What is with this "1 Drop" Rule?

Question

I was watching Tyra Banks' recent episode on race. They discussed several shades of black people. However, there were some extremely extremely light colored women that identified themselves as African American. One woman looked like she was about 5% African American but she identifed as "half black". How can you have white skin and natural dirty blonde hair and be half black? Why don't blacks ackknowledge their European blood in them?? Tyra is a light-skinned black.....How come she only identifies as African American? She for sure has some European in her!!

Answer 1

For a very long time, legally and officially, anyone with "one drop" of African blood was considered "*******" -- which was a minus, not a plus, as slaves, and post-slave Blacks had it really, really bad.

Over time, all the humans realized it was stupid and wrong to hate and mal-treat people simply because one or more of their ancestors was born in Africa and forcibly brought here.

By the time that happened, there were communities of African-Americans, and a somewhat different culture.

Those brought up in that culture identify as African American. Or those who came from such cultures fairly recently.

BTW, there was such a thing as "passing" which meant a person pretended to be of purely European ancestry -- because their lives could be so much better if Whites believed they were White, though it did mean estrangement from their relatives, and keeping a dangerous secret.

Anyway, once it became "acceptable" to have African ancestry, the pressure to "pass" went bye-bye.

The people you're talking about aren't denying that they have European ancestry. Whoever told you that was lying to you big time.

If one of a person's parents was generally considered Black, then one considers themselves half-Black.

I really don't get why you have a problem with any of this. What do YOU care?

Besides, race is a completely bogus concept anyway.

Get a grip; get a life; get a clue.

Answer 2

Well, ethnically I am mainly a WASP (white anglo-saxon protestant) -- and to be honest, 'my people' are actually doing pretty well. Other groups could lean a thing or two.

Answer 3

Culturally, it ALL depends on what your momma is!

Answer 4

You don't get minority grants and a lower grade requirement for college if you say you're white.

Mad American racial system, my cousins are half African, no-one in the UK would say they were black. Here you have to be obviously mostly African to be called black.

Answer 5

Being black in the US carries immediate social benefits that are denied whites even though whites pay for them.

Answer 6

Seems like you get more mileage out of being part black than part white.  Get more noticed.  Its a PR thing or a self image thing.

Answer 7

Maybe they are proud of that part of their heritage

Answer 8

This "one drop" rule goes back to (US) pre Civil War days when any person with a traceable amount of black blood was considered black & thus subject to being kept as property. This was further reinforced by Jim Crow laws enacted by Southern States in the early 20th Century. People in Africa see Obama as white & black due to the lighter color of his skin.  The fact that so many deny their European or Asian ancestry is a form of racism left over from a by gone era.

The fact that so many have white ancestors that they do not acknowledge, and are disrespectful toward, is simply another form of racism that is reinforced by black & white culture.

Answer 9

I just saw this quote from answering another question but it might explain.  

"My language is German. My culture, my attainments are German. I considered myself German intellectually, until I noticed the growth of anti-Semitic prejudice in Germany and German Austria. Since that time, I prefer to call myself a Jew," he wrote in 1925.

Sigmund Freud

Must be psychological.....Get it...Freud being psychological.

OK, you don't get it.

Anyway, once a guy told me that because of his beliefs, he told his 3 year daughter there was no Santa Claus and that she cried for three days.  I told him, "I believe in Santa Claus" and he looked at me like I was crazy.

OK, you don't get it, either.

It's a form of protesting.

Answer 10

Tyra Banks and her race are so proud to be an african descent that they have the tendency to relate to Africa more!!

Sure their are other cultures that cause a person's heritage

but the focus is not there!! I believe in future years that the "mix" are going to be the most beautiful people in the world!!!!

Answer 11

It's basicly an attention thing, if they'd just shut up there wouldn't be a problem.

Yeah I know less then popular answer, but its the truth.

Answer 12

cuz of an old rule that any black admixture in a person (no matter how small) makes that person "black"; when they are really mixed race or in fact mostly white. Also many black americans feel resentment to their white ancestors (many are actually multigenerational mulattos), and claim totally black ancestry when this is actually wrong. This is similar to many latinos who claim either full indigenous blood or full spanish blood when in reality most are a mix between the two racial groups. This is parallel with many african-americans cuz many don't know that they have actually alot of white ancestry.

Although, tyra banks has gotten things done to her face and has a weave in her hair, and she is probably mostly of african descent and any european blood is minimal.