Youth Discussion Topic
Some say, “You are lucky. You don’t look black.” Are you lucky?
Youth Discussion Topic
Some say, “You are lucky. You don’t look black.” Are you lucky?
Use "Lucky to not look black" as the Subject.
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I am seventeen years old. My father is black and has pretty dark skin, but my mother is white- she is very, very fair. I have very light skin, not even olive color. My hair is very, very curly, though. I have lots of friends and accquaintances at school who thought I was Italian until I told them otherwise. Sometimes I feel lucky to not look black, because my skin is pale enough that I can pass for completely white. This way, I'm not constantly getting asked, "What are you?" or "Are you mixed?". Sometimes I feel unlucky to not look black, though, because there is always that moment in any relationship I have, when the person finds out. Sometimes, I prompt my friends by telling them I'm half black before they meet my father. Other times I forget, and I have seen the shocked look on friends' faces as they see my father for the first time. The biracial population of our country is an extremely under-represented one. Because of this under-representation, I don't know if I'll ever feel comfortable about my race.
Name: Melissa Morgan, mmorga@osprey.unf.edu
Date: 12-5-97
I've been accused many times of "acting white" by my fellow "black" peers. Their ignorant evidence is because I made good grades, spoke "standard english", had friends of all races,...then i was acting "white"! How have others dealt with this ignorance. This was about 5 years ago when I was in middle school.
Name: angel
Date: 9-21-97
luck not to look black, yes in some ways and no in some. I m 16 years old and my dad is white and my mom is half black/half white. I have a more latina look then black or white. I think that to white people its all the same black, latino. it does hurt me when black people look at me and think I m not black, if they know I am 25 percent black they treat me as one of them. Even if I dont really black, I still known in side of me that I m not white.
Name: Catherine Herzenberg, lherzenb@ol.com
Date: 1-24-97
It's nice to know that there are people out there like myself. In the black community, light skinned girls are treated better, and sometimes I actually find myself thinking that I'm superior than other blacks. I hate myself for buying into the stereotype of "light is right," but it is hard to avoid. When I'm around whites, I feel like I'm lucky because I fit into their definition of pretty, even if I am part black. My appearance isn't as much of a threat to whites, because I don't really stand out as black. But it bothers me that I should have to play down my African-American heritage to fit in with whites, or that I should have to pride myself in my Caucasoid features around other blacks. We're not lucky. But we're not cursed, as I once thought.