She grew up in the same area I grew up in and although the times were different I've been informed by many of white people that white people in general feel far more comfortable with lighter skinned black people who have more European features. It's no coincidence the first "black" Ms. America had green eyes and European features. And please educate me on the "royal racism treatment" And as far as Milwood in the 80s? I have no clue but I have been around long enough to notice how people qualify things differently like "she's black but not really black more like a caramel". Making the distinction always means something other than a descriptor.
Claim what you like, but how people visibly treat you is what I take note of. Like Nas said "The darker you are the realer your problems" Colorism is a very real thing
That was another thing l wanted to mention... she has always identified as Black. And why wouldn't she. She naturally and instinctively aligned with the blood she was born from. Not otherwise, because she happens to have blue eyes. Not sure what comfort your white friends are alluding to. To me, it's all about a person's behavior that asseses comfort levels. Here.. 'Williams endured her fair share of misery after breaking the color barrier. She received loads of hate mail and even threats on her life. Everyone seemed to be out to get her. When Penthouse published nude modeling photos of her that were taken in 1982, back when she was serving as a photographer’s assistant—they were unauthorized, and stolen—Williams was forced to resign as Miss America. “I wrote a book about everything that I went through, and I spent a lot of time talking about the death threats, the FBI, the sharpshooters,” she says. “It was a graver situation and more dangerous years ago—the change that was happening and the uproar because of the color of my skin.."
I agree about A Rod,I don't consider him Black either.A Rod himself doesn't consider himself Black.Unlike A Rod though, people like Mariah Carey,Vanessa Williams,Lewis Hamilton etc can't call themselves Hispanic. They cant call themselves White either,its Black or biracial and biracial B/W in America is still considered Black.
Any daughter of mine wouldn't have a choice. I'm too dark for her to be considered anything else. She doesn't have the option to opt out or phase in and out at will. For example Cameron Diaz gets to be white when it's convenient yet also gets to be Latina when she wants. Same goes for J.LO(think about how many times the character she plays always has white parents or family except for when she played a maid) I don't say this stuff just to say it, there are differences. And its not just skin it's features as well. For example would any of you consider Wentworth Miller black? I think he's just as much black as Vanessa Williams
bottom line........you can scream biracial ir whatever all you want..... if vanessa williams wasnt famous and u saw her walking down the street by herself then you would call her black.
Word? What about her makes her undeniably black to you? Her hair is straight, her eyes are blue and her nose is straight. She has a caramel complexion but so do a lot of Hispanics, Arabs, and Middle Eastern people hell there are Greeks I've seen that resemble her. We're just use to her being black
lol .. you arent going to sit here and tell me that you wouldnt be able to say shes black and be accurate...no different than you would be with lenny kravits .... and yes....the features she has tells us who she is.
Goodlove you're telling me that Vanessa Williams' features tell you that she's undeniably black? lol ok
im gonna cut u some slack one pt.....the more people intermingle sexually....the more likely the kids will change. a klan member found out he was 12% black...but for you to sit there and say you cant tell if vw us black is bs
When light skin Blacks or Hispanics pass for White its usually because it is not known they have a Black or Hispanic parent,not because White people consider them one of them.Ask a White person is Wentworth Miller White and they will probably say yes,tell them that he has a Black father and then ask them again is he white and the answer will likely change.
But if all that takes for one to be non black is to look non black and not claim blackness then how black are you? For the vast majority that shit is undeniable