Racial issues in DCPS for mixed race kids

[Anonymous]

^^^ reasons FOR that

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I really don't think biracials are being harassed about their identity. I think that the way race is lived is highly personal. This discussion includes issues of color and class. There is also a strong undercurrent of power which is part of discussions of racism. If someone on the street says you are black and you don't feel that way, that person at most has made you have a bad day. If someone excludes you from an opportunity because of your race and/or ethnicity this is something completely different. The challenge in a school setting is that you want your child to be treated with respect and not discriminated against.

I grew up in urban and suburban settings. I was teased by some black kids growing up in the urban setting, but I was excluded by white teachers from extracurricular activities because I was not white or "white enough" (hair not straight enough). I cannot recall a single incident of teasing although it happened relatively frequently (at least a few times per week), but the incident with the teachers makes my blood boil to this day.

- A biracial person who self-identifies as black, but is often perceived as not being black

That is your experience and I have to respect that. However, don't dismiss other people's experiences. Just like you it was the teachers who mistreated me the most. The only difference in my case is that it was the black teachers. They ignored me when I raised my hands, they isolated me in the classroom, and quite a few said some racist things to me. Also, having black girls who wanted to brutally beat me up all because of the shade of my skin wasn't a pleasant experience as well. Some black women go insane when they see biracial women with black men too. My ex-boyfriend and I used to get harassed all the time by black women. Even is own mother told him, "You couldn't find a real sista!" These negaive incidents over the years really set the tone for me in regards to black women in general. I don't think that I would ever fully trust a them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't think biracials are being harassed about their identity. I think that the way race is lived is highly personal. This discussion includes issues of color and class. There is also a strong undercurrent of power which is part of discussions of racism. If someone on the street says you are black and you don't feel that way, that person at most has made you have a bad day. If someone excludes you from an opportunity because of your race and/or ethnicity this is something completely different. The challenge in a school setting is that you want your child to be treated with respect and not discriminated against.

I grew up in urban and suburban settings. I was teased by some black kids growing up in the urban setting, but I was excluded by white teachers from extracurricular activities because I was not white or "white enough" (hair not straight enough). I cannot recall a single incident of teasing although it happened relatively frequently (at least a few times per week), but the incident with the teachers makes my blood boil to this day.

- A biracial person who self-identifies as black, but is often perceived as not being black

That is your experience and I have to respect that. However, don't dismiss other people's experiences. Just like you it was the teachers who mistreated me the most. The only difference in my case is that it was the black teachers. They ignored me when I raised my hands, they isolated me in the classroom, and quite a few said some racist things to me. Also, having black girls who wanted to brutally beat me up all because of the shade of my skin wasn't a pleasant experience as well. Some black women go insane when they see biracial women with black men too. My ex-boyfriend and I used to get harassed all the time by black women. Even is own mother told him, "You couldn't find a real sista!" These negaive incidents over the years really set the tone for me in regards to black women in general. I don't think that I would ever fully trust a them.

That all to do with Skin Tone and nothing to do with you being biracial....light skinned black women went through the same thing, even though both parents were black...people like Whitney Houston talk about having the same issue. Also dark skin black women can tell the same tale of being ignored and having biracial and fair skinned black kids chosen over them...ur story is not unique..get over it and move on everyone else has

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't think biracials are being harassed about their identity. I think that the way race is lived is highly personal. This discussion includes issues of color and class. There is also a strong undercurrent of power which is part of discussions of racism. If someone on the street says you are black and you don't feel that way, that person at most has made you have a bad day. If someone excludes you from an opportunity because of your race and/or ethnicity this is something completely different. The challenge in a school setting is that you want your child to be treated with respect and not discriminated against.

I grew up in urban and suburban settings. I was teased by some black kids growing up in the urban setting, but I was excluded by white teachers from extracurricular activities because I was not white or "white enough" (hair not straight enough). I cannot recall a single incident of teasing although it happened relatively frequently (at least a few times per week), but the incident with the teachers makes my blood boil to this day.

- A biracial person who self-identifies as black, but is often perceived as not being black

That is your experience and I have to respect that. However, don't dismiss other people's experiences. Just like you it was the teachers who mistreated me the most. The only difference in my case is that it was the black teachers. They ignored me when I raised my hands, they isolated me in the classroom, and quite a few said some racist things to me. Also, having black girls who wanted to brutally beat me up all because of the shade of my skin wasn't a pleasant experience as well. Some black women go insane when they see biracial women with black men too. My ex-boyfriend and I used to get harassed all the time by black women. Even is own mother told him, "You couldn't find a real sista!" These negaive incidents over the years really set the tone for me in regards to black women in general. I don't think that I would ever fully trust a them.

Wow, that sucks. I'm not the PP you're talking to but I feel for you. Wishing you peace and hoping you can keep an open mind about AAs who aren't like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think MANY AAs feel slighted by biracials who identify as biracial as opposed to solely AA. I think the solution is for biracial to choose their own race as opposed to anyone (black or white) making that choice for them. I think some AAs will be upset by this and make that difficult.

I see how you threw in "some" and "many" but I still disagree with you. No AA people I know gives 2 shits how a biracial person chooses to identify. At most I was asked "what race are you", I answered and that was that. You are giving yourself way too much importance here thinking this is an issue for AAs. Now if you're a biracial who turns their nose up when a black person even looks at you out of fear of being perceived as one of them (how about that for a non often discussed topic?) then yeah, you probably have been on the receiving end of a lot of grief.

Wow! You're insecurities are showing. We both know that if AAs didn't give two .... you wouldn't have biracials begging to be left alone. You're just so jealous of them it makes your blood boil to hear the conversation. You're talking about how unimportant they are, which is just projecting your low-esteem and image. You're unimportant and you know it. That's not biracials people's fault. Instead of coming on here, go to a therapist. They can help you better than we can.

Bam and there it is. Times have changed, but for people like PP, her mind is stuck in 1865. Nobody is jealous sweetie, but only an insecure person would think such a similar thought. The statement does remind me of jiggaboos versus wannabes from scool daze.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also think a lot of the biracials who identify as black try to downplay the discrimination biracials who don't identify as black face. Because they are black- I'm accepting that as their race because they've chosen it, I find that many of them present some of the same oppressive behavior that many 'one drop' AAs present.

A lot of u seem upset if a Biracial person CHOOSES to identify as AA. Yet you all claim that THEY THEMSELVES should have the choice to decide...yet when their decision is not one that YOU LIKE ie. Identifying as AA you attack them claiming there doing it out of fear or just not to be attacked by blacks...maybe its because thats how they WANT to be identified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't think biracials are being harassed about their identity. I think that the way race is lived is highly personal. This discussion includes issues of color and class. There is also a strong undercurrent of power which is part of discussions of racism. If someone on the street says you are black and you don't feel that way, that person at most has made you have a bad day. If someone excludes you from an opportunity because of your race and/or ethnicity this is something completely different. The challenge in a school setting is that you want your child to be treated with respect and not discriminated against.

I grew up in urban and suburban settings. I was teased by some black kids growing up in the urban setting, but I was excluded by white teachers from extracurricular activities because I was not white or "white enough" (hair not straight enough). I cannot recall a single incident of teasing although it happened relatively frequently (at least a few times per week), but the incident with the teachers makes my blood boil to this day.

- A biracial person who self-identifies as black, but is often perceived as not being black

That is your experience and I have to respect that. However, don't dismiss other people's experiences. Just like you it was the teachers who mistreated me the most. The only difference in my case is that it was the black teachers. They ignored me when I raised my hands, they isolated me in the classroom, and quite a few said some racist things to me. Also, having black girls who wanted to brutally beat me up all because of the shade of my skin wasn't a pleasant experience as well. Some black women go insane when they see biracial women with black men too. My ex-boyfriend and I used to get harassed all the time by black women. Even is own mother told him, "You couldn't find a real sista!" These negaive incidents over the years really set the tone for me in regards to black women in general. I don't think that I would ever fully trust a them.

That all to do with Skin Tone and nothing to do with you being biracial....light skinned black women went through the same thing, even though both parents were black...people like Whitney Houston talk about having the same issue. Also dark skin black women can tell the same tale of being ignored and having biracial and fair skinned black kids chosen over them...ur story is not unique..get over it and move on everyone else has

Sort of re the jealousy and mean girl stuff, but would her bf's mom called a light-skinned black woman not a real sista? Perhaps having a white parent made things rougher for PP, though you're right her issues aren't entirely unique.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ PP - forgot to mention the urban schools were about 85% black. The odds that any teasing I received would be by a black child were sky high because almost all the kids were black. I think that this may be altering people's perceptions of their childhood. Many neighborhoods in this country were highly segregated therefore the schools were mostly black or white.

Exactly

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't think biracials are being harassed about their identity. I think that the way race is lived is highly personal. This discussion includes issues of color and class. There is also a strong undercurrent of power which is part of discussions of racism. If someone on the street says you are black and you don't feel that way, that person at most has made you have a bad day. If someone excludes you from an opportunity because of your race and/or ethnicity this is something completely different. The challenge in a school setting is that you want your child to be treated with respect and not discriminated against.

I grew up in urban and suburban settings. I was teased by some black kids growing up in the urban setting, but I was excluded by white teachers from extracurricular activities because I was not white or "white enough" (hair not straight enough). I cannot recall a single incident of teasing although it happened relatively frequently (at least a few times per week), but the incident with the teachers makes my blood boil to this day.

- A biracial person who self-identifies as black, but is often perceived as not being black

That is your experience and I have to respect that. However, don't dismiss other people's experiences. Just like you it was the teachers who mistreated me the most. The only difference in my case is that it was the black teachers. They ignored me when I raised my hands, they isolated me in the classroom, and quite a few said some racist things to me. Also, having black girls who wanted to brutally beat me up all because of the shade of my skin wasn't a pleasant experience as well. Some black women go insane when they see biracial women with black men too. My ex-boyfriend and I used to get harassed all the time by black women. Even is own mother told him, "You couldn't find a real sista!" These negaive incidents over the years really set the tone for me in regards to black women in general. I don't think that I would ever fully trust a them.

That all to do with Skin Tone and nothing to do with you being biracial....light skinned black women went through the same thing, even though both parents were black...people like Whitney Houston talk about having the same issue. Also dark skin black women can tell the same tale of being ignored and having biracial and fair skinned black kids chosen over them...ur story is not unique..get over it and move on everyone else has

Oh please just stop it. Do you have any sympathy for others? You just proved her point about how mean spirited some AAs are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't think biracials are being harassed about their identity. I think that the way race is lived is highly personal. This discussion includes issues of color and class. There is also a strong undercurrent of power which is part of discussions of racism. If someone on the street says you are black and you don't feel that way, that person at most has made you have a bad day. If someone excludes you from an opportunity because of your race and/or ethnicity this is something completely different. The challenge in a school setting is that you want your child to be treated with respect and not discriminated against.

I grew up in urban and suburban settings. I was teased by some black kids growing up in the urban setting, but I was excluded by white teachers from extracurricular activities because I was not white or "white enough" (hair not straight enough). I cannot recall a single incident of teasing although it happened relatively frequently (at least a few times per week), but the incident with the teachers makes my blood boil to this day.

- A biracial person who self-identifies as black, but is often perceived as not being black

That is your experience and I have to respect that. However, don't dismiss other people's experiences. Just like you it was the teachers who mistreated me the most. The only difference in my case is that it was the black teachers. They ignored me when I raised my hands, they isolated me in the classroom, and quite a few said some racist things to me. Also, having black girls who wanted to brutally beat me up all because of the shade of my skin wasn't a pleasant experience as well. Some black women go insane when they see biracial women with black men too. My ex-boyfriend and I used to get harassed all the time by black women. Even is own mother told him, "You couldn't find a real sista!" These negaive incidents over the years really set the tone for me in regards to black women in general. I don't think that I would ever fully trust a them.

That all to do with Skin Tone and nothing to do with you being biracial....light skinned black women went through the same thing, even though both parents were black...people like Whitney Houston talk about having the same issue. Also dark skin black women can tell the same tale of being ignored and having biracial and fair skinned black kids chosen over them...ur story is not unique..get over it and move on everyone else has

Oh please just stop it. Do you have any sympathy for others? You just proved her point about how mean spirited some AAs are.

I know, right! If her story's so familiar to you then why the hell don't you empathize with it? Instead, it's like: "Pain?! I'll show you pain. Go get me a switch." You're so mean!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd recommend looking into Eaton. It has a lot of diversity, both racially & socio-economically, & very strong academics. We are a biracial family & have found it to be a warm, welcoming & inclusive environment.

I agree with this. As a mixed race family, the first thing I would look at, considering any school, is the demographic profile. No way I would send my kids to predominantly black school. Eaton's demographics mirror as closely as we would like to find for our family. If you look at DCPS you can compare school profile pages easily. If you do want a demographic profile that is not 80%+ white don't even bother looking at Janney, Key, Lafayette, Murch, or Mann.

Are you mixed raced? So whats the difference between a majority black school and a majority white one? Are black people an evil group of people or something? My goodness the racism and ignorance directed toward blacks in this thread is an eye opener. I'm not mad though I like hearing what "others" really think about my race no matter how ignorant. It lets me and my family know what the read deal is

+1000 This thread is so racist it's shocked.

I'm biracial, before you all start posting that I don't understand, and I'm appalled by the blanket statements by mother's of biracial children in this thread. I'm hoping and praying that the children are less prejudiced than their parents.

Could you explain what's so racist? I think people are getting upset that AAs are being criticized. That's not racist. The comments are directed at AAs who take it upon themselves to force racial identity on children. Certainly, white people have been guilty of this. AAs are too and deserve being called out. Perhaps the behavior will change, perhaps it won't. Until then biracial children are better off in diverse areas where they self-identification may be respected. In all black enclaves it's typical that the "one drop" rule will be acknowledged as valid. This disgusting racist viewpoint has no place in our society. And biracial kids don't deserve to be subjected to it.

And who CREATED that view point? Def not African Americans...blacks accepted "mixed" people into their community because they faced the same hardships and discrimination as fully black people. Had blacks turned their backs on mixed raced people you all would be whining about that. Blacks accepting bi racial people has nothing to do with some silly stupid notion of "keeping our numbers up"...thats something white racist worry about, that has never been an issue or discussion in the black community. Its almost laughable that Bi racial people actual think that. I know plenty of Bi racial kids who grew up in black enclaves and none has the mental issues or anger towards AA like the bi racial people posting in this thread. Its clear you dont like AA period, it has nothing to do with some one drop rule or your experience with AA...because I seriously doubt you have EVER lived around AA...I'm 100 percent positive you grew up mostly around whites which is where your anger, hatred, and rage towards AA comes from

Oh super -- now you're generalizing! Every biracial person you know had a super positive experience therefore everyone else is delusional! And everyone nows the one-drop rule is the creation of white supremacists but that doesn't mean that SOME black people haven't internalized it and perpetuated it in their treatment of biracial people.

My point is those people in this thread Attacking AA have no experience growing up with them, they are BIGOTS hiding behind a bi racial excuse. They dont like blacks REGARDLESS...its super annoying that they dont just come out and say it. I'm sorry black people dont go around bad mouthing and attacking biracial people. Obama didn't have this issue nor Halle, nor did Anthony G. Brown. Yes someone will say something ignorant towards you at least once in your life...but to make it seem as if cultural blacks are this angry group of people bent on attacking biracial people and trying to kidnap them into their group is LUDICROUS. There are a bunch of Biracial people with a 'white supremist" attitude

President Obama, Halle Berry and Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown don't get much flack from black people because they publicly identify as black. If President Obama had stressed that he was biracial throughout his campaign, you would have MOST LIKELY seen a very different response from a large swath of the AA community. If you need an example, please see Tiger Woods--or anyone else who strongly states their bi/multiracialism. I'm certainly not saying that ALL AAs try to force biracial people to "just choose black." However, there is often a strong negative reaction when biracial people simply state "I'm biracial." You may be familiar with such responses as: "You must think you're better than me;" "You just don't want to be black;" "You must not have grown up around black people."

Tiger Woods is a good example. I do recall his white colleagues being concerned that he would elect to have collard greens and fried chicken served when he won the Masters (or whichever tournament it was). This is the type of thing that your AA friends are referring to when warning you about the painful reality of "feeling white or biracial" but being perceived as black. Despite his biracial assertions and his clearly Asian mother in attendance at all of his tournaments, Tiger has had to deal with the reality that there are some whites AND blacks who simply do not acknowledge his biracial heritage. The response from some in the black community is based in the understanding that race is something that cannot be simply proclaimed. As much as you want to deny or reject it, race is as much about your perception of yourself as it is about others perception of you. I imagine that biracial children who look wholly one race or the other have a much easier time if they simply embrace their racial appearance than those that are clearly a physical reflection of both their black and white heritage. It seems to me that the negativity experienced at either the hands of whites or blacks has much to do with the tensions and awful history that exist between these communities. Do biracial children with one Asian parent and one white parent have the same experiences? The negativity and generalizations that are being spewed on this thread by some seems to be misdirected at the AA community. Why? We simply did not create the atmosphere of negative race relations that your child is left to navigate. The blame for that rest with that proportion of your ancestry that is of the lighter hue.

Most intelligent people knew at the time (1997) that Fuzzy Zoeller was an idiot for what he said; that comment demonstrated him for what he was. Nearly 20 years later, it is barely relevant and hardly worth mentioning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I really don't think biracials are being harassed about their identity. I think that the way race is lived is highly personal. This discussion includes issues of color and class. There is also a strong undercurrent of power which is part of discussions of racism. If someone on the street says you are black and you don't feel that way, that person at most has made you have a bad day. If someone excludes you from an opportunity because of your race and/or ethnicity this is something completely different. The challenge in a school setting is that you want your child to be treated with respect and not discriminated against.

I grew up in urban and suburban settings. I was teased by some black kids growing up in the urban setting, but I was excluded by white teachers from extracurricular activities because I was not white or "white enough" (hair not straight enough). I cannot recall a single incident of teasing although it happened relatively frequently (at least a few times per week), but the incident with the teachers makes my blood boil to this day.

- A biracial person who self-identifies as black, but is often perceived as not being black

That is your experience and I have to respect that. However, don't dismiss other people's experiences. Just like you it was the teachers who mistreated me the most. The only difference in my case is that it was the black teachers. They ignored me when I raised my hands, they isolated me in the classroom, and quite a few said some racist things to me. Also, having black girls who wanted to brutally beat me up all because of the shade of my skin wasn't a pleasant experience as well. Some black women go insane when they see biracial women with black men too. My ex-boyfriend and I used to get harassed all the time by black women. Even is own mother told him, "You couldn't find a real sista!" These negaive incidents over the years really set the tone for me in regards to black women in general. I don't think that I would ever fully trust a them.

That all to do with Skin Tone and nothing to do with you being biracial....light skinned black women went through the same thing, even though both parents were black...people like Whitney Houston talk about having the same issue. Also dark skin black women can tell the same tale of being ignored and having biracial and fair skinned black kids chosen over them...ur story is not unique..get over it and move on everyone else has

Black on black oppression. It is real, here is a perfect example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'

Tiger Woods is a good example. I do recall his white colleagues being concerned that he would elect to have collard greens and fried chicken served when he won the Masters (or whichever tournament it was). This is the type of thing that your AA friends are referring to when warning you about the painful reality of "feeling white or biracial" but being perceived as black. Despite his biracial assertions and his clearly Asian mother in attendance at all of his tournaments, Tiger has had to deal with the reality that there are some whites AND blacks who simply do not acknowledge his biracial heritage. The response from some in the black community is based in the understanding that race is something that cannot be simply proclaimed. As much as you want to deny or reject it, race is as much about your perception of yourself as it is about others perception of you. I imagine that biracial children who look wholly one race or the other have a much easier time if they simply embrace their racial appearance than those that are clearly a physical reflection of both their black and white heritage. It seems to me that the negativity experienced at either the hands of whites or blacks has much to do with the tensions and awful history that exist between these communities. Do biracial children with one Asian parent and one white parent have the same experiences? The negativity and generalizations that are being spewed on this thread by some seems to be misdirected at the AA community. Why? We simply did not create the atmosphere of negative race relations that your child is left to navigate. The blame for that rest with that proportion of your ancestry that is of the lighter hue.

Most intelligent people knew at the time (1997) that Fuzzy Zoeller was an idiot for what he said; that comment demonstrated him for what he was. Nearly 20 years later, it is barely relevant and hardly worth mentioning.

2013 Sergio Garcia made similar nasty racist remarks. And no, Fuzzy's comments were not forgotten as they were repeaed when compared with Sergio's comments. They worth mentioning by ESPN, CNN, etc.

[Anonymous]

I just put down my popcorn to comment again re: the original schools question. OP, from reading this thread, you might conclude that both majority white and majority black schools will invariably be hostile to your kid! Hopefully you take these views with a grain of salt, as plenty of multiracial kids do just fine at either type of school, or somewhere in the middle.

Our timing was such that we found a house within Shepherd's boundaries (I'm the EOTP biracial PP). However, there are several other schools that may've worked out for us in terms of being a good ethnic and socioeconomic mix (although too far for our particular commutes). Both Eaton and Hearst might be good possibilities. I love the video on Eaton's home page about a typical day at Eaton, "A Peek Inside Eaton." Ross also seems like a great little school, with diversity and great test scores. Both Hearst and Ross have Responsive Classroom. Hearst is a Deal/Wilson feeder, whereas Eaton is a Hardy/Wilson feeder. Ross doesn't have the best middle and high school feeder situation, but a lot may change by the time your child is old enough to attend. You'll find proponents and detractors for all of these schools, and I'm sure I haven't mentioned all key info about them, so it might help to visit open houses and decide where you feel most "at home."

If you're not especially risk-averse and want to try your luck with charters and the lottery, Creative Minds, Inspired Teaching, and LAMB are all pretty ethnically diverse. I also like that there are plenty of middle and high SES black, biracial, and Latino families at these schools (we know such families at all three). Of course, these popular charters are a long shot, and the academic landscape may look a bit different once your child's of age to seriously consider charter options.

Bottom line is that there are several possibilities in DC where your family may be happy with the school situation. I hope you don't feel that all is riding on finding the perfect unicorn school chock-full of biracial children, or a school with some critical admixture of all ethnicities, without which your child will be destined to teasing, confusion and/or self-loathing! If you teach your kid to be confident, resilient, and to have a sense of humor about things, this in itself will go a long way, irrespective of how he chooses to identify, IMO.

[Anonymous]

Chiming in with PP on OP's original question: One thing that seems worth pointing out is that your child won't have to address all these complicated dynamics (if at all) for many years. My daughter is in K in a very diverse EOTP school, and this is the first year that kids seem to gravatate toward their own race in forming friendships. And all the "not white / not black" kids (like my half-Asian kid) so far seem to be accepted in all the groups.