The question has finally wafted over to CNN – is Barack Obama Black or Biracial?
Biologically, White parent + Black parent = Biracial.
But culturally, it’s a different issue altogether. An issue that plays itself out both within the Black and White community.
Inside the Black community, I think there’s a simultaneous and seemingly illogical embrace and sharp snub of the variety of Black skin tones. We see Black as Black, and yet the African-American community has a profound and deep color complex that dates back to slavery. House slave vs. field slave. African features vs. European features. Or, as Spike Lee so theatrically illustrated in his film School Daze, Good hair vs. Bad hair.
On a personal level, this is something I feel every day, especially among Black women. And I’m sure I’m not alone. Black women scrutinize other Black women, trying to figure them out. It’s something Black women don’t do to White women – it’s an inside thing that’s also quite intimidating. I think the stare is a manifestation of curiosity, competition, and insecurity – all rolled into one.