This is one of those places where people should be free to self-identify. NYT says he identified himself as black for the 2010 census: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/03/us/politics/03census.html?_r=0. I don't know what he says with friends and family. It's not unusual though for mixed people to call themselves black (and many we call black are mixed anyhoo). Growing up, my wife would always be told she should call herself black because the world is going to treat her like she's black -- the black community will accept her and the white (or in her case, Chinese) community will not. My wife calls herself mixed despite them, but I think it's a perfectly reasonable way to define your race.
If he didn't essentially deny half his lineage he'd lose his street cred. He doesn't really want people knowing that he's related to the Bush's
[Premium Post] He's half white, and his black father abandoned the family at an early age. He grew up in a predominantly white environment and white culture, and even dated white women (gasp!). Had he not married Michelle and attended Jerry Wright's Southside Chicago church, his career trajectory would have been far different, as he would have far less ties to and acceptance by the black community. Did the DNC use his appearance and father's influence on his skin tone for their advantage? You betcha. Joe Biden said it best, when he described Obama as the “first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” He was used. Would he have the job that he has today if he had more of a black accent and had not grown up surrounded by a predominantly white culture? Forget it. That's real, folks. Straight talk.
This is a silly post. Really silly of you two to try and define someone's ethnicity. What's odd is that all I hear about the black vote is how black voters are slaves to the Democratic party...but now apparently Obama had to claim to be black for some kind of acceptance he would have already gotten by running as a democrat? Okay.... white culture...dating white women...man wtf is this post even? A premium post? I didn't pay for it.
Very well said. If the President considers himself black, and he certainly looks black, is married to a black woman, and has black children, then he deserves to have his self-described race respected, just as your wife deserves the same respect. I personally think that those who persist in calling the President "Half-Black" and similar stupidities do so because they are, at heart, racist. Either that, or pretty damned stupid. In my humble opinion.
People are called whatever they look like the most like from my experience. Its doesnt matter what the %'s are. Obama has brown skin, large lips, nose and a fro. Jason Kidd for example, would be considered a white man by the vast majority of people who didn't know who he was. Im half white, half hispanic but no one has ever considered me mixed, or to be latin because I look completely white. As old as the saying is, in reality we are all human, we are all living beings on earth, there's no such thing as race.
The best way for this nation to look past race is to ensure every mixed person takes one side or the other.
The only way for this nation to get past race is for everyone to refuse to take a side. In fact, the people who insist on taking sides are the problem here and they are the racists here. There is only one race, the human race. It is time to grow up now, people, and get past this divisive and destructive nonsense.
it can be done: Spoiler <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IQtiKaoNUrc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> and even a yao reference late in the clip...
Yeah, it boggles the mind considering it's the left who's made race a bigger issue. People of all color have been welcome at Trump rallies so long as they are in support, obviously. Trump's border policies have been about keeping Mexicans out, because they're from another country rather than being brown. Sure, there are groups like the alt-right who stand for a plethora of topics but they still account for a minority of Trump supporters. Nowhere even near half. It's the left that's been really digging into a racial divide, rather than a class divide, which ironically has become Trump's platform. That's no surprise considering how much the black vote's been so heavily entrenched with the Democrats.
