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Viewpoint: Is Barack Obama black? (Black or White or Mixed 'Race')
BBC News ^ | Kimberly McClain DaCosta

Posted on 11/18/2008 7:10:04 PM PST by Jedi Master Pikachu

Is Obama black? It depends on who - and when - you ask.

For some of us, the heralding of Barack Obama as the first black president of the United States seems a rather uncontroversial claim.

...

The bulk of the people protesting against references to Obama as a black man, however, grant that he is "part" black (by way of his father), but assert that because he also has a white mother it is not "accurate" to call him black.

...

For us, being black and mixed-race are not mutually exclusive. We have learned to live with the contradictions.

Perhaps it's time for everyone else to learn to live with them too.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: barackhusseinobama; barackobama; barackobamam; bho2008; biracial; black; interracial; obama; obamatransitionfile; race; racerelations; white
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I really didn't want to keep on posting on Obama/racial issues; that's the reason why I stopped looking at this site for a while, but this was a question that repeatedly popped up when I DID read here often: 'Why is Obama considered 'black', but not 'white'?'

Now, I'm not sure whether the people posting those questions actually look at a guy who is half white and half black and see a 'white' man - so whether or not they are posing that question because they don't know the answer/actually believe that a sizable amount of Americans would see a 'white' man in Obama, or something, but I'll just point out this:

I strongly doubt that white racists are overjoyed that America has kept the unbroken line of white leadership with the election of the forty-fourth white President. Yet on the other hand, I strongly expect black racists to be ecstatic that 'Brother Barack' has broken the chain of white rule and is set to become the first black President.

And I bet you that a super-majority (over 60%) of 'interracial' people who are part white do not consider themselves to be white, without disowning their white ancestors, in large part because society did not consider them white to begin with.

------

And who'd have thought that a government-owned news source that permits its articles to be bookmarked on Delicious would have to be excerpted.....

1 posted on 11/18/2008 7:10:05 PM PST by Jedi Master Pikachu
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu
All together now. He's niether—he's Red!
2 posted on 11/18/2008 7:11:41 PM PST by Carl LaFong (I'm Sarah Palin)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

He is Halfrican American


3 posted on 11/18/2008 7:12:10 PM PST by misterrob (Smooth talkers win at singles bars and in politics .. often with similar outcomes for the listener)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

I don’t give a blank if he’s Negro, caucausian, Arabic, some mixture. We’re supposed to be passed all this racial nonsense.

I oppose him because he’s way too liberal for my taste. I don’t think we should agonize over his race background. Let’s agonize and strategize how to counteract where he wants to take this country.


4 posted on 11/18/2008 7:12:22 PM PST by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

Red


5 posted on 11/18/2008 7:13:39 PM PST by Proud2BeRight
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu
Is Barack Obama black?

Close enough for government work.

6 posted on 11/18/2008 7:14:30 PM PST by Ken H
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To: Proud2BeRight

Red, Green and Yellow


7 posted on 11/18/2008 7:14:58 PM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

He was when guilty white America voted for him, but probably not enough to put the manufactured struggle to rest.


8 posted on 11/18/2008 7:15:44 PM PST by Eddie01
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

I don’t know, and don’t care.
I’d rather know that my CIC is actually, you know, _qualified_ to be my CIC.


9 posted on 11/18/2008 7:15:50 PM PST by OneWingedShark (Q: Why am I here? A: To do Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with my God.)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu
Black and white and RED all over!

In terms of race, he is what the Brazilians would call a "pardo."

I always loved how the "one drop rule" never applies to Latinos. Most Puerto Ricans and Dominicans have black ancestors, but are not considered black (like the Halfrican Obama).

10 posted on 11/18/2008 7:16:00 PM PST by Clemenza (Red is the Color of Virility, Blue is the Color of Impotence)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

12% black, 38% Arab, 50% White does not a black man make, IMO.


11 posted on 11/18/2008 7:18:01 PM PST by Paperdoll (On the cutting edge.)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

He looks more like Opie than Oprah


12 posted on 11/18/2008 7:18:21 PM PST by hometoroost (Obama our first Halfrican-American president)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

Doesn’t matter what color or gender, as long as we see eye to eye on most things. Too bad that’ll never happen with me and Obama.


13 posted on 11/18/2008 7:19:09 PM PST by RepublitarianRoger2
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To: RepublitarianRoger2

what does the US census say he is? Mixed race


14 posted on 11/18/2008 7:20:17 PM PST by scooby321
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To: All
Here's a photo from the article, and here's a little... exercise:

Immediately after looking at the picture, and before some of you go superficially 'Aww, how sweet', take note of the emotions and feelings the scene evokes in you; could be quite enlightening.





Ready, set, go:


15 posted on 11/18/2008 7:20:50 PM PST by Jedi Master Pikachu ( I've started to use 'I' again.)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

Why is Obama considered ‘black’, but not ‘white’?

He probably would be called white if his skin was white.

Not all mixed race people turn out black or a shade of brown.

I think he should be called warbl. (white arab black) blarawhit?


16 posted on 11/18/2008 7:23:37 PM PST by Nathan Zachary
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To: misterrob

as it comes from his own purple lips, he is a MUTT.


17 posted on 11/18/2008 7:24:16 PM PST by television is just wrong (obama is going to pay my mortgage for me!)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu
A fictitious back-stage rockumentary of Barry's campaign is coming out, written by Spin Master Anonymous, entitled “Primarily Colored”.
18 posted on 11/18/2008 7:25:18 PM PST by SERKIT ("Blazing Saddles" explains it all.....)
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

After January if painting crew goes to work painting the place gray we will know what he considers himself.

To me he’s a mulatto which wouldn’t have been tollerated when I was growing up.


19 posted on 11/18/2008 7:30:45 PM PST by dalereed
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To: Jedi Master Pikachu

I couldn’t give a crap less about his ‘color’. What I do care about is his political philosophy, and it’s distinctly RED.


20 posted on 11/18/2008 7:37:08 PM PST by WVRockDJ (Mountaineer by choice; USMC by choice; Christian by Grace.)
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