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What Is Black?

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Because they're idiots
If people saw my brother and they'd probably say he ain't black (skin tone like drake) but he a full negro that's for sure

People find it hard to differentiate between light skin and mixed race
Also tbh some not all Somali but a lot don't consider themselves black, those fools think they are closer to Arab than African lol I consider them black however

Black is your skin tone, I mean are people, suggesting mo farah ain't black cuz he has thin lips( non existent upper lip) and then nose like a white man but not your stereotypical wide nose big lips?

Also a lot of mixed people consider themselves as black people, some do look fully black despite the mixture, I.e Collin Jackson Barack Obama, even white folk in America consider him black the only people who don't are the same people who categorise them with black people if they have a negative vibe to them or a criminal.

People who say your not black because of your facial features are idiots, soon they'll tell you, people like Kerry Washington ain't either, goats
Also west and central Africans tend to have nappy hair while east and Northern Africans tend to have coarse hair

Also North Africans like the Libyans, Moroccans, Egyptians etc aren't black but their are some a very small minority however whom are black

I.e the original ancient Egyptians were black
Reply 42
I wouldn't dismiss someone as not being black based on their hair type, eye colour, etc. Certain physical traits may be more common with some races over others, but not having for example a broad nose or tightly coiled hair doesn't make someone "less" black. At the end of the day, your racial makeup doesn't lie.

But it gets more complex when you're including people of mixed race in the equation. A couple of the people you posted are mixed race. I've noticed that (especially in the States) biracial people are referred to simply as black a lot of the time, and many people subscribe to the one drop rule. Some mixed people self-identify as black whilst others are quick to point out that they are mixed.

Also there's obviously a lot of ignorance when it comes to how black people are supposed to look. We can all recognise someone with "typically" Sub-Saharan African features as being black but outside of that, people are either stumped or assume you're mixed with something and therefore not "really" black. But I do know some Ethiopians, Eritreans and Somalians who don't see themselves as black for whatever reason. And what about people from the Caribbean? Many of them have such an interesting, mixed heritage. Rihanna has a black mother and a mixed father. Is she black? Or what about Beyonce and her Creole heritage?

Basically, racial categorisation is just weird.
Black is just a colour, features are just features, you know there are black Arabs right? I haven't got strong features but I'm dark skinned and proud to be African.
Reply 44
Original post by Sweet n Sour
I worked really hard on this :frown:


Doing what?

Blackness is subjective, unless you're the guy DiddyDec posted on page 1.
Yeah when people say Ethiopians/Eritreans etc aren't black, I ask, well what are they? And they said fake black people. Lmao maybe there are trolls in real life too.

I don't necessarily agree with the features bit that you spoke about... Like I'm black and many people think im blasian when they first meet me (I'm not). But when they think I am, they still wouldn't disregard me as being black.

If someone thinks small features like small lips, narrow nose, and stuff makes someone not black then they are simple-minded. I guess the same would apply to those who think Eritreans Ethiopians and Somalians aren't black because they have beautiful hair and skin. I guess they assume that black cant be beautiful :frown:

But it's probably a history thing that makes people think they aren't black. (I don't know lmao)

Your post was interesting and im happy I read it as soon as I woke up :smile:

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(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by Sweet n Sour
race2rās/nounnoun: race; plural noun: races

1.

each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics."people of all races, colors, and creeds"synonyms:ethnic group, racial type, origin, ethnic origin, color"students of many different races"

2.

a group of people sharing the same culture, history, language, etc.; an ethnic group.



So everyone in Asia shares the same culture and language?

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Original post by Okay PM me
You want to know what makes someone a certain race based on their physical appearance.

I am Libyan/Spanish.

Why?


Sabah Al khayr. Those eyes!!!
Original post by angelcake123
Yeah when people say Ethiopians/Eritreans etc aren't black, I ask, well what are they? And they said fake black people. Lmao maybe there are trolls in real life too.

I don't necessarily agree with the features bit that you spoke about... Like I'm black and many people think im blasian when they first meet me (I'm not). But when they think I am, they still wouldn't disregard me as being black.

If someone thinks small features like small lips, narrow nose, and stuff makes someone not black then they are simple-minded. I guess the same would apply to those who think Eritreans Ethiopians and Somalians aren't black because they have beautiful hair and skin. I guess they assume that black cant be beautiful :frown:

But it's probably a history thing that makes people think they aren't black. (I don't know lmao)

Your post was interesting and im happy I read it as soon as I woke up :smile:

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So now East Africans consider themselves to be Caucasian?
Why black or white?? We are human..
Reply 50
Black is the casual word for African negroids or people mixed with African negroid.

Fully blacks have embraced mixed partly black people as black, society also considers them black, in America even Mariah Carey is embraced as black.
Original post by queen-bee
Sabah Al khayr. Those eyes!!!


Sabah Al Noor.:smile:

Shukran, antee Jameela.

you're very beautiful Mash Allah.
Original post by Sweet n Sour
76 views? No posts? Some indifferent people around here. Does anyone know where else I can take this argument to?
it's so looooooong hun that's why
Well it doesn't really matter does it? Skin pigment it just a colour, like if someones blonde, brunette, ginger, etc. To be honest I've never really got where all the fuss comes from........for some strange reason I suddenly have to urge to break out into song and sing "It doesn't matter if your black or white"*Sigh*
Reply 54
Original post by Devinely
Well it doesn't really matter does it? Skin pigment it just a colour, like if someones blonde, brunette, ginger, etc. To be honest I've never really got where all the fuss comes from........for some strange reason I suddenly have to urge to break out into song and sing "It doesn't matter if your black or white"*Sigh*


Well yeah none of this stuff should matter, but for some people their race is something they're acutely aware of and have to take into account even when doing some of the most mundane, every day things, whereas some people go through life literally never having to think about their race at all. Would be nice if absolutely no one cared what race anyone was but...thats life I guess.
Original post by queen-bee
So now East Africans consider themselves to be Caucasian?

Apparently Arab is seen as white now since USA considered them so in the Census. We all know there are Arabs, particularly Mediterranean Arabs, who look Caucasian. Caucasian as in, Indo-Europeans from the Eurasian border. The term Europid and Aethiopid is used to classify East Africans from the Horn as Caucasian, which isn't necessarily white, but when people don't understand a damn thing you will get confusion and then denial of who they are.
Original post by Devinely
Well it doesn't really matter does it? Skin pigment it just a colour, like if someones blonde, brunette, ginger, etc. To be honest I've never really got where all the fuss comes from........for some strange reason I suddenly have to urge to break out into song and sing "It doesn't matter if your black or white"*Sigh*


What? This isn't helpful. It is necessary to know where you stand in a world where people form opinions of you and themselves just by face value, including the government. And if you get a document that asks what your race is to apply for something like a job or aid or something, will you put next to race "It doesn't matter, like Michael Jackson said"?
Original post by Little Popcorns
it's so looooooong hun that's why


For some reason many people have still managed to get through it hun.
Original post by slade p
Black is the casual word for African negroids or people mixed with African negroid.

Fully blacks have embraced mixed partly black people as black, society also considers them black, in America even Mariah Carey is embraced as black.


You are half educated, friend. Mariah Carey was seen as black once she accepted herself to be. Tommy Motola who produced her earlier 90s records (which made her a star) dropped her for trying to pass as Jewish white I believe. She then had a horrible breakdown. Then when Jermaine Dupri picked her up she embraced R&B and then she married a black man. Then you have other people who deny it completely or try to create fancy politically correct ethnic terms to circumvent their denial of having a nonwhite parent.

And are you black because I know very well fully black people do not accept light skinned people as black at all. Hence why I started the thread as I was waved off (as I said in the post) for input in a discussion about black women being single mothers. You get some sympathisers who want everyone to stand together, and you get others who are afrocentrist or something who say because someone is light skinned they can't say the n-word, is a big one. I get into arguments about it aaaall the time.
(edited 8 years ago)
Original post by DiddyDec
So everyone in Asia shares the same culture and language?

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You're so perverse. I never said every. Asian is a panethnic term for people who across several different countries on a continent do share the same ethnicity and language. Not every.

Example:

The Han people aren't exclusive to China. They are all over the Orient and Pacific Islands.
The Mandarin language is spoken in several Asian countries.
Polynesian people have Taiwanese ancestry and Han.
Indonesians have Han ancestry.
Religion like Daoism and Buddhism are in several Asian countries while being Asian in origin.
Need I go on to explain why they are all in one group?

Migration is what separates one Asian from another.
Example: In Medan, Indonesia, people of Tamil descent are indigenous to the area.

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