Reply to Racial issues in DCPS for mixed race kids

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I find this to be a very intriguing thread, which has brought to the forefront something very difficult for everyone- a changing of the status quo. People with biracial ancestry- 1st generation, 2nd generation, "light-skinned blacks with green eyes, etc"... are finding themselves comfortable in this era to challenge racial stereotypes of the past. And this is uncomfortable. I'm a first generation biracial (1/2 MGM and half white- technically 1/4 AA) and I can tell you that the MGMs on my mom's side who look white never felt comfortable calling themselves black. They very much wanted to assert the DNA that gave them blue/green eyes, which was European, but pressure from the black community forced them into the closet. I have a great-aunt who's in her 90s and she has told us stories of prejudice she endured by AAs in her community. Certainly, not all AAs are guilty of oppressing biracials, but there are many. [b]This thread is the first that I've read pulling the veil of secrecy and shame off of this evil behavior. This discussion where this is discussed is upsetting to many because it's uncomfortable and AAs have been given a pass for the behavior.[/b] Whatever the case, I keep drawing the conclusion that what is important here is that people need to define themselves. Whites, AAs and biracials don't get to choose for others. That right is inherent in the individual. Period.[/quote]

Totally agree with your overall assessment that self-identification is something every bi-racial person should be afforded.  Telling people who they are and what box they belong in isn't cool.  I would like to unravel one aspect, however, regarding the "evil behavior" of AA's oppressing bi-racials.  That's fear - plain and simple.  In our racially caste-based society AA's have had a permanent place at the bottom of the ladder from day one and for hundreds of years it was culturally commonplace for blacks to be exploited and excluded by whites.  The fear of seeing yet another select group given permission to exploit them and exclude them and degrade them and dehumanize them; the fear of yet another sect of society granted authority to discriminate against them and put them down and keep them down was frightening to say the least and while I don't deny that the fearful response to this new threat by some AA's - essentially saying, "Oh no...you ain't better than us, you're black too and you're staying down here with us.", was not the most appropriate or considerate way to cope with things but I don't see it as entirely evil in the deliberate sense.  
Course I'm not bi-racial so I may be biased in my assessment, lol.[/quote]

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