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Wow...great story....had to go all the way to Scotland to go to school! I guess that's why Black Colleges were invented. American Slavery was a textbook example of how one culture could completely mind-screw another culture. Even the Byzantines, Greeks, Romans, etc. would eventually absorb whatever cultural group they conquered (after killing the fighting-age males of course). They'd marry the women and within a few generations the old culture would be irrevocably overwritten with the new. Here, there was lots of sex between cultures, but no marriage, no family assimilation, no education or intergenerational wealth transfer. Now, hundreds of years on, the descendants of slaves are still mostly unassimilated. I think its more cruel to be forever a "nation within a nation", always 2nd class, always looked down upon. The only reason this man's family assimilated was because they denied their true heritage. I'm sure a great percentage of Americans have slave ancestry....just acknowledge it and move on. Assimilate already and most of this wasteful infighting would end.
American Slavery was much more insidious that any other instance in history because whites here conspired the actually create a human animal by depriving Blacks or an essential need which is education. In essence they attempt to shut off any light into the minds of Black people. This is what makes a story like this so much more inspirational. I'd never even heard of this man. So that the objective of the American educational system is the same as its always been regarding Blacks.
Why does the "Race" box even appear on documents? Does that fact seem to indicate that there may be an insidious reason behind wanting to know? That reason may even be an attempt by some people or governmental group to maintain a divisiveness between people. Perhaps we should all simply stop checking the box that asks the question of race. Why should this question EVER be asked? Does anyone have the answer? If so, please post it here. I'm very open to thoughts on this subject.
The "Race" box... it appears because folks "want" to be identified when it is convenient to collect revenue, get grants for funding, be identified as a minority owned business, want special treat for admission, want to be recognized for their differences. I don't really object to the "Race box"... but if you work at a federal or state operated facility.. you are very familiar with the "reace box" because it is often required by the feds if your organization receives federal support or you are a federal/state agency. The race box excludes some people of race as much as it includes others. Think about it...
Maybe some day it will disappear... but I suspect not without a fight...
I agree wholeheartedly with Bashir. This is one thing I could never quite grasp during the time I lived in NYC. I grew up in Puerto Rico where most people feel proud of the mix heritage (in fact, when someone claims to be "white"...the ensuing question is: Sure, and you grandma, where's she from?). While we have some bigots--they are a very very small minority, and most of the time, frowned upon.
There's something that people in modern times seem to miss about the history of Black people in American History...even though a lot of people now seem "Post-Racial" that does not change the fact that historically this was a very segregated nation. People weren't necessarily considered "biracial" back then...Either you were black or you weren't and if you had one black ancestor you were considered Black and treated as such. So now people are trying to get away from that which in a lot of ways is a good thing...but it's kind of silly to look back on yesteryear with today's lenses and pretend that things didn't happen. This is a happy story in a lot of ways because people who "passed" did so at the expense of knowing and passing along their own family history. Here's a family that gets their history back. Good for them.
Was? What!
"The story of why Smith was nearly overlooked by history and buried in an unmarked grave is in part due to the centuries-old practice of light-skinned blacks "passing" as white to escape racial prejudice."
......................... ............................................
So basically this "black" doctor was a white guy with black ancestry.
No, he was a biracial person with both Black and White ancestry.
In those days his children would have been considered Black pretending to be white. The doctor would have probably been considered a "mulatto" back then (the specific biracial quality of having one African-American parent and one of European Ancestry). His children were "passing." Technically both mulattos and their descendants are usually considered Black due to the way that racial classifications were legally enforced. (If you had one Black ancestor, you were legally considered Black and could not put "White" on your birth certificate.) Passing was a wretched practice that came about to deal with the ugly reality of being Black in this country's history. How cool it is that people can be "Black" "White" or "Biracial" today and still be guaranteed the same freedoms. Thank God for change!
You have absolutely no idea of that which you speak. Maybe you should ask black people about all those freedoms that they share with the 1st class citizens of the Country. Not nearly as much has changed as you think....All the ugly has been honed to a fine art and hidden away behind the facade of Democracy. Walk in someone's shoes before you pretend to know what is happeneing to the run down heels and worn soles(souls).
Why does the "Race" box even appear on documents? Does that fact seem to indicate that there may be an insidious reason behind wanting to know? That reason may even be an attempt by some people or governmental group to maintain a divisiveness between people. Perhaps we should all simply stop checking the box that asks the question of race. Why should this question EVER be asked? Does anyone have the answer? If so, please post it here. I'm very open to thoughts on this subject.
Alltheway live...I'm a black person and I have plenty of idea of which I speak. When I say guaranteed freedoms, I'm referring to codified law not to the way people actually get treated. I don't need to ask anybody about that.
Hey, truth speaker2u, he was a Black man who had to go to Scotland, to get the education being denied in the United States. Actually very common in this country. More important, you have a VERY NIAVE view of race relations. There were no "white guys" with Black ancestry. If you were 1/64th Black, then you were Black. If you were 1/128th Black, then you were Black. Yea right, a "White guy with Black ancestry." (LMAO)
Truth speaker2u, if you read the article carefully, you will see that it was the doctor's children, not the man himself, who "passed" as white. Made life much easier for them, I'm sure.
Wow... we (all people) have no reason to complain about failure or overcoming obstacles. This man made a way our of what was seemingly no way. Ahhh... the determination of the human spirit... which of course, has no color.
He could pass for white. Imagine not being able to.
U.S. citizens -- both Black White -- need to get beyond the "one-drop rule", meaning one drop of Black blood automatically makes a person Black. People that have a Black parent and a White parent are not Black, but in fact are biracial. Further, a person like the champion speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, who has a White mother and a Japanese father, is considered to be White. He is not. Anymore than he could be considered Japanese. However, if his parents were Black and Japanese, he would automatically be considered Black. This notion makes no sense. Like Apolo Anton Ohno, this person would be biracial. And, don't even get me started on Obama being the first Black president of the United States. He is not. He is the first BIRACIAL president. His daughters are 3/4 Black and 1/4 White. These are the facts.
The First daughters' genotype is predominately Black. Their phenotype (physical looks) are also Black. Most people passing those cute girls on the street would see Black girls as they would see Obama (as a Black male) if he and his family were not so well known. It isn't Blacks who made/enforced the one drop Black blood rule defining one Black. This was made law by Whites who enforced Jim Crow. Blacks had to go along with the system. They had no social rights and were treated as inferiors. This is why Blacks with (light) White skin, hair texture, eye coloring, (and facial features) "passed" for Whites. This gave them the opportunity not to be treated as an inferior and to live enjoying priviledges in life as Whites. They married White and had children with their White partners being none the wiser generally. Hopefully their offspring didn't reach back in the genetic pool and pick up a Black feature(s). -Then they were probably busted. On that note many American Blacks today have White DNA per American slave history. Thus they are every bit mixed blooded but, taken for Black. Due to the sensitive issue of race and prejudice, being a Black mix makes one Black unless they keep quiet about being part Black and are able to "pass". The one drop Black blood rule was made by Whites who wanted (wish) to keep race purity. On that note, if I'm not mistaken, Michelle Obamas' family tree was found to have Whites in it. People take you for what you look like. For Biracial folks, if you are "White" enough to pass then call yourselves White if you wish. Otherwise the world will most likely regard you as Black. It can be important for Biracial children to be taught they have the best of both worlds and to embrace their different heritages. They are in a unique position. This can give them a healthy self concept. Obama has stated many times he's been treated Black his whole life and could not get a taxi. I'd guess if we didn't know him as the POTUS, he'd be just another Black male. He resembles many Black men I've seen day to day. People take you for what you look like. Unfortunately it's still a very race conscious world.
Tuxster, black people are the only group of people in America whose "race" was legally defined. That's the problem. For me to redefine my great-grandmother's race, I have to redefine my own self-image. Not easy to do. Further, slave women were raped. I'm not in any hurry to claim the rapist side of my heritage.
The one drop rule was law in some places. It was a legal definitation. It's not something to "get over." That's something that has to be changed or rescinded in state houses. Meanwhile, if Apollo Ohno wants to consider himself white, then that's his choice as much as it was choice for Dr. Smith's children who could to consider themselves White. And if Barack Obama wants to consider himself the first Black president then that's what he is because in a lot of states that's what he is. And believe it, that's how he's been treated in some places. You don't get to define people just because you want to. Think about it, people used to say that Bill Clinton was the first Black president, but wishing it and saying it didn't make it so. Those are the facts.
"I never, ever would have thought that I had a black ancestor".
Wow can you imagine the fear spreading across white America when they too realize that they may be black. America made the one drop rule in defining who is black. The notion of biracial is a non starter because due to the rape of black women during slavery by their owners and other interracial mating it is nearly impossible to find a "pure African" descendant in African Americans today. Thus we (African Americans) are all "bi-racial". On on the other hand because whites may indeed "have a black ancestor" they too may be "bi-racial" or black.
I would suggest the answer is not for blacks to "assimilate already" but for the nation to acknowledge and celebrate "our" rich African heritage just as we celebrate the European heritage.
Well if the Out of Africa theory is correct, and I suspect it is, we ALL have black ancestors!
"Wow can you imagine the fear spreading across white America when they too realize that they may be black. America made the one drop rule in defining who is black." Fifty years ago it might have provoked a great amount of fear across "white America." Back then, the "one-drop rule" had serious repercussions if anyone knew about that one drop.
But nowadays, white people who discover a black ancestor will say, "Hey, my kids will qualify for diversity incentives! Whoopee!"
it's amazing how much history we as africian american have in this country call american too yet uncover. .i'am proud to know that we did great things for our people and this country!
Many white Americans would be surprised who is in their family tree. "Passing" was common then and is common today.
Thanks for including this article on this widely read medium. Unfortunately, many uninformed Americans have little knowledge of the achievements of Americans of African descent in the 18 and 19th centuries. While Americans of every ethnic background have contributed to the greatness of this country, certain groups traditionally have been excluded in the written history of this country. Some might question the necessity of highlighting achievements of certain segments of society, however, since persons of certain groups(Native Americans, Jewish Americans, Asian Americans and others) were either not identified as a particular ethnicity or systematically excluded from historical accounts, this only makes the record more complete or accurate, in a manner speaking. The other element raised, somewhat indirectly, in this article is the means by which we as Americans determine race. The fact that a person with one grandparent of African descent and three grandparents of European descent would be considered African American is certainly worth consideration and discussion. Obviously, there must be some rationale and driving force behind this method of classification. Before any substantial and productive discussions concerning relationships among the various ethnic components of our society can begin, we must review the roots of how and why we classify each other as we do and what significance this has on the function of our culture. By the way, since so many Americans with some African heritage "passed" as Caucasian during the past 200 years, there would probably be a significant number of "surprised Americans" if the biological truth were revealed. You might ask yourself why bother with all this revelation, historical realignment and discussions of race and ethnicity. I would only ask you to review the Census trends and projections for this country and the emerging world economic powers for the answer. Capitalism knows no color or ethnicity, but functions best for those who understand its principles and use them to their advantage.
Now will the government celebrate a day in his honor and have another work free holiday with pay?
Why are we so concerned about his skin color? I thought we were expected (and required by law) to look beyond such things--you know, "...not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."
Required by law? Seriously. Only the blind may be color-blind. That's a stupid and impossible goal. It doesn't work. Diversity is what we should be aiming for--not some anachronistic notion of assimilation.
I am very glad i got a chance to read this story. people of all color and all races have at some point in history had to do difficult things to achieve their dream. its interesting to learn that Smith could have stayed in Scotland or even migrated somewhere else in Europe, but instead chose to come back to the country and state that denied him an education. it may not always seem like it but we blacks love this country too
Here is a quote from Roderick Spencer, who is White, and has been married to actress Alfre Woodard for something like 22 years. She is Black. They have reared 2 children.
Despite his WASP roots, Spencer has internalized an African-American perspective. "America views my children as black, so I am a black father. I view the world very differently now as a member of a large black family--I'm not a guest in that world."
I think their children probably have a healthy self concept and feel accepted for who they are. Seems like a terrific family-- race aside as well.
Why does the "Race" box even appear on documents? Does that fact seem to indicate that there may be an insidious reason behind wanting to know? That reason may even be an attempt by some people or governmental group to maintain a divisiveness between people. Perhaps we should all simply stop checking the box that asks the question of race. Why should this question EVER be asked? Does anyone have the answer? If so, please post it here. I'm very open to thoughts on this subject.
i'm totally against that box too. first and foremost you are an american.the color of your skin, your religion, your nationality,and any other information due the heritage of a person, is archaic, and based on ignorance. in this day and age it is beyond my comprehension why any socalled civilized country would even bother to list such ignorant stupid questions.if anyone disputes this then they have their head stuck stuck up their back ends.they're still living in the stone age.
when the census form came out i simply wrote in, in the section of race, an American.if anyone questioned it,i would of told them where to blow it.i refuse to answer stupid questions.they give lame excuses as to why it's listed.i don't buy it and i don't like it,as i said lame excuses.
to me any question pertaining to race,national origin,etc. is racist, ignorant, antiquated, and most of all insulting, to people and to people's intelligence..
the Doctor which this article is about,Bravo this man, after all these years, is getting the recognition,that is well deserved.Bravo to his family also for honoring him.
Thank you (gloria fabiaschi). I once asked a Senator from California (you can guess which one), why the questions about race and religion appear. She answered that this was the only way that the federal government could properly return the tax money to the States. I answered that garnering and then returning money was quite inefficient, and that wouldn't it be better to let the States take care of themselves. Private benevolent organizations such as the Salvation Army could take very good care of the temporarily disadvantaged in a very efficient manner. Her answer to my statement was first a blank stare...and then the accusation that I must be one of those States Rights nuts.
Kevin these people always have some manufactured excuse.
Shame
What a sad and all to often repeated story of genius and selflessness overlooked because of the evil effects of slavery. Oh how it makes my heart ache to think society could be so cruel. Just imagine the loss of greatness in each potential black doctor, teacher,scientist, civic leader or inventor, wasted for the material gain and unchristian actions of heartless land owners who treated blacks people like animals.
I think that's messed for the children of James McCane Smith not to empower his achievement on being the first black physician to be honored. I guess they didn' t felt comfortable on being the race that they are. The man should've gotten the credit he deserved knowing that there weren't many black physicians in those days but I guess it was because of segregation.