skinned black people are still black

[Type R]

The racist idea was primarily American in history. It said that the pure race was white, the reference point was white. And Anything else, even if 0.00001% black, was black by virtue of not being pure white.

In the same way, a white wedding gown is either clean or it's not clean. It can't be "partly clean partly dirty." If it has a single stain and the rest is screaming white, it's dirty. You get the sense? You get the meaning?

The problem with the above idea, as Malcolm X pointed out, was mixed race people who could "pass" for white, join the "white" population, marry and live as white, especially far from where people knew their background (Oprah is related to Elvis). Once several such people enter the white population, then over the centuries, a large percent of "whites" may be "black." Conversely, a large number of "blacks" have white blood. Over centuries, in a place like USA or Brazil, there may be no "pure" races any more. Many "white" people, if they find a black in their ancestry, they keep quiet. Otherwise who knows, maybe over 50% of USA is "black" by this definition. I have met full white people who call themselves black because of a single great-grandparent or something.

However, American Indian blood -- like Sarah Palin's husband -- is often specified exactly (he's 1/4 or 1/8 Yupik Indian, reports vary).

Tiger Woods has African, Asian, Amerindian, Jungu... Caublinasian...

Others incl. South Americans handled it different. They had/have mulattos (Obama, Hamilton), quadroons ("The child of a white and a mulatto; has 1 Negro grandparent. One-fourths black."), octoroons ("The child of a white and a quadroon; has one Negro and 7 white great grandparents. One-eighths black."), etc etc

A good example is Mariah Carey. Another is Vin Diesel. I think these two enjoy the "periphery" phenomenon associated with their racial ambiguity. To a deep racist, they're "black." (via Carey's father and Diesel's mother).

Let's call Obama mixed-race to get rid of this fundamentally racist legacy.

[Arum Tidi]

Well explained Type R

[Type R]

It was called the one drop rule.

One drop of black = total black.

It terrifies whites who do not know their ancestry, especially those whose trace their roots in the Americas back centuries.

The website:

OneDropRule.org

Not all inter-racial relationships were forceful, or rape. Some were loving marriages, eg Muhammad Ali's Irish forefather.

[Type R]

The one drop rule was sent into damnation of hell by the revelation by the science of genealogy that revealed that the black race is the parent of all races.

Other races evolved by recessive genetics, for example -- the much beloved "blond hair" is actually caused by a recessive gene.

Through recession, you can take a person with e.g. melanin, reduce the melanin overtime and breed a person of another race of lighter skin. This progressive lightening as children are born happens even within families in Kenya. many Kikuyus, Kambas, Taitas and Bukusus are lightening. You can make a white person from a black person. But you cannot make a black person from a white person.

All races are children of the black race (maybe except Neanderthals in Madrid, who may have been a separate line).

Thus all races are black! Adam was black. So was Eve. so to speak. At least, according to "one drop" rule?

This Darwinian idea is so hated by racists, it drives them mad!!!

NB: is there an opposite of a recessive gene? progressive gene? it is difficult to imagine.

[okiedokes]

I think it is just easier to identify as african-american when someone is biracial, plus it's been that way for a long time. They probably feel more included/accepted in this community. Also, I think the history of slavery makes it extremely hard to identify otherwise.

I must also say that back in the day, biracial people weren't always accepted in the black community(i.e not being black enough). According to a few stories I've heard, biracial people seemed to have a bit of an easier time especially as some of them could pass off as 'white'. lol

Race is a very complex issue but as long as we all can co-exist peacefully, that's a great step in the right direction.

@type R - Wow! That's a good read, interesting and valuable information. Thanks! According to biology the opposite of a recessive gene would be a dominant one. Did you hear about the recent finding about DNA and black origins or something?

[sdolphin]

Originally Posted by Type R

The one drop rule was sent into damnation of hell by the revelation by the science of genealogy that revealed that the black race is the parent of all races.

Other races evolved by recessive genetics, for example -- the much beloved "blond hair" is actually caused by a recessive gene.

Through recession, you can take a person with e.g. melanin, reduce the melanin overtime and breed a person of another race of lighter skin. This progressive lightening as children are born happens even within families in Kenya. many Kikuyus, Kambas, Taitas and Bukusus are lightening. You can make a white person from a black person. But you cannot make a black person from a white person.

All races are children of the black race (maybe except Neanderthals in Madrid, who may have been a separate line).

Thus all races are black! Adam was black. So was Eve. so to speak. At least, according to "one drop" rule?

This Darwinian idea is so hated by racists, it drives them mad!!!

NB: is there an opposite of a recessive gene? progressive gene? it is difficult to imagine.

Never heard this before. Very impressive.

[nat89]

Originally Posted by Type R

The one drop rule was sent into damnation of hell by the revelation by the science of genealogy that revealed that the black race is the parent of all races.

Other races evolved by recessive genetics, for example -- the much beloved "blond hair" is actually caused by a recessive gene.

Through recession, you can take a person with e.g. melanin, reduce the melanin overtime and breed a person of another race of lighter skin. This progressive lightening as children are born happens even within families in Kenya. many Kikuyus, Kambas, Taitas and Bukusus are lightening. You can make a white person from a black person. But you cannot make a black person from a white person.

All races are children of the black race (maybe except Neanderthals in Madrid, who may have been a separate line).

Thus all races are black! Adam was black. So was Eve. so to speak. At least, according to "one drop" rule?

This Darwinian idea is so hated by racists, it drives them mad!!!

NB: is there an opposite of a recessive gene? progressive gene? it is difficult to imagine.

Aaah always nice to see someone who kows their Biology!
I think you would enjoy the classes i have. . . the guy always derails. . .