The Half Series — When Black People Look White (1 of 3)

This is a three part series about colorism.

PART ONE

Take a look at my friend, Katie Burrell:

Is Katie Black? Is Katie White? Is she both?

Katie’s ethnic background will be revealed at a later date, but carefully look at her face, study her features and skin tone because she is my poster child for this series. More pictures of Katie will be shown later.

-Oooh, her daddy must be White or High Yellow!

-Your daughter is beautiful! She looks nothing like you. (Yes, in the same breath.)

-She must look just like her daddy.

-Is that your daughter?

-Is your daughter Mexican?

Over the past eight years the above quotes have all been said to or asked of me because of my daughter. I am a Black woman and I have a child by a White man. Those words once bothered me when my daughter was a baby, but I am used to it now and I respond accordingly with a healthy amount of venom in my tone.

When I found out I was carrying a baby by a White man I wasn’t happy. There is a long story behind this that will be shared with you in my memoirs one day, but one of the reasons is the fact that I knew I was going to have to deal with all these insulting questions and statements. And, the staring…oh gawd, people could win staring contests when they see a dark skinned Black woman with a child that appears White or is more than a few shades lighter.

I also worried that I would not know how to or be able to deal with raising a biracial child. It may seem ridiculous to you, but I really thought about what type of things I would have to teach her about her background and how to deal with people liking or disliking her because of things like her skin tone or her hair texture. I also worried that she would be different than me and that she would catch hell because of it.

I was right and I was wrong. I’m her mother. She has my DNA. I am raising her and I deal with any issues that may occur quite well. If she had come out half of whatever the hell Yoda is from Star Wars I would still love her lil’ brownish-green ass to death.

Ethnicity and color are not issues for me. They never have been. I love everyone and I dislike everyone. My feelings are equal opportunity. I won’t love you just because you’re Black and I won’t hate you just because you’re White. Like someone once said — “Just because you’re my color, it doesn’t mean you’re my kind.” Truer words have never been spoken.

For some odd and stupid ass reason many of us continue to be color struck. I really think most of us are ignorant or at the very least forgetful. Black people who look White is not a new phenomenon. Back in the day Black folks who appeared more White than Black “passed” all the time. Hell, some people are still passing today. There are some people that could pass but don’t like actress, Jennifer Beals, and my man, actor, Wentworth Miller.

Look at him:

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Would you have guessed that Wentworth Miller has a parent with Black heritage? Well, he does! Wikipedia says: his father is of African-American, Jamaican, English, German, Jewish, and Cherokee background, and his mother is of Russian, French, Dutch, Lebanese, and Syrian ancestry. I first laid eyes on Wentworth in the film The Human Stain. The film is about a man who passes for Jewish, but is really Black. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. It’s a good flick! Anthony Hopkins plays Wentworth’s role as an older man. We all know Anthony Hopkins is not Black in any way, shape, or form (that we know of), but I’m sure he was cast in the role to make a valid point, not all Black people appear “Black”.

Anyway, back to Wentworth; I fell in love as soon as I saw him on the screen. He is a beautiful man. I saw The Human Stain around the same time Prison Break started on the FOX network, so I became a groupie and began watching it every week thereafter. Wentworth has also appeared in two Mariah Carey videos, It’s Like That and We Belong Together.

Some of you who know me are laughing and probably saying,”Yea, she likes ’em light, bright, and damn near White.” True, I do tend to go gaga more for light skinned men or mixed dudes. I guess I like the best of both worlds. Sue me! When Black and White come together it creates something beautiful. That’s not to say that when anyone else comes together that it’s ugly, so don’t go there, but I like what I like! There are no self hating reasons for it and I love chocolate brothas too. I like men! Period.

I can’t find one to make my boyfriend, but that’s another story.

Again, back to Wentworth, I was sprung after seeing him in The Human Stain, but when I read an interview where he explained that he only portrays a White man for TV, I fell in love. Why? Because he had the nerve, courage and pride to reveal who he is despite the fact that he does not typically fit what most people perceive as a person of color.

My true inspiration for starting this series are Michael Jackson’s children:

-Those are not his biological children.

-They look nothing like him or any of the other Jackson kids.

-Those kids are White.

-White never trumps Black. Never!

-Why is he trying to pass these White kids off as his children?

These are just a few of the ridiculous things I have heard aimed at Michael and his children. These comments upset me and I take them personally because as you have already read, I get some of the same ignorant reactions because of my daughter.

In the next part of the series I will get deeper into Michael’s children and the issues many people have when Black and White DNA come together to create a child that appears only White.

Read Part 2 of The Half Series

Originally published at dangerouslee.biz on February 20, 2010.