An Owner’s Manual to Race, Ethnicity and Nationality
Let some Black folks tell it, there are certain people who are far above any kind of reproach, and even a whiff of fault-finding on your part will land you in the quagmire of a cuss-out: 1). Jesus, 2). Barack Obama, 3). Oprah, 4). Dr. King and 5). Beyoncé.
OK, so the last one might be a bit of a stretch, but there’s no denying that she’s got a very hearty, very loving, very vocal following who don’t take no mess when it comes to their Queen Bey love.
So let me first review some basic facts: Beyoncé is a singular pop cultural force. Beyoncé is stunningly gorgeous. But inasmuch as I applaud her rise from girl group lead singer (and some really unfortunate bedazzled outfits) to take her place in music icon infamy, Beyoncé got some issues with being Black, y’all.
First she was accused of giving the ol’ okie doke by allowing I don’t know how many pictures to be lightened, making her caramel complexion appear two shades paler than it actually is. That controversy has cropped up from photo shoots and album covers, but honestly, accidental whitewashing can only happen but so often before you have to raise an eyebrow and wonder how many times someone’s skin color can—oops!—be fortuitously Photoshopped down a shade or two. At the root of her latest dust-up: those darn L’Oreal True Match commercials that list her as “African American, French, and Native American.” Sigh. Why B, why?
The first time I saw it was also coincidentally the first time I ever used the rewind feature on my TV. (I don’t know. It just seems unnatural to be able to run back live programming.) I’ve got a ton of pet peeves—rusty, washed-up hustlers who try to lay their fossilized mack down on much younger bloggers, drivers who double park and mysteriously disappear into thin air like their two-way flashers somehow pardon their rudeness. But ranking up there on the list are people who try to make themselves more exotic by claiming to be a quarter-this and half-that and others who are so determined to run from being Black, they get all tangled and tripped up in race, ethnicity and nationality (for the record, a similar commercial featuring Jennifer Lopez only listed her as 100% Latina).
First of all, “French” is not a race. Or an ethnicity. Or anything that would require you to match a shade of makeup to it. France is a nation; therefore, “French” is a nationality, and there are about seven major ethnic groups in that country. Ergo, saying you’re “French” is just as generic as saying you’re “American” when you’re talking about a racial or ethnic context. (Not all countries work that way, though.) Her dad is Black, so I guess he makes up the African-American part. Her mother is Creole, a blend of Frech, African, Spanish and Native American settlers. But the word I do believe she was searching for was “White.”
But it’s not just her. For a lot of people, there seems to be a disconnect for the sake of not being just Black or Black at all. Not too long ago, I was having a conversation with my hairdresser, who is Dominican, and mentioned something in passing about being Black. She stopped styling, grasping a big ol’ chunk of my hair in mid-flat iron, and said rather crisply, “I’m not Black. I’m Dominican.”
I didn’t think it necessary to challenge her at that particular point in time. But let the record show that she is, somewhere along the line descended directly from somebody in Africa. Her hair texture, her skin color, her facial features all tell the story. I don’t know what’s so wrong with claiming and embracing Blackness anyway. I don’t see why more people don’t do it. It’s great.
The concepts of race and ethnicity are, for the most part, derived more from culture and society and history and even personal beliefs than biological findings. But the fact of that matter is they do exist. Denying them because you’re trying to start some kind of revolution is one thing. Denying them because you can’t fully embrace your heritage—especially if that heritage happens to come Africa—or reaching way, way, wayyyy back in your lineage to highlight some other part of your makeup when you know full well your most recent non-Black relative was seven generations removed is another. Race and ethnicity aren’t going anywhere. They’ll continue to define us in the foreseeable future because, well, that’s just the way things are. Just look at Beyoncé.
WTF IS EVERYONE BITCHING ABOUT ? HOW IS THIS OFFENSIVE ? IT’S HER GENETIC MAKE-UP, SO FUCKING WHAT ?
When I saw the commercial I wasn’t necessarily shocked. She is mixed. Whats the problem? I don’t follow Beyonce much, but to my knowledge she has never identified herself as ‘Black’. She has always emphasized that she is: Creole, which she has every right to claim and be proud of. I think arguments like is why ‘some’ mixed race people (half Black/African) take out their racial frustrations on Black people. I never understood why it bothers Black people how a mixed person identifies.
It is true that a racist, or narrow-minded person may view her as something other than what she claims. But why should she view herself as how others perceive her?
I think people should stop viewing race from the racist American point of view. One-drop never existed in many colonized countries. So if a ‘dark’ individual, especially one who is not American sees them self as something other than how you see them, shouldn’t you be the one to check your own views? I also wonder how certain Black people think they’re experts on how non-Blacks view mixed and/or Black people. I know a lot of people who aren’t Black who can tell the difference. How else could one divide a race on skin color? Discrimination?
It seems like people do not know black is a Color. I am Trinidadian, that is my country of birth and whatever cultural norms I follow is a result of my environment. I am not black. I am not a color. Its insultating to label a human being by the color of their skin. We do not even do that to dogs. Such an insult to people.
What does it mean to be black?
I feel like many individuals have a construed perception of what the term being black is. The term black has come to be demonized that rarely anyone wants to be associated with it. Yes, many individuals who are called “black” do not have solely African ancestry but that’s the beauty of being black. The fact that Black is a representation a whole spectrum of colors and features. I FEEL that when people take it a part to bring up the fact that their great great great whatever was something other than black they want to further separate themselves from the black community. Like it has been said earlier in the comments at the end of the day the rest of the world will still see you as black.
Is Beyonce denying her blackness or is she acknowledging her other heritages in addition to being black? From many comments I’ve read, a lot of people think that Beyonce is denying her blackness. However I feel that if she was denying her blackness, she would not have mention it. Period. I’ve also noticed that we as black/African-Americans seem to be the only ones who continue having an issue/continue to struggle with black people acknowledging their non-black heritages instead of embracing just one while other ethnic groups don’t seem to have much issue with claiming their mutiple heritages, if present. Maybe that is why we continue to struggle with getting ahead: because we are concerning ourselves with trivial things such as complaining about someone acknowledging their ethnic heritages as if their decision to do so will somehow affect our lives. We should concern ourselves more with matters negatively affecting our communities such as poverty, terrible schools and poor food choices which contribute to poor health. There is nothing wrong with Beyonce acknowledging her ethnic makeup. I think that the commenters are envious haters because we now live in a society where multi-ethnic individuals are no longer ashamed of their make-up and proudly celebrate it. These commenters are uncomfortable with who they are because if they weren’t they would not be threatened by an ad for a product they probably don’t use anyway. Yes, I agree that Beyonce’s skin being lightened when she is clearly not that light was ridiculous however people have a right to celebrate who they are and should not be made to feel ashamed. I am black and although I acknowledge that I have some mixture, I am proud of who I am and don’t claim anything else because it is too far back. Opinions are opinions and that is all that they will ever be. Be your own poster child for blackness. Be your own role model and stop expecting it from someone else.