I'm no genius, but......

[RHOyal-Silence]

ok sorors, i'm not any type of scientist, however....

if a black man has a child with a white woman, won't there be SOME kind of signs of blackness in the child (kinky hair, broad nose, thick lips) something?

what is up with Michael Jackson's son. the one with the blond hair. now i know mj is now a 'white' man. but he WAS born black! i know good and well his kids have to have some type of his early features!!

[aRHOgantdeuce22]

That's true........shouldn't the black gene be dominant?

[crunkone]

My thoughts exactly, but every time I mention that to somebody they say something along the lines of "Well his mother is white." I'm sorry, but those kids should have some color to them. He can't bleach his genes!!

ETA: When I say "his mother is white" I'm talkin about the boy.

[bluethunder]

I don't know what to make of this one.
I have met biracial individuals who had one Black parent and another parent of another race(Vietnamese, white, Hispanic) and they ended looking NOTHING like their Black parent. And then, some people's features will change with age as well. But I LOVE Michael and think he is one of this world's greatest talents and humanitarian, regardles of his appearance. So long as he is happy, can live with HIMSELF, and does right by the offspring he claims, then I am happy for him, white kids, black kids, or whatever.

[NinjaPoodle]

Genetics. Plain and simple.

[adduncan]

Originally posted by RHOyal-Silence
ok sorors, i'm not any type of scientist, however....

if a black man has a child with a white woman, won't there be SOME kind of signs of blackness in the child (kinky hair, broad nose, thick lips) something?

Hi there--I hope you'll pardon the thread crash. I majored in molecular biology and genetics, so I thought I'd help on this one.

AfAm people (and even some African-by-birth people) have some "white" genes. You just can't see the result because, as someone else said, the "black" genes are dominant. However, there are about 50 different genes involved in skin and hair color and texture, all of which combine to give the visible result. Hence, a very wide variation is possible. This is not the straight Mendelian inheritance we learned about in high school (remember the red/white/pink pea plants?)

So in answer to your question: it may be uncommon but a child w/ one black parent and one white parent may look "white" becuase of this variation. Most of the time you are correct, hair texture, facial features, and skin tone will reflect genetic "input" from the black parent, but it is not always 100%.

Hope this helps.
Adrienne (PNAM-2003)


PS--I'm not even going there w/ Michael Jackson......

[NinjaPoodle]

Thanks for the explanation Adrienne!

[Mz Destiny]

Look at Mariah Carey. WE know she's black, but she passes as white to the average individual.

It's all about genetics.

[abaici]

Look at Victoria Rowell's daughter. She looks white.

[Shelacious]

Originally posted by adduncan
AfAm people (and even some African-by-birth people) have some "white" genes. You just can't see the result because, as someone else said, the "black" genes are dominant. However, there are about 50 different genes involved in skin and hair color and texture, all of which combine to give the visible result. Hence, a very wide variation is possible. This is not the straight Mendelian inheritance we learned about in high school (remember the red/white/pink pea plants?)

Hope this helps.
Adrienne (PNAM-2003)

Yes, thanks for the explaination and refresher course. Especially for AA folks (although the same can be said for folks all over the planet), I once read that over 80% of "african americans" living in America are racially mixed with another ethnic group (white, hispanic, or asian). Whether the percentages are accurate, it would stand to reason that any "look" could be possible. I think that's also why when even AA folks have children together, sometimes the child looks nothing like either of them in terms of hair texture, complexion, features, etc. (one of my cousins was a "throwback" to some other ancestor!)

On Michael...I dunno, it may or may not be his child though--that's a different issue altogether.

[BlueReign]

I understand genetics and all and how children can have different features from the parents everytime I look at my children. However, I think maybe he dyed the boy's hair.

[TRSimon]

When it comes to Michael Jackson, all bets on normality or usuality (yeah, I made that word up) or genetics are 100% and totally OFF because, let's face it, dude is THROWED.

Yes, he could have had some caucasian featured great great uncle Pete three times removed, but y'all know he could have a) dyed the boy's hair, b) adopted the boy, or c) done something even more wierd that comes out in the poor kid's book in 15-20 years.

As for Mariah, when she came out with that curly hair and stuh, anybody who is black could have recognized her as being part black. Now, when she started straightening and dying her hair, it was harder for others to tell, but we know who our folks are, even before they start collaborating with Puffy .

[TRSimon]

Originally posted by adduncan
This is not the straight Mendelian inheritance we learned about in high school (remember the red/white/pink pea plants?)

We had the red/white/pink roses. I would have liked the peas in high school, but nooooo.....

[BirthaBlue4]

But Isn't Mariah's father Panamanian, not "Black" as we would call it?

As far as Michael, its not impossible for the boys to look white (I noticed the same thing). Genetics is so random, that's how you can have a child and he/she looks nothing like you or your mate, but looks EXACTLY like your great-great Uncle Bob. My daughter has greyish eyes, me and her father have brown eyes, but her father has grey eyed folks in his ancestory. Its very possible. I've seen mixed people that looked 100% white and some that look 100% black. If his children had his original color and nappy hair, would you question if their mother was really their mother? Again, I'm brown skinned, my daughter's father is brown skinned and my daughter is EXTRA light, but we both have light skinned people in our family and I know I have some white in mine, and not all that far back, so anything is possible.

Leave Mike alone!!!

[TRSimon]

Originally posted by BirthaBlue4
But Isn't Mariah's father Panamanian, not "Black" as we would call it?

Leave Mike alone!!!

From the interviews I have seen, Mariah says she is part black (and wouldn't she know), and I thought her father was Brazilian, but regardless, there are black Brazilians and Panamanians. Notice I said black and not African-American, although African-South (or central) American would still technically be African-American....

Uh, can you say diaspora??!!! I knew you could...