Editor's Note from Andersen Cooper's website:
Lynn Whitfield is an Emmy Award winning actress famous for her role as Josephine Baker in ‘The Josephine Baker Story.’ Her other films include ‘A Thin Line Between Love and Hate,’ ‘Gone Fishin’’ and ‘Eve’s Bayou.’ Below is a response from her and her daughter after watching Black In America’s ‘The Black Woman and Family.’
Here's the link to Grace's no holds barred response to that segment:
http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/07/25/i-am... My Commentary:
I actually agree with her. Like many other Americans, she is biracial. The only other commentary I have is that though she's absolutely right, she's also a little naive and has yet to truly be exposed to what a strong reaction her statements will garner.
I say that because centuries ago, if you had an umpth of blackness, you were black and treated as such...turned out to slavery like the rest, regardless of how white "Pa" was. Until there is a box created on job and credit applications and other records that fully recognizes "Biracial," not much will change except for how biracial people rightly see themselves.
Depending on the hue of your skin, this country might identify you as white and treat you as such or they may see you as black, and no matter how light-skinned you are, the reality is that if a choice must be made about whom is REALLY white, the black part of your heritage will be used against you. No, that's not ALWAYS the case, but because racism, s*xism and discrimination are still very much alive in this country, it will happen at least once in your ife.
And sometimes, it's at the hands of black people because some of the belief out there is that you haven't really experienced racism or anything if you're light enough. The sad thing about that is that when other black people turn away from you because of your white heritage, we're no better than the whites who turn against us as a whole (or you individually) simply because we're (or you're) black.
It's a cycle and until it broken, there will be no change. Keep pressin', lil sistah. Keep pressin'.
Blessings...
Posted By: Dee Gray
Monday, August 4th 2008 at 2:00PM
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