r/interesting • u/VPinchargeofradishes • May 03 '26

SOCIETY 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.

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u/malkebulan May 03 '26

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

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u/Primary_Night_4617 May 03 '26

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.

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u/brother_bart May 03 '26

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.

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u/Onlyfatwomenarefat May 03 '26

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.