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Opinions of Monday, 14 December 2009

Columnist: The Royal Enoch

Bi-Racial Children: Where Do They Belong?

For the record, I am a Black-man, who also happens to be Ghanaian born and bred. I am hundred percent pure black, and I do intend to keep it that way. Then again, what kind of choice do I have? I guess not that much, right? This said, I do have a younger brother- who is bi-racial. He is half Ghanaian and half European. He is the outcome of what happens, when a beautiful Ghanaian woman like my mother falls in love with an European man. My brother was recently in Ghana on a vacation with the rest of the family. This was his first time ever in Ghana. When he returned from this vacation, he kept telling me how the locals would refer to him as somebody white. The locals would call him Obroni. I asked him how he felt personally about himself. I asked him; do you see yourself belonging to the White-race or the Black-race?

This question from me must have caught him off guard. Simply because; the subject of race has never been an issue in our house. Anyway, he replied and said; they called me white when I was in Africa, but here in Europe the Whites call me black. It seems to me that bi-racial children do indeed have it tough. Especially in a society, in which people must choose their race in order to be properly identified. When president Barrack Obama was running for office, both Blacks and Whites kept calling him a Black-man. He won the presidential election, and became America's first "Black" president. People don't you all get it twisted. See, a Black-man is a Black-man. Meaning, there isn't one drop of white blood in him. In other words, he is hundred percent pure black. Now, in the case of Obama; both Whites and Blacks are calling him black, when he should be called bi-racial.

Several months ago, Obama was on the David Letterman show. During the show, he kept owing up to his blackness-his black heritage. David Letterman jokingly asked Obama if he was still a Black-man. Mind you, David Letterman didn't even acknowledge Obama's white heritage. "Yes, I am a Black-man, who also happens to be the president of the United States" Obama said. Obama answered him correctly, but not whole truthfully. In my opinion, Obama should have acknowledged both his black and white heritage. And not his black heritage only, unless bi-racial is the same as black. Moreover, I wondered what the public's reaction would've been had Obama called himself a White-man instead of a Black-man. So is bi-racial the same as black? I asked.

For instance, I don't know why White folks keep calling Jerry John Rawlings a Black-man, when he obviously has got white blood in him. Is this White people's way of denying him his white heritage or what? Or is it White people's way of saying to him that look; the Blacks could have you because you don't have blues eyes and blond hair? It seems to me that White folks are quick to label a bi-racial child as somebody black, when both the black and the white heritage of this child ought to be acknowledged. This said, Blacks are quick to accept a bi-racial child as their own without making any fuss about it. Therefore, does this go to show that White people are more race minded than Black people? In other words, natural born racist in comparison to Black people? I could be wrong, but what do you all think?