I cannot believe there's a documentary such as
this.
First, we don't need another
Blue-vein society. It's wack, disrespectful, and reeks of a desire to reject the reality of one's roots in favor of striving to be as close to Anglo-Saxon [White] as possible.
At least in respect to The Ancestors who suffered in unimaginable ways for their beautiful and resultingly assaulted Black skin, let's embrace our Motherland roots. I am so tired of the idea of exclusivity attached to various shades of skin, and I feel continued labeling only empowers the mentality.
...Simply not seeing the need for more labeling.
Nearly everyone in America that is Black is on some level Multi-racial due to both forced and consensual race-mixing. It doesn't change the dominant genes that heavily-melinate us, and I for one am damn proud of my Motherland Roots.
Second, anyone who isn't 100% Afrikan-blooded can start calling themselves Multi-racial or bi-racial if they feel they have the right to say others [like President Barack Obama or Halle Berry, or Etta James, or... well you get the point] aren't Black enough to be called Black.
I know no one's going to tell me that my black behind isn't black-enough to be black. Them's fighting words. For real. The less than 100 percentage of Motherland-direct blood in my veins didn't stop the officer who ticketed me when my tire blew [literally ticketed me because my tire blew... True story], and then proceeded to insult me further by looking me over like I was a piece of meat he'd like to help himself to, did it?
It didn't stop my disillusioned and self-loathing Black Elderly Brothah the other day, who didn't know me from Adam, from calling me a Black B*tch, all-unprovoked like in the broad daylight of a Family Dollar parking lot, did it?
I mean he didn't call me a Bi-racial B*tch... or a White B*tch, as I was busy minding my business, did he?
Hasn't stopped some of the lesser enlightened European-rooted chics from trying to play the Superiorist-game [that Inferior minds play] with comments like 'Your hair grows so slow...'.
Black is Black.
The Black experience has struck all Blacks of varying shades and hair-textures, with separate-and-divide being the rule of the day that has successfully kept our community from achieving the level of self-love necessary for healing.
I cram to understand why it's so difficult to understand that the term 'Black' has been placed on those who, in reality, aren't White [Anglo-Saxon].
It's a political label, not a nationality. Do you know where you sit concerning these politics? If you're not Anglo-Saxon, you're not sitting at the White table. Even the Blue-Vein circle was criticized and called 'envious' by racist Whites. No matter how much 'white blood' they possessed, they were still considered Black.
Recognize that.
African [though even the name 'Africa' was imposed by invaders and isn't the true name of the continent] is a nationality. African-American is a nationality. African-Canadian, Brazilian-American, Asian-American, are nationalities as well.
[update for clarity:]When race is discussed nationality is used to identify all but the African descendant, and Caucasian descendant [in some cases Nationality is mentioned but not as a rule]. For the African and Caucasian, Black and White respectively become the terms used to identify race. Asians are not called Yellows on racial check-box forms. Native Americans likewise are not officially referred to as Reds. Latinos are often referred to as Hispanic [though the brown -skinned are usually referred to as Black also], and etc. The reality is simple. Black and White are social constructs. If you're the descendant of a kidnapped African forced into slavery, you're considered Black. If you're Anglo Saxon, you're considered white [some cultures may call a person White based on appearance, but in reality the imperialists wouldn't have it. White is Anglo-Saxon rooted. Period]. [end update]
Race is a social construct where the lines are blurred, because in reality we don't need it as a construct. White-supremacy needs it to fuel systemic racism and the power that comes from it for those leading the way into deeper levels of self-hatred for those who accept the idea that they're somehow less than, because they're not White.
Maybe I approached this as a rant. I don't know. All I know is, I am tired of this 'Not Black Enough' argument. It's just one more way to separate our community, when healing balm and unity are precisely what's needed right now.
While I'll acknowledge the 'Of Color' labeling, you won't likely catch me referring to myself or anyone else as bi-racial. With respect to my relatives of European roots, I am not European and would never be accepted by Europeans as European even with the degree of Europa in my blood. Hell, even
the Irish aren't truly considered White, and were at one time considered Black.
Check the history.
This doesn't mean I won't acknowledge that I have Canadian and Native-American blood in my line. It does mean that I live the Black experience, and have always, always considered myself Black. Because I am. In reality.
We have to heal and embrace ourselves while carefully avoiding empowering jacked ideals of 'Superiority' in the Black community based on skin color and degree of Blackness in the blood.
For those of you who can't stand to be called Black take it up with the Slave-master of old who invented the 'One-drop rule' to let you know just what he thought of you. Take a trip to the more racist areas of the US and if you come back alive, let us all know how you fared telling them you aren't Black, but Bi-racial.
I acknowledge for some children of color who appear to be more European ( Wentworth Miller, for instance doesn't appear to have Black roots) than Black it can be a difficult road when dealing with folks who would question your roots, but those who don't appear to be 100% European are easily identified as of-color, and endure the Black experience on varying levels.
Your thoughts?
Update: I feel you Wadella.