[Snail]

Why is President Obama referred to as Black, why not white or mixed ? What race is he officially ?

[JudyKayTee]

Why is President Obama referred to as Black, why not white or mixed ? What race is he officially ?

I just read a book entitled "One Drop" - it's written by a biracial male and he states that "one drop" of African-American blood classifies a person as African-American.

In my area for hiring and profiling persons if you have any Hispanic blood you can be classified as Hispanic.

[Snail]

While it is said that for one drop of "non white blood", a person is "not white", by what authority or law is this official and legal ? By what authority is President Obama classified as Black ?

[Clough]

Hi, Snail!

In my opinion, I don't think that there's anything legal or by some authority that he's considered to be black. I think that it's just a general consensus of most people that he is. So thus, it's a matter of opinion based upon his general heritage, lineage, overall appearance and facial features.

Thanks!

[Fr_Chuck]

Race is first decided by in the US your birth certificate and how and what is marked on it by your parents.

Next a lot has to do with some of the laws passed 100's of years ago as for as benefits, For example to receive benefits as a American Indian my understanding is you have to be 25 percent that can be proven ( if memory serves me correctly)

But a lot comes back from the days when blacks could not vote, and had to eat and drink separately. It dealt first by physcial do you look like that race and second by the blood line

I will offend some here but a person who is 1/2 black before Obama would have been been considered not truly black by many black people, There is one group here in Atlanta, where if you even marry a person who is not black you are a trader to the back race. They have a large church in the West End of Atlanta and are still waiting for the black Jesus to return and save them from the devil ( the white man) If Obama had a lot more white physical features I am sure that the black population would not have accepted him as easily as black.

Sadly we have to even think of it, he is merely an American who because the president, why is black or white even an issue

[artlady]

He is bi-racial.
Below is a link that gives a good overall synopsis of the definition.
I prefer to think of people as people:)
Multiracial - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[21boat]

Very interesting subject here. I think some of the thoughts as to weather Obama is black or white has to do with the visual look. Obviously The black American voted that way to say we have one of ours in. "The First African American president" I would say there voting 96% for Obama was a documentation of race voting and accepting him as black

I have found a tremendous amount of documentation On Slavery that was not taught in public schools that pertains to the question of race origin white or black.

There were slave owners that were Black Africans. Some owned as much as 100 slaves. Some Blacks owning slaves breed slaves to sell

The Modern Blacks argue that the black slaves owners were Mulatto's and not African. That its not a black thing and therefore gives grounds that Blacks never owned slaves in this Country. Wrong. Many owners were once Slaves/Indentured Servants and bought their freedom for them and family. Some of this was preset as paying for the passage to get here which I never heard of in school. Which also explains free blacks in the North of the New world and the free ones in the south that became slave owners also.

Thomas Jennings was the first African American to receive a patent, on March 3, 1821 (U.S. patent3306x).
About.com: http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1076.htm

Many blacks say that it was all kin/relatives. Some were but most were not.

Also many slave owners were mulatto. Again the Modern Africans Americans argue That Mulatto's that owned slaves weren't black Africans. That would conveniently negate that there own race owned slaves outside a kin/ member. Which kind of goes along the Indentured Servant or slave argument to sway it back to the slave end which justifies there thoughts better. Obviously there was both and things went bad. But we skipped the other part of bad.

Which would mean that Obama is Mullato by definition and not white or black. If that's not agreed upon then it would define the argument of Mulatto slave owners are African slave owners Or Obama is not African American. It can't be both ways. Personally I don't care what he is. But I'm concerned of the race issues and how that may effect US on both sides.

Mulatto's back then were considered a black person because they basically had Obamas visual looks.

Here's how some of that came about

Black Slave Owners Civil War Article by Robert M Grooms

Which to a point would rewrite hour History of Slaves in the old US.

Mulatto - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
mulatto - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

I brought The Slavery issue up because of the race issues that are still going on in this Country. Because of theses issues in the Black culture, It Greatly influenced the African American Votes for Obama Without a doubt. The documentation was the 96% of African American voted for Obama. The white votes for Obama were fairly split by all accounts. And now the valid question is he black or white?

Black Slave Owners Civil War Article by Robert M Grooms

My purpose here is not to offend anybody and to respond the Snail question with some good history behind it and to address his question. I added the inventions because I thought it also should be appreciated and taught in school along with ALL COMPLETE documented history on slavery witch effects this country's so much the votes for Obama Proved that and now the question of black or white

[JudyKayTee]

I find this sentence particularly incorrect and offensive: "Obviously the black American voted that way to say we have one of ours in." I don't think ANYTHING is obvious and I don't think you speak for "the black American" or, for that matter, any other group. You obviously do speak for yourself.

Secondly - the question was "what race is Obama," not "what are your opinions on how the Black vote went in 2008."

Quite frankly, your post is hard to follow with a lot of misspellings, inconsistencies and just plain old made up "facts." You add apples and oranges and get peaches. I know you have posted you are borderline Mensa. I asked what that means and you never answered - but I'm not seeing any Mensa here! (That's, by the way, like being almost pregnant.)

What difference does it make when the first "Black" man got a patent and what does that have anything to do with the race of Obama?

You are a pseudointellectual and can't even hide that fact. You cut and paste and read with no understanding of what you have read.

If you want to "discuss" your research on this or any other topic, I would suggest you open a specific topic on the discussion boards.

In the meantime please stick to answering the question and deliver me from your opinions.

[Jake2008]

President Obama had a black father who was born in Africa, and a white mother born in Hawaii.

I'd say he qualifies for being african-american, white, or black, and who cares anyway.

He was voted in by Americans, vote by vote, and who cares what colour the voters were, either, the people chose.

The best possible man was chosen, and he will do great things, in my opinion, for not only the US, but the world. And who cares what colours are included in the world's people, we all benefit from him being elected.

[Ren6]

Obama refers to himself as black, if I'm not mistaken. I've heard him say so on the radio.

[Jake2008]

Well then, that should be respected and not questioned.

Thanks for that.

Regardless what he calls himself, I look at him and see a great man.

[artlady]

When asked in an interview if he was *black enough* for African American voters * he replied,when I am trying to get a taxi in this town at 3:a.m. I can assure I am black enough*.

It doesn't address your question per se but gives a telling look at the issue of color.