Posted: Tue 21 Oct 2008 17:26 Post subject: How far back does the one drop rule go?
I understand the basics of the one drop rule. "If you have one drop of black blood, you are black".
However there has to be a cut off point and that's what I'm asking about. When does the one drop rule stop? We know if you go back far enough we are all from Africa but if the ODR was applied to that everyone would be called black. So there must be an even more recent cut off point.
Say for instance someone has a black grandfather in the year 1450 AD and the rest of his ancestors were white. This person would certainly look white to everyone, does the ODR apply to this person? So where does it stop? 1/16? 1/32?
Posted: Tue 21 Oct 2008 20:27 Post subject: Re: How far back does the one drop rule go?
abu isabella wrote:
When does the one drop rule stop?
Until about 1910 it varied greatly among different regions of the nation. Most states used 1/8; if one great-grand parent was mixed and the other seven were White, then you were White. Several states used 1/4; if one grandparent was mixed and the other three were White then you were White. Two states used 1/2; if one parent was mixed and the other was White then you were White. One state had a law that if you were rich and owned slaves then you were White by definition, no matter who your parents were.
Then, in 1910, just about every state switched to a law that any drop of African ancestry, no matter how far back, made you Black. It sounds odd today because nowadays we know that our species evolved in Africa and left Africa to colonize the planet a mere 70 kya. But in 1910 most scientists sincerely believed that White folks evolved from White European apes, Black folks evolved from Black African apes, Chinese folks evolved from yellow Chinese apes, ... etc. And so, a "true White person" (in their eyes) had no African ancestry, ever.
Posted: Tue 21 Oct 2008 23:29 Post subject: Re: Thanks!
abu isabella wrote:
Thanks for the info.
You're welcome.
I should add that ever since the civil rights movement of 1955-65, state and federal legislatures gradually abandoned "racial" classification laws and left the problem to the courts.
Since about 1987, courts in the U.S. have rejected the one-drop rule of "racial" classification that became law around 1910. Nowadays they also reject the old fractional definitions that were popular in the 1800s.
Instead, they now are moving more and more towards a "community membership" view of "racial" classification. If you are accepted by local African-American political leadership, the courts will rule you Black, no matter what you look like, no matter where your ancestors came from. Conversely, if you are rejected by local African-American political leadership, the courts will rule you not-Black, no matter what you look like, no matter where your ancestors came from.
Posted: Wed 22 Oct 2008 22:08 Post subject: Re: How far back does the one drop rule go?
fwsweet wrote:
abu isabella wrote:
When does the one drop rule stop?
Until about 1910 it varied greatly among different regions of the nation. Most states used 1/8; if one great-grand parent was mixed and the other seven were White, then you were White. Several states used 1/4; if one grandparent was mixed and the other three were White then you were White. Two states used 1/2; if one parent was mixed and the other was White then you were White. One state had a law that if you were rich and owned slaves then you were White by definition, no matter who your parents were.
Then, in 1910, just about every state switched to a law that any drop of African ancestry, no matter how far back, made you Black. It sounds odd today because nowadays we know that our species evolved in Africa and left Africa to colonize the planet a mere 70 kya. But in 1910 most scientists sincerely believed that White folks evolved from White European apes, Black folks evolved from Black African apes, Chinese folks evolved from yellow Chinese apes, ... etc. And so, a "true White person" (in their eyes) had no African ancestry, ever.
This is interesting! That's why I like this forum. It's fortunate to have a historian who has knowledge about these topics and someone who always quotes their sources!
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