TRANSCRIPT:
FANSHEN: Recently I asked my friends – when was the first time that they heard about the one-drop rule. And their answers were really incredible, so we’re sharing them here and we’d like to hear yours – so send us an email, tweet us, anything and let us know, “When was the first time YOU learned about the one-drop rule?”
LAURA: My name is Laura Black, and the first time I heard about the one-drop rule was in the 7th grade. An English teacher had introduced me to Langston Hughes. I read Simple Takes a Wife written in 1953. And the quote was,
“It’s powerful,” he said. “What?” “That one drop of Negro blood. Because
just one drop of black blood, makes a man colored. One drop? You are a Negro.”
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I’m not sure of the first time I was taught the One Drop rule but for as long as I can remember my mother drilled it into me.
I’m a light skinned, bi-racial woman. My mother is black and my father is white, but my mother was always adamant about the rule. I was too check the box for black on forms and to tell people that I was black. Period. The bottom line was we’re black, we’re proud of our culture and heritage and we will not let anyone tell us otherwise. That’s the way it has always been and that’s the way it is.
Thank you so much for sharing your story. It’s moving and informative about this country’s history with race and racism. By sharing your story, you are helping to undo that. Perhaps you’ll be up for making a video at some point too!