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Old 09-08-2003, 07:30 PM
Shelacious Shelacious is offline
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 751
Quote:
Originally posted by cash78mere
i have often thought that biracial children are just beautiful. they have beautiful features from both races. i really don't understand why people think that's controversial. there is just something very striking about many biracial children. not all, but many in my opinion.
It's "controversial" when talking about black/white mixes particularly because throughout American history (South African history too), a dividing line was created between full Africans and Africans mixed with white. There has long been this subversive notion in America, and within the black American community as a result, that the more "white" or mixed race you have in you, the more attractive you are (especially for black women). It's called the color complex, and I would assume that all "minority" ethnicities have some version of it.

This is totally the subject of a different post, and is a HUGE subject and discussion, but just understand that it's controversial because from house slave/field slave times (the bi-racial Africans got to work in the "big house" doing domestic chores, "being able to imitate white folks' ways" while the dark Africans worked in the fields) to only light-skinned blacks (again, particularly women) getting roles as in early films or as dancers at Harlem's Cotton Club (Josephine Baker was considered too dark originally) to conducting the "paper bag test" on a person to see if they were light enough to be accepted into a particular club or society...skin color and racial features have played a big part in the relative level of privilege afford some groups. It is still a sensitive issue for many people, especially those who have felt the sting of people criticizing you because your hair is too nappy, your skin too dark, your features too African. Yes, sadly it still goes on to this day, particularly if you are a black woman.
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