'You don't have to look black to be black': The complex racial identity of a tiny Ohio town
4,059,104
Published 2019-07-25
Subscribe to The Guardian on YouTube ► bit.ly/subscribegdn
Support the Guardian ► support.theguardian.com/contribute
Today in Focus podcast ► www.theguardian.com/news/series/todayinfocus
Sign up for the Guardian documentaries newsletter ► www.theguardian.com/info/2016/sep/02/sign-up-for-t…
The Guardian ► www.theguardian.com/
The Guardian YouTube network:
Guardian News ► is.gd/guardianwires
Guardian Football ► is.gd/guardianfootball
Guardian Sport ► bit.ly/GDNsport
Guardian Culture ► is.gd/guardianculture
#Race #Ohio #EastJackson #USA
All Comments (21)
-
Without hearing her story, I honestly thought she was albino
-
That woman looks like an Albino Black person. However, her accent sounds like Southern White folks.
-
One thing is clear: This woman ADORES her mother and though her mother has passed on, she refuses to let go of that adoration. Despite her outward appearance, her heart is staunchly holding on to her mother's lineage. Likely, for her, claiming "whiteness" would be to dishonor her mother and she is absolutely not having that.
-
Southern Ohio is very much deep South in its racial attitudes, and always has been. The "one drop" rule was king. The people in this town were marked "black" a century ago by all the surrounding communities, and they have always been treated that way. They accepted that, lived with it, and learned to take pride in it.
-
Who ran straight to the comments 🙋🏽♀️
-
I thought she was African albino. Those African features shol don’t lie.
-
Roberta Mother instilled in her she may look white but never deny her blackness. She knew she could easily fit in the white world but refused too deny her black identity! I love Roberta spirit!
-
As a black person, this almost made me cry! Seeing the woman identifying as black and defending herself as black!
-
I understand why this woman takes this so seriously. It's not about race it's about remembering where you come from and respecting your ancestors. You shouldn't forget about your past.
-
She identify as black because of how she loved her black mother.
-
she say: "I would never deny my race"... she is a strong woman!!! I understand her. This is her DNA , her identity!!!
-
I can relate to this story. My mother was Mexican and my father was Irish and I look totally white. It really socks to have people argue with you about what race you are
-
Ohio is so white even the black people are white.
-
So, I do see black in the mother...just her skin is white..but her bone structure and features are very "black"
-
She is a formidable black woman, I admire her courage for being unshakable, much love from Nigeria
-
I respect the mother's decision for herself and I respect the daughter's decision for her decision. No one can tell you who and what you are period!
-
Why don't they just consider themselves 'mixed-raced'? Why do they have to decide between black and white?
-
I swear that I thought she was a black beautiful woman with albinism
-
This is very confusing... Raising your kids as Black os one thing but they are from a very mixed background... Her daughter. is a real one she knows what she is and knows the difference
-
As a mixed race man this fills me with absolute joy
