Imitation Of Life
The great movie originally starring Claudette Colbert but perhaps more importantly there was an actress named Fredi Washington. Fredi was the actress who played the light skinned Black who tried to pass for White...Fredi, as was the case for the father of (ex) Philly mayor John Street, in real life consciously chose to go Black. Still though it's an old story isn't it, generation after generation, century after century: A Black person ashamed to be Black.
If not for the fame of his brothers and parents would not Michael Jackson be at the forefront of claiming to be "Jackblasian". In my own life I knew a very dark skinned girl (with a lot of make-up) and a strong American accent claiming to be Trinidadian and explicitly claimed she was not Black. No surprise, look at any dating site from love @ aol . com to match . com look at the percentage of people, that any cop would classify as Black, claiming to be ANYTHING but Black. Isn't it an open secret that any successful Black publication that started before 1970 earned their first million from advertising hair straightening grease and skin lightening cream.
The difference between the claimed identities of Barack Obama and Tiger Woods perhaps deserves a bigger 'microscope' than is currently the case. Obama proudly claims his Black roots and identity: He walks Black, talks Black, marries Black, jokes black and calls himself Black...as if he is proud. He is embraced by millions beginning with his family, his state, his nation and the world. This admiration for Obama will obviously survive any forseeable failure.
Tiger proudly claims to be Amerblasian which has no specific roots and/or identity and any cop would classify him as Black: He walks White, talks White, marries White, jokes White and calls himself Amerblasian...as if he is ashamed. He is embraced by those who every once in a while mention lynch and fried chicken and is only appreciated by his sponsors as few others know how to address him...Whether to tell a "Little Rascals" joke which belittles Blacks (As he once did) or to promote Ron Paul over...well, over Barack Obama.
But in a sad imitation of life the saddest thing of all was that I once wanted to be Amerblasian. I once preferred Negro over Black and am still searching for my African American roots, Colored by a prayer for a rich Nubian history. I'm still not clear which way is up but I clearly remember that as a child I wanted to be White...I wanted to be so rich that I wouldn't have to grow up in the real world, like Tiger and his imitation of life.
