One of the things I consciously thought about when I had my daughter was that as much as possible I was going to let her and her generation decide for themselves how they came to grips with race. I did not want to bombard her constantly like my parents did with us about stories of Jim Crow America.
It was not until my daugher's generation that you could safely refer to yourself as 'mixed'. In my generation calling yourself 'mixed' was evidence that you were ashamed to be black or were tryng to pass. I spent a year at an all black Universtiy in Prarie View, Texas in the early 70's. Knowing better I embarked on an explanation of my heritage to a brother and he said, 'Cut it, man...you black". America was under the same domination of the 'one drop rule' as apartheid South Africa.
My daughter in junior high once asked me what box she should check on a form when it came to enquire about race and I said "Oh Hell, check them all.
Bill
Bill
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