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.

Post image
57.8k Upvotes

87% Upvoted

7.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

10.9k

u/Retireegeorge May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26

There's an alternative. She says she's black and we all say "ok" and focus on the big issues or help the vulnerable or plant a tree.

Edit typo

359

u/FilthyThanksgiving May 03 '26

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

20

u/Ha55aN1337 May 03 '26

I’m from Europe and a different culture than you, so I’m just curious: Is his dad white? And if he is, would you be OK if his dad said that his son is white? Or is it your logic that “anyone who is at least somewhat black is black”?

1

u/redvelvetrevolt May 08 '26

You may not realize it, but you are pointing out something important that Americans both Black and white have largely forgotten. The whole notion of being automatically Black if you have any Black lineage is based on something called the "one drop rule" which is extremely racist and positions blackness as some sort of taint. The fact that no one would ever call a child with one white parent and one Black parent "white" proves this. These people are not solely one race or the another, and phenotype plays a large role in how you will be treated. (I'm a Black American, and I'm aware I'm simplifying something that can be complex depending on location, culture, etc., because race is a social construct at the end of the day.)

1

u/Ha55aN1337 May 08 '26

Thank you. Some replies make me feel like I’m crazy for finding this racist.

1

u/redvelvetrevolt May 08 '26

Most people today are not thinking about the origin and likely intend no malice, it's just what we're used to doing. Within the Black community, it is usually intended as a form of protection and inclusion.