Obama's true colors: Black, white ... or neither?

Predominately a Christian country?  Oh PUHLEEZE.  We are predominately a country of PEOPLE.  It shouldn't matter our color, religion, gender, right?  When we compartmentalize people we lose our focus, which should be to be decent human beings and decent citizens.  Don't we have enough problems without turning the focus to religion or race?  The last few years have brought way too much focus on religion, and we have been 'ruled' by fear in order to keep the status quo.  I voted for President-elect Obama because of WHO he is, not WHAT race he is.  I live in the south, and am faced with enough bigotry of every type, every day to make me ill. 

he said he is a black man, so be it. we have no doubtsabout michelle.

The basis and root of this is that our "inner caveman" insists upon classifing everyone as either "us" or "them", a member of "our" group or tribe or not. Anyone seen or percieved as not being part of "our tribe" was seen as, and at that time, probably WAS a threat. It's sad that this "caveman" mentality still exists today when we have Global Problems that will ultimately decide the survival of the Human Race.

well according to your constitution if you have 1/3 black blood your considered black lol but make no mistake about it  people he is black i don't care if his momma was white irsh phillipino indian what ever when you have a baby with a black man or woman your are considered black right now all of a sudden he may not be black cause he is president it kills me how sick some of these people are that he is president but that is something you'll get over not only is he black but he is qualified to do the dam job better than bush sorry ass ever did and to top it  off he left the office with the country in a devastating  state and now you want this man to come in and change the world on day 2 stop it please if hillary would have made it anything is better than bush and his whole adminatration should be fired they have reuined this country to the point that we have years to get back to a stable point so please lets not worry about his color and worry about the bull shi&&  that was left on his shoulders to clean up

Why is color such a big deal? He's not black or white he is Burgundy. Is everyone happy now? Can we move on to more important issues!

Hey America, I know it's our God given right to assert our stupidity, but come on can we put the brakes on. 

I have a granddaughter that is biracial, and she just likes to be called an american. Lets just leave it at that. We have to get beyond color. Here's hoping he makes a good president!

The ecomomy is kaput, the auto industry destroyed , who knows what the banking industry is up too, and maybe we don't want to know, the RNC war is mired down in the mid east, who knows when our troops will come home to their families and we should worry about the president being a MUTT! Get a life people. The only thing we need to do is stand alongside Obama and pray that he can clear this mess up and save our country from a full fledged depression. God Bless Americia and our President elect Obama.

Marky

As a Jamaican who grew up with a national motto of "Out of many, one people" I've never gotten hung up on race.  However, in studying the history of the USA specifically constitutional origins it was easy to realize where the dilemma of race identity occurred.  Mulatoes were seen as possessions and therefore were not allowed to benefit from the ills of their fathers.  Thomas Jefferson for example a well know father of many mulatoes is rumored to have defined what makes someone white - any 1/8 of other blood meant you were not white!  I don't give a damn what Obama is as a race.  To me he is an American much like my mulato kids...yes I married a white woman and I have brown skin...Incidentally, I have had the label of not being black enough placed on me too but it's never bothered me.  Ones identity is not assigned by others but by oneself.  I have friends of all ethnic backgrounds and would never settle for being just white or black.  I am by birth a Jamaican and by assimilation an American, my browness has nothing to do with it!

As part of the "mutt" clan i.e. half Japanese, Cherokee & Scottish; Obama is African/European, Tiger Woods appears "black" and yet is half Asian and part Native American.  I guess we are growing in numbers, "mutts" and yet our society still insists on putting "us" in a box.  Over the years I have been "boxed" as Native American as I guess I look the part and have a "Native" sounding last name if there ever was one.., grew up in the Eastern Oklahoma and been to the "Rez" and been told to go back...Interesting though, I always hear of every group not originally from here demanding their rights and part of the "American Dream,  but "Native Americans," maybe someday...

Like mentioned up above, I'm "Human."

It a shame that in an article about the "truth" of President-Elect Obama's ethnicity, the author can't be truthful about the issue of interracial children during slavery.  The white slaveowner didn't "drop by the slave quarters."  He RAPED enslaved black women and girls.  The difference in power meant that the enslaved people had no option but to die or be separated from their loved ones and simply be RAPED by a different white male without the consolation of enslaved family members.  Mothers, fathers, husbands could not protect their daughters and wives without deadly consequences.  Please don't insult the human family by referring to RAPE as "dropping by."     

Mutt Obama.....yeah, that's something to be proud of.

I can not find a named author for this article! It just says Associated Press.

Before November 4th 2008, Barack Obama was definetely "African-American" or "Black" the other term used to describe him.

He won the election against all odds, and now the powerful racist element of our country, still licking their wounds from their humiliating defeat, and with nowhere else to turn to, they want him changed to "WHITE"!! HA-HAH-HAAAA!  Even after Barack Obama has described himself as "African American", they still wont let go of it. I myself am a "white" or "caucasian" male, origionally from Ireland, but now a naturalized US citizen. I have a message for African Americans and for all black people throughout the world: DONT LET THEM STEAL YOUR VICTORY! YOU WON! 

If a person was gone missing and a description of that person was put out there to the public to help locate that person, And...If that person looked just like Barack Obama, then...How would he be described?....The answer would of course be "black" or at least "dark skinned" Certainly not white or "white with a deep tan"! Just look at his photos!

Barack Obama has gone to "Black Church" for more than 20 years as we know because his adversories tried to use this against him throught the campaign. Then look at Barack's beautiful black wife and his two adorable little black daughters. The establishment is seething! A black family moving into the "sacred White House!! HAH-HAH!!  What a great kick in the pants for racist bigots everywhere.  If I was Barack Obama right now, I would call a construction company, and have them put a Harlem style brownstone facade on the front of the White House. That would really rub it into the "lily-white" faces of the establishment. HAA-HAA!!

"In college in the 1970s, like millions of other dark-skinned Americans searching for self respect in a discriminatory nation, Obama found refuge in blackness."

He was not in college in the 1970's

Must be a real slow news day with nothing much else to report.  Guess the tensions between India and Pakistan, the selling of a senate seat in Illinois, the potential wipe out of the American auto industry and associated loss of millions of American jobs are just not as significant or any longer newsworthy.  Then again, if those issues continued to be front page news, the PE might be called upon to suggest solutions and provide a cogent, honest response.  But wait, that would require experience in dealing with such matters and a smattering of integrity.  Never mind. 

Could it be the mainstream media has switched from campaign mode on behalf of the PE to CYA mode on his behalf?  Nah, that can't be; just for a second, must have experienced a radical right-wing talk radio moment.

He can say he's African-American as, unlike many Americans, his father is actually African.  He can say he's black, white, whatever, the label as such doesn't matter.  The point is that 30 years ago, due to the rules of American culture at the time, who defined biracial/multiracial folks who had even small amounts of black mixed in, no one who looked like he does could get elected president.   He didn't have to define himself as black--America did it for him.  Also, 30 years ago, someone of Latino, east Indian, or Asian descent could not  have been elected president either.  Neither would we have had a woman as a serious contender in the primaries.  This election is a real turning point for we seem to finally be getting past these old meaningless labels, which is an amazing thing.  We don't have the luxury of denying ourselves the brainpower and skills of anyone based on stupid labels.  In the coming times, we're going to need everyone's talents to get through.

obama is african-american. let's cut off this stupid debate! we do not live in the period of slavery.  nobody  is trying to take away his white parentage. bi-racial people in america got a serious problem! i remember when the word african-america was first used, many blacks including a co-worker rejectd being associated with the word "african," even though she looked like one of the bushman of southern african. many black people in the us calim that they are mixed with something, so are most people around the world, including africa. the use of the word african-american simply refers to an american who has an african ancestry. that's all. and for those confused bi-racial people, if you want to carry this any further maybe we should call obama: african-kenyan-white-american. he has african, especially kenya blood too ,you know.

I really don't care what they call him or what he is, I am just glad we voted him in.

Why can't the press get off the color issue? They can't get the race thing out of their head. Americans are suppose to stop looking at the color of ones skin, and see the person for what they are.

 Untill the press can do this how is America and the world going to do it. I didn't vote for Obama, but I hope he can turn America around with out people looking at the color of his skin, or God we are in alot of trouble.

 Mark T

er, what is the point of this story?

When I am asked my race, I want to say, "I am an American.  That is all that matters."  I resent even having someone put my race on an application or any other such place where I show up in person and answer someone's questions.  I didn't give them permission to determine my race and answer for me who I am.  What gives them the right?  The truth is that as Americans we are almost all mutts.  That is something we should be proud of.  Hundreds of years ago I may have had some ancestors that came from some other land.  My family has been here hundreds of years.  In some cases, my ancestors have been here for thousands of years.  If we truly want to end racism, let's stop propogating it by putting labels on people.  If you want to label me, then I AM AN AMERICAN!

If the citizens of this country would focus on Obama's vision for change instead of his being black or white, we could look back and use history to our advantage. Working together, as americans, we can re-mold this nation. This may be our last chance , let's do it right.

I am a product of a bi-racial couple. My father is white my mother black/hispanic. Both of my parents are well educated. We lived in the washington d.c. area for a number of years during the early 80's. I never thought of myself as black or white because I was just accepted for who I was. My mother was freinds with other professional bi-racial couples. So I thought everone was so accepting of bi-racial couples and children.  Then reality struck when we moved. I was called the n word repeately on the school bus at school . I even had soda cans  and beer can thrown at me while jogging on the side of the road.  I was verabally and mentally abused by other white children for being bi-racial. I could never understand the hatred they had for me. Wanting me to choose sides for who I was. Trying to make me hate myself.  I agree with President-elect Obama I identy myself as black . That was how I was treated and that is who I identfy myself as.  I am proud to call myself black I have not forgotten who my father is but still the world sees me as black. That is who I love being a black women.

I believe it does not make one bit of difference what his "racial identity" is. He is the president elect voted into office by the American people. He is an American and I don't care if he is pink with purple polka dots. He was elected to do a job and if he can get our economy moving and get a resolution to the war, then I think he will have done the job the American people hoped he would do. The press making "news" where none exists and need to focus on real news.

I don't care what the President-Elect's skin color is but I do care what changes whether positive or negative are going to effect me, my framily and friends.  I did not vote for him but you can be your @@!! that I will be listening and watching every move that man makes and will be holding him accountable.  If he starts playing games and screwing citizens, I will be calling my congress and senators and maybe yours too.    He has been elected as our CEO and he'd better do the job justly, appropriately, wisely and honorably.  Don't want any more Carters or Clintons. 

I don't even know why it matters if he's black, white, or biracial!  We are all mutts in some sense of the word.  If we could all have our DNA checked we would find out that we are not "pure" of one race.  We are all mixed of different races.  The day that people will admit that to themselves then the world will be a little better.  Most people that put biracial are meaning black and white or latino and white or black and latino.  There are so many other mixtues that people don't even think about anymore.  Growing up I knew that I had Indian in me but I was never allowed to select anything other then white.  Whenever I tried they would correct it and then give me a harsh talking to.  Telling me that I looked white and that even though technically my great grandmother was full blooded Indian (1/2 Blackfoot and 1/2 Cherokee) and my great grandfather was 1/2 Indiana (a tribe I can't pronounce let alone spell) and grew up on a reservation, that I couldn't claim it at all.  Not to mention the Indian on my other side of the family.  During the summers as a child and teenager when I played outside you could tell that I was different but then during the winter when I stayed inside you couldn't.  I got teased and bullied by many kids about this while growing up.

I'll never forget meeting one girl while I was in high school.  When we were starting to take a test, she broke down crying.  We had to select between Black, White, or other.  She broke down because her own parents would get mad at her no matter what she selected.  Her mom would get mad if she selected Black.  Her father would get mad if she selected White.  And they both would get mad if she selected other.  To put that kind of pressure on a kid was ridiculous.  To this day, I'm not sure that I even knew that she was biracial or if it just didn't matter to me because she was a good person.  I was brought up that you treat everyone good and that nothing mattered as long as they were a good person.  And basically, that's how I've been raising my children.

They should just take that off of tests.  I don't feel that it should matter any more or that it's anyone's business what is in our background.  People decide on their own without really knowing just by looking at you anyway.

It shouldn't matter what the person's skin tone is.  As long as they are planning to do good for our country and works hard for the people is all that should matter.