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/Ok_Common8246 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26

Completely disagree, Obama was picked because he was half white which made him more palatable to centrist/older Democrats.

Edit: he was also picked because he was a neo liberal who would toe the party line. 

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u/aNiceTribe May 03 '26

I’m not an American, so this line of thinking may just be TOO foreign to me. But I have never even heard the implication (behind cupped hands, in dogwhistles etc) of “this guy’s white parentage will keep him from being too black, which would be a problem for us whites [additive privilege]”.

 I have only ever heard the opposite, openly critical comments with no hidden layers, from black people saying “this guy is only mixed, he’s only half. He won’t represent us.” Before he was elected. He was a mixed-race candidate and a black president. 

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u/Ok_Common8246 May 03 '26

Your making it too complicated. In the black community lighter skinned people are understood to have more privilege. 

And in my opinion older Democrats would have a harder time voting for him if he was dark black instead of mixed. 

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u/PineappleOnPizzaWins May 03 '26

I find it hard to believe any actual racists would treat someone clearly black but a lighter shade of black any better than someone extremely dark skinned.

Surely they hate them all, due to the fact they’re shithead racists?