Being Black - Part II

You all have some great questions and comments so I'm back to answer some more.

***In my house, it's "Black", because I had a birth mom go off on me when I called her African American. She said she didn't have any family from Africa. There for she was not african! She was Black.
I've had the opportunity to do some family tree stuff on my dad's side of the family and discovered so much about who I am. For one, I've got Irish, German and Native American Indian pretty deep in my family tree but from my grandmother's side, there is West African. My great great great great (I think that's enough greats) was bought over on a slave ship from West Africa as a 12 year old. The man who purchased her and others, was my great great great great grandfather, who was from Germany. He never married her but took care of her and their four children. Back then, it wasn't acceptable to have any type of relationship with a black woman so it was kept quiet. I consider myself Black but also acknowledge that I am also a plethora of other nationalities as well.

*****I've often been mistaken as a black woman- not sure exactly why- but many black girls in my high school thought I was black. They were very accepting of me and thought I was in denial- it was an ongoing joke.

My husband says the first time he saw me he thought I was, too- the first white person that thought that, to my knowledge- so why do they think this? Do you see it?
That's cute that the girls thought you were in denial. I can see that your coloring could be quite similar to a fair skinned black person. When my oldest was born, she truly looked Asian. Even now, I wonder if I brought home the wrong baby! LOL

****How do you take care of your hair? My sister n law told me she can only wash her hair once every one or two weeks. Is that true for you?
Black hair is very different and often times, difficult to manage. Our hair needs oil and moisture and to constantly wash it means that the oil (natural oil) gets washed out and then our hair gets very dry. That's why we use leave in conditioners and moisturizers...to replace the oil that our hair has lost. I have a relaxer on my hair which makes it much easier to manage. I believe that Michelle and her girls either get their hair straightened or relaxed as well. When I wash my hair, I blow it dry and curl it with a flat iron and go. If I were to let it air dry, it would be very wavy. I prefer the manageability of wearing it straight.

****is it true that once you go black you never go back? LOL...
I married a black man yet, I've dated white guys, and hispanic guys as well. I don't think that it's necessarily true that once you go black you never go back. I think it's more of a preference thing. My oldest daughter is married to a white guy and my youngest is madly in love with a guy who is also white. I adore my son in law. He's a wonderful husband for my daughter. My fiance is also black but I'm totally for interracial dating.

Keep the questions coming! Feel free to ask inquiring questions too. Really, the only way to know is to ask.

Until later....