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"Black is the dominant color"

let`s talk

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let`s talk
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..he said. I am not American, I never resided in the USA. Today I was talking to an Afro-American from New York city. He said that Obama is the first black President of the United States. I asked why black if Obama is as black as white- 50%. The guy said: "Black is the dominant color. It doesn't matter if it is 50% or 5%. If you have black %, you are black because it is the dominant color."
What does it mean? I am not really familiar with the concept. Is that guy's opinion is a standard one in Afro-American or just American community? Or he is a typical black racist? Or what? I am not sure I understood what he meant.
 
That sounds similar to what white racists have been saying for a long time, actually. The whole "one drop is enough" policy that says that if you are 1% african, then you are black and you will be treated as such. It is complete nonsense of course, since we probably all descended from Africans and thus all have at least some "black blood".

Anyway, it surprises me to hear this idea from a black guy. I thought many black people in America actually thought that Obama wasn't really black enough to be called black? That's what I heard, anyway.
 
The American south literally used to define it as 1/32 or some such black is black, as far as segregation went.
 
but black is more dominant than white, just try to over-paint something black with white, and now try to over-paint something white with black.
 
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let`s talk said:
..he said. I am not American, I never resided in the USA. Today I was talking to an Afro-American from New York city. He said that Obama is the first black President of the United States. I asked why black if Obama is as black as white- 50%. The guy said: "Black is the dominant color. It doesn't matter if it is 50% or 5%. If you have black %, you are black because it is the dominant color."
What does it mean? I am not really familiar with the concept. Is that guy's opinion is a standard one in Afro-American or just American community? Or he is a typical black racist? Or what? I am not sure I understood what he meant.
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You'd probably have to ask him what he meant.

He could've been referring to pop science, where darker coloring (hair or skin) usually is dominant in your genetic makeup. (I don't have the stats for that, I'm just noting from experience. If someone corrects me with proper biological data, I'll more than readily accept it, but of all the mixed race couples I know, I can only recall one where the child has the attributes of the paler of the two.)

He also could've been speaking sociologically. In America, if you look black, regardless that you have 50% or 75% non-African makeup, you'd be treated as a black. The bus driver in Jackson didn't ask for your pedigree when he moved you to the back of the bus. He looked at your skin color and hair.
 
It is racist but the other way around. Since it was a black person that said it then they are very proud of the fact that a black man is top dog of the U.S.
Free at last, free at last, free at last.

So they over look Obamas white momma and only see the black because that is what is important to them. Saying that black is the dominant color is telling me that black person who said this does not like white people.

That is just as racist as a white person saying that Aaron blood is pure or some such crap.
Anyways, in another 100 years their won't be any more white people left to kick around no how.
 
Sophronius said:
It is complete nonsense of course, since we probably all descended from Africans and thus all have at least some "black blood".
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African ≠ black. While all people/races probably evolved in the last 100,000 years from a population in Africa no one knows what the racial characteristics of that original group was. But it's unlikely they looked like modern Bantu peoples.

You're making the same mistake creationists do when they assume that according to the ToE humans evolved from modern monkeys or apes.
 
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Foolmewunz said:
He also could've been speaking sociologically. In America, if you look black, regardless that you have 50% or 75% non-African makeup, you'd be treated as a black. The bus driver in Jackson didn't ask for your pedigree when he moved you to the back of the bus. He looked at your skin color and hair.
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I consider your point very accurate, but I am having a hard time interpreting "black is dominant" in this way.
 
Sophronius said:
That sounds similar to what white racists have been saying for a long time, actually. The whole "one drop is enough" policy that says that if you are 1% african, then you are black and you will be treated as such.
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Those laws go back probably over 500 years in the West, and many countries' culture remain affected by the legacy. I would say 'especially the US'.




Sophronius said:
Anyway, it surprises me to hear this idea from a black guy. I thought many black people in America actually thought that Obama wasn't really black enough to be called black? That's what I heard, anyway.
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No, it's just a handful of idiot loudmouths like Debra DickersonWP at [MoJo], and they mostly mean that he's not from an inner-city district. They're not always referring to the colour of his skin.
 
let`s talk said:
..he said. I am not American, I never resided in the USA. Today I was talking to an Afro-American from New York city. He said that Obama is the first black President of the United States. I asked why black if Obama is as black as white- 50%. The guy said: "Black is the dominant color. It doesn't matter if it is 50% or 5%. If you have black %, you are black because it is the dominant color."
What does it mean? I am not really familiar with the concept. Is that guy's opinion is a standard one in Afro-American or just American community? Or he is a typical black racist? Or what? I am not sure I understood what he meant.
Click to expand...

Obama is referred to as "black" or "African American" because that is both the race most see him as being part of, based upon his visible features, and because that is how he defines himself, having started and built his political career on that basis, beginning as an activist for "the black community."
 
WildCat said:
African ≠ black. While all people/races probably evolved in the last 100,000 years from a population in Africa no one knows what the racial characteristics of that original group was. But it's unlikely they looked like modern Bantu peoples.

You're making the same mistake creationists do when they assume that according to the ToE humans evolved from modern monkeys or apes.
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Fair enough, thanks for correcting me. I imagine that those people would still have a dark skin colour though, since the climate would be pretty similar in terms of temperature/sunlight. Or maybe not, I'm really not sure.
 
The real question is would this man feel the same kindred to someone who wasn't President?
 
Beerina said:
The American south literally used to define it as 1/32 or some such black is black, as far as segregation went.
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And other groups, such as Native Americans, still use the same definition to permit one to claim membership officially (federal CDIB card). My wife is Indian enough to claim membership with the Cherokee, but can't prove it to their satisfaction, since her Cherokee never came over to the government side (Dawes rolls).

Imagine trying to have the feds issue a card saying you are 1/32 white or black today.
 
let`s talk said:
..he said. I am not American, I never resided in the USA. Today I was talking to an Afro-American from New York city. He said that Obama is the first black President of the United States. I asked why black if Obama is as black as white- 50%. The guy said: "Black is the dominant color. It doesn't matter if it is 50% or 5%. If you have black %, you are black because it is the dominant color."
What does it mean? I am not really familiar with the concept. Is that guy's opinion is a standard one in Afro-American or just American community? Or he is a typical black racist? Or what? I am not sure I understood what he meant.
Click to expand...

That's why Tiger Woods is a black golfer, not an Asian golfer.
 
JWideman said:
The real question is would this man feel the same kindred to someone who wasn't President?
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Probably. The vast majority of "black" people in the us have mixed heritage, so Obama actually fits in pretty well here.
 
Brattus said:
It is racist but the other way around.
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I'm pretty sure that observing that the president is black is not in itself "racist".

Treating people badly because of their race is racist.



Brattus said:
Since it was a black person that said it then they are very proud of the fact that a black man is top dog of the U.S. Free at last, free at last, free at last.

So they over look Obamas white momma and only see the black because that is what is important to them.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure they're 'overlooking' his white heritage. More just observing that in the US... he's what's called a black man.




Brattus said:
Saying that black is the dominant color is telling me that black person who said this does not like white people.
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I think the previous poster pointed out the obvious: it's not entirely clear what he meant. Scientifically, he's 100% correct, but he may not have been talking about genetics.
Alternatively, if he's talking about the social perception, according to the standards in the US held by pretty much everybody, he's also correct. If you parachuted Obama into Alabama in the 1960s he'd have to stay in the 'coloured' side of the swimming pool.




Brattus said:
That is just as racist as a white person saying that Aaron blood is pure or some such crap.
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Naw, it's not the same at all.




Brattus said:
Anyways, in another 100 years their won't be any more white people left to kick around no how.
Click to expand...

I think a man observing the pretty obvious fact that Obama is black is hardly an example of 'kicking white people around'.
 
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