Author with mother
I believe that the “Black biracial” person is in a unique situation in terms of experiencing discrimination as a “Black person,” while having a white parent – with the additional complexities of being lighter-skinned.
Thus, as a Black “mixed race” individual, I do not share the experiences of many mixed folk with regard to the cliched “what are you?” question that people who are acknowledged as mixed race get.
At the same time, growing up, I frequently faced harsh criticism from white adults (e.g. grandmother, school teachers, random acquaintances). These were recurrent experiences that the average Black child doesn’t have to confront (unless he/she is a transracial adoptee).
Moreover, because I am lighter than the average Black person, I have experienced resentment from some Black women because of this. I recognize that this is a response to the very real issue of colorism within the Black community, however, it has been a tricky situation for me to navigate, since it has entailed dealing with significant negativity from “both sides.” It has been particularly frustrating for me to observe the same women who have mistreated me displaying sycophantic tendencies towards white and white-adjacent women.
Of course, the fact that I don’t “sound Black” has not helped me. That said, fair-minded people will understand that, short of taking acting classes to change my accent, I cannot do much about this.
To sum up, the mixed race experience depends largely on how society defines one, and generally speaking, the more that one looks like the dominant (white) group, the more privileges one will receive in a white-dominated society. The Black biracial individual is in a difficult position in terms of having to navigate anti-blackness in wider society, without the buffer of a strong Black identity and acceptance within the Black community.
(Adapted from my old 2006 blog as shown in the screenshot below.)
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