Rep. Harold Ford, Jr: Family (Race) Issues?

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by SKEEphistAKAte
I wonder if he'll catch mine... j/k

u stoopid!

[mccoyred]

Originally posted by Steeltrap
Honestly, I think Michelle Obama is a huge asset to Sen. Obama because she breaks stereotypes. The stereotypical thought is that someone like Sen. Obama would be married to somebody who is light-skinned or non-AfAm.
Chicago Sun-Times columnist, Mary Mitchell, as I recall, did speak to this in one of her articles. I think Mrs. Obama gives a great image boost for Sen. Obama because of the anxiety about successful AfAm men dating/mating outside the race.

Frankly, Obama's choice of a wife was one of the things that impressed me about him, esp since his own mother is white.

As far as Ford and his supposed comments, something seems very fishy to me. He was a speaker at a past Delta Convention and I really enjoyed his presentation. He is an Alpha, right?

[Phasad1913]

I hadn't heard this bit of controversy, but I believe I read at some point in my studies of American history that when a white woman during that era married a black man, when and where she could (like In D.C. perhaps), all of her government documentation would be changed and she would legally be categorized as black. It sort of makes sense since the whole theory behind the laws of anti-miscegenation was that it was unnatural and wrong for blacks to mix with the white race so once it was determined that some allowed a black person to infiltrate the white race, that white person was "expelled" for the sake of the proverbial "books" so that it wouldn't be documented that there was mixed white and black blood. If the white chick was then deemed to be black, then their offspring would, therefore, also be black.

Whatever.

[JD'07]

Originally posted by mccoyred
Frankly, Obama's choice of a wife was one of the things that impressed me about him, esp since his own mother is white.

As far as Ford and his supposed comments, something seems very fishy to me. He was a speaker at a past Delta Convention and I really enjoyed his presentation. He is an Alpha, right?

Harold Ford, Sr. is an Alpha. I don't know about Jr.

[SKEEphistAKAte]

Originally posted by mccoyred
He is an Alpha, right?

Oh snap! Even more reason to throw those Vicky's. I need to go ahead and register for the Congressional Black Caucus Conference.

[AKA2D '91]

slow your roll, Soror. Slow your roll. She said SR. That means the daddy is an Alpha, not the son.



Then again, you never know....

[The Cushite]

I have met Jr. and worked on his first campaign for the U.S. House in Memphis. His dad is frat, but he is not.

As far as the whole controversy over his grandmother, I don't know any more facts than in the article. But I don't think the claim could be totally outrageous. The points about miscegenation should be noted. Besides, if she really loved Mr. Ford, then to me it is not a very far fetched notion that a white woman would say that she was really black, if not for love for her husband, than at least to keep him from being targetted by bigoted whites for lynching.

Just my 06 cents worth.

Blackwatch!!!!!!

[Afrochic]

Originally posted by Exquisite5
REALLY? The word inside the Beltway is that he doesn't date AfAm women. So to hear he wants a Michelle Obama is a COMPLETE surprise.

His ex was a black woman, an attorney. They were planning to get married.

[mccoyred]

Originally posted by The Cushite
I have met Jr. and worked on his first campaign for the U.S. House in Memphis. His dad is frat, but he is not.

Blackwatch!!!!!!

Thanks for the clarification

[SKEEphistAKAte]

Originally posted by Afrochic
His ex was a black woman, an attorney. They were planning to get married.

Yeah, Jennifer Baltimore. They were engaged. I wonder what happened with that. When I go to the CBC Conference I will ask him and come back and post it on here. LOL.

[BLUTANG]

Originally posted by SKEEphistAKAte
Yeah, Jennifer Baltimore. They were engaged. I wonder what happened with that. When I go to the CBC Conference I will ask him and come back and post it on here. LOL.

you are a mess!

[LionOfJudah]

yes there were White people who passed for Black. They were usually married to a Black person and instead of subjecting themselves to the pressures and possible danger of being married to a black person they would pass for black...remember birth and death certificates are not a good source of ethnic or racial info because it was determined by what the court clerk or mortician thought you were and who they thought your parents were. The intermarrying was very common in the West VA, Eastern VA, Kentucky, and Tenn. area where the Scotch-Irish were known for marrying Black people. I am the product of such a situation so yes it did happen. But it isn't something that is of much importance. They were doing what they had to do to keep their families safe. Nothing more nothing less.

LoJ

[SKEEphistAKAte]

Originally posted by SKEEphistAKAte
Yeah, Jennifer Baltimore. They were engaged. I wonder what happened with that. When I go to the CBC Conference I will ask him and come back and post it on here. LOL.

Here they are:



Yep...he'll like me. LOL

[Exquisite5]

Are we sure she is an atty? I wanted to see where she worked so I looked up her up in martindalehubble, a national database of attorneys, and she is most definitely not listed.

It really doesn't matter, I was just curious as to where she worked.

[SKEEphistAKAte]

I'm a cyberstalker, so I searched her too. Maybe she got the degree but didn't take the BAR. Either that, or Jennifer Baltimore is not her real name. I'll ask Harold when I meet him in September.

Originally posted by Exquisite5
Are we sure she is an atty? I wanted to see where she worked so I looked up her up in martindalehubble, a national database of attorneys, and she is most definitely not listed.

It really doesn't matter, I was just curious as to where she worked.