Black woman turns out to be white
Discussion
I always put myself down as 'mixed race' on official paperwork. I figure my ancient ancestors evolved from Africans and who knows which tribes they got mixed up with over many thousands of years as they developed Northern European DNA and cultural norms. It probably gives me an advantage under whatever quota systems are producing these questions in the first place, and my claim has never been challenged despite my pale skin.
Moonhawk said:
It does throw up an interesting question though - at what point do you stop being considered black or mixed race.
Many 50:50 black/white mixed race people consider themselves black. I bet a fair few people who have 25:75 do too.
My cousin is mixed race. Her grandfather is black, whilst her grandmother is white. Her mother is therefore 50:50 mixed race. Her father is white and so my cousins is 25:75 mixed race - however to look at - you would swear she was white European.
If somebody puts that they are mixed race on an application form - would they be required to prove it if it wasn't outwardly obvious?
How does one prove one is of mixed race? It would be easier to prove direct lineage to one of the 10 tribes of Israel.Many 50:50 black/white mixed race people consider themselves black. I bet a fair few people who have 25:75 do too.
My cousin is mixed race. Her grandfather is black, whilst her grandmother is white. Her mother is therefore 50:50 mixed race. Her father is white and so my cousins is 25:75 mixed race - however to look at - you would swear she was white European.
If somebody puts that they are mixed race on an application form - would they be required to prove it if it wasn't outwardly obvious?
Also, imagine the fuss if a recruitment dept asked for proof from, for instance, a blue-eyed blond whilst not doing the same to someone of dark skin.
It is all a farce. I'm going to call myself Chinese.
I take the point with regards to percentages. Obama = black. Hale Berry = black. Lewes Hamilton = black. Such usage, even used by the persons themselves, strike me as racist. It is as if there's a problem with being of mixed race. Why do people have to classify themselves by race? Wasn't that the problem with apartheid?
When a DNA test was taken on a crime, the report came back to the effect that the person was 'possibly' 30% black. The DCI queried the claim - this in the early days of DNA - and was told that there was no way to define race by DNA. Not the most placid of officers, the DCI erupted into one of his rages as it was nothing more than a gift to the defence.
I'm >half Irish but don't consider myself to be of mixed race. It seems a silly thing to suggest. That's my parents.
I can't help hoping that racial classification will go the way of flares. Our kids and grandkids will look back on the terms with humour.
Hoofy said:
I'm struggling to see why it's a problem.
The only beef I have with it is the way she's tried to make herself 'look black' by getting a tan, applying make up and permanently making her hair frizzy and 'Afro looking'.That's the offensive bit.
It's absolutely no different to me putting black boot polish all over my face and then telling everyone I was black. I wonder how long I would get away with that?
Derek Smith said:
How does one prove one is of mixed race? It would be easier to prove direct lineage to one of the 10 tribes of Israel.
Also, imagine the fuss if a recruitment dept asked for proof from, for instance, a blue-eyed blond whilst not doing the same to someone of dark skin.
It is all a farce. I'm going to call myself Chinese.
I take the point with regards to percentages. Obama = black. Hale Berry = black. Lewes Hamilton = black. Such usage, even used by the persons themselves, strike me as racist. It is as if there's a problem with being of mixed race. Why do people have to classify themselves by race? Wasn't that the problem with apartheid?
When a DNA test was taken on a crime, the report came back to the effect that the person was 'possibly' 30% black. The DCI queried the claim - this in the early days of DNA - and was told that there was no way to define race by DNA. Not the most placid of officers, the DCI erupted into one of his rages as it was nothing more than a gift to the defence.
I'm >half Irish but don't consider myself to be of mixed race. It seems a silly thing to suggest. That's my parents.
I can't help hoping that racial classification will go the way of flares. Our kids and grandkids will look back on the terms with humour.
Multiculturalism is a temporary condition. It's the transitional period during which a formerly dominant culture/people wane and a confident incoming culture/people grow and become dominant. That's been the pattern throughout history. There's no reason to suggest things are any different now just because we wish them to be.Also, imagine the fuss if a recruitment dept asked for proof from, for instance, a blue-eyed blond whilst not doing the same to someone of dark skin.
It is all a farce. I'm going to call myself Chinese.
I take the point with regards to percentages. Obama = black. Hale Berry = black. Lewes Hamilton = black. Such usage, even used by the persons themselves, strike me as racist. It is as if there's a problem with being of mixed race. Why do people have to classify themselves by race? Wasn't that the problem with apartheid?
When a DNA test was taken on a crime, the report came back to the effect that the person was 'possibly' 30% black. The DCI queried the claim - this in the early days of DNA - and was told that there was no way to define race by DNA. Not the most placid of officers, the DCI erupted into one of his rages as it was nothing more than a gift to the defence.
I'm >half Irish but don't consider myself to be of mixed race. It seems a silly thing to suggest. That's my parents.
I can't help hoping that racial classification will go the way of flares. Our kids and grandkids will look back on the terms with humour.
BTW the transition usually ends with a great deal of misery and violence. See the Balkans, Sudan and Beirut for details.
Derek Smith said:
It is all a farce. I'm going to call myself Chinese.
I can't help hoping that racial classification will go the way of flares. Our kids and grandkids will look back on the terms with humour.
I agree.I can't help hoping that racial classification will go the way of flares. Our kids and grandkids will look back on the terms with humour.
The more that people move around the world and meet partners of different races, the more 'mixed' the resulting children will be, and eventually there will be so many mixed race people that it just won't be an issue any more.
I can't really see a problem there.
NinjaPower said:
Derek Smith said:
It is all a farce. I'm going to call myself Chinese.
I can't help hoping that racial classification will go the way of flares. Our kids and grandkids will look back on the terms with humour.
I agree.I can't help hoping that racial classification will go the way of flares. Our kids and grandkids will look back on the terms with humour.
The more that people move around the world and meet partners of different races, the more 'mixed' the resulting children will be, and eventually there will be so many mixed race people that it just won't be an issue any more.
I can't really see a problem there.
In the UK we traditionally more commonly used the term "half caste" which too had specific relationship to what was going on in India where they had/have a rigid system of social division based on the "caste" system rather than "race". The term was derisory because of the social expectation that one should not have sexual relationships with people either above or below their own social class - this still prevails in almost all cultures and civilisations, no one wants their kids to be marrying down - although it's much more taboo to openly say these things nowadays.
So it's not really about skin colour, it goes much deeper to the heart of how society and culture functions.
popeyewhite said:
NinjaPower said:
I can't really see a problem there.
The only problem is she's gone out of her way to deceive people, and tried to justify, and take racial affront, as being both black and white. See the link at the top. Absolutely extraordinary.I was saying I couldn't see a problem with more and more people becoming 'mixed race' (or whatever you want to call multi-ethnicity)
I didn't say I couldn't see a problem with what this woman has done. In fact a few posts up I said it was a 'bit offensive' for her to perm her hair and get a tan then claim to be black. It's no different to me putting boot polish on my face then telling people I was Black...
k is humorous about lifeboat equipment". carinaman said:
It sounds a bit grim on Radio 4's PM. Busted.
It did indeed. The NBC interview with her today was very straight to the point to say the least.
It's here if you want to watch it: http://www.today.com/news/rachel-dolezal-speaks-to...
Racial classification cannot possibly go away. All these lunatics have built their grievance industry on the basis of it. Rather it needs to expand and evolve. This is just the next stage in the evolution where you don.t actually have to be part of a so called disadvantaged group to benefit from the lottery, just claim that you identify with one and feel their pain. This woman is just at the vanguard of this evolution, bravely leading the way.
richie99 said:
Racial classification cannot possibly go away. All these lunatics have built their grievance industry on the basis of it. Rather it needs to expand and evolve. This is just the next stage in the evolution where you don.t actually have to be part of a so called disadvantaged group to benefit from the lottery, just claim that you identify with one and feel their pain. This woman is just at the vanguard of this evolution, bravely leading the way.
So cynical...The NBC interviewer pretty much did directly accuse her of changing race to suit her own objectives.
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