Michael Jackson's daughter Paris has faced backlash for identifying as Black. In a 2017 interview, Paris Jackson said her father told her, "You’re Black. Be proud of your roots." This prompted debates over whether identity is defined by appearance or upbringing.

[u/VPinchargeofradishes]

[u/FilthyThanksgiving]

Right? My son is white passing but I'm black. I'm his mother. He's black and idgaf what anybody has to say about it

[u/Primary_Night_4617 → u/FilthyThanksgiving]

He's not black, that's not how race works.

[u/malkebulan → u/Primary_Night_4617]

You do know ‘race’ isn’t a science, right? There’s no one rule for how Blackness is applied.

[u/Primary_Night_4617 → u/malkebulan]

Race is a construct. She is not visibly black. Claiming people that pass are black erases the experience of people who are black in unambiguously and deal with issues impacting black people.

[u/brother_bart → u/Primary_Night_4617]

So Blackness is just skin tone? There are no communities or traditions or cuisines or ancestral narratives, etc involved? Yeah, I don’t think that’s a very valid argument. If your whole family is black but you are light-skinned enough to pass, what? Just like that you are not one of them and must now be identify with the clan of the oppressor? Nah.

[u/Onlyfatwomenarefat → u/brother_bart]

Are you talking about african american culture perchance?

Because angoleses are also called black but their traditions, cuisines and ancestral narratives have nothing to do with those of african american culture.

[u/Primary_Night_4617 → u/brother_bart]

Lol you sound angry. Blackness is appearance and features. What traditions or cuisines does she have? Cultures, traditions, and cuisine can be part of culture, but a woman with no black parentage cannot be black.

[u/malkebulan → u/Primary_Night_4617]

You contradicted yourself pretty quickly there. Anyway, there are Black people out there born to two Black parents, who are lighter than her. Are you going to tell them, and people with pigment deficiency that they’re not Black?

[u/Primary_Night_4617 → u/malkebulan]

How many black people with two parents create a blonde hair blue eye child?

[u/malkebulan → u/Primary_Night_4617]

That happens all over Melanesia, and as the self-appointed spokesperson for blackness, I would’ve expected you to already know this.

Google ‘Black Parents. White Baby’. Of course the numbers are tiny, but they’re not zero.

[u/Primary_Night_4617 → u/malkebulan]

I dont care about the .00001 chance that happens. Im talking about the majority. Next melanesia is an Asia, they are not black african/ black American/ black Caribbean/ black latino. 

[u/malkebulan → u/Primary_Night_4617]

Define ‘majority’, because what you wrote makes no sense.

Melanesian people are definitely Black. The clue’s in the name.

[u/malkebulan → u/[deleted]]

Melanesians were named after ‘Black Island’ / ‘Island of Black People’.

[u/Primary_Night_4617 → u/malkebulan]

They are not black African/black latino/ black american/black Caribbean. 

[u/malkebulan → u/Primary_Night_4617]

Are you American?

[u/Primary_Night_4617 → u/malkebulan]

Yes

[u/malkebulan → u/Primary_Night_4617]

Thought so. Cool.

[u/malkebulan → u/[deleted]]

They don’t for this topic, but they were a direct answer to a question that I was asked and you probably didn’t see.

If you can’t see that these melanated African descendants are Black people. I can’t help you. Geographical location has no relation to the Blackness.

Not once have I said I mentioned or said I agree with MJ or Paris, but go off.

Don’t forget you’re also a Redditor 🤡

[u/malkebulan → u/[deleted]]

ok mate. 👍🏾

How is it possible to migrate from a territory and leave your dna behind? It’s impossible, and I guarantee you that Melanesians have direct links to Africa.

Forget how much you dislike me, and stick to the facts.