#Black Identity

[alwaysbewoke]

this is chief among the reasons why i have no respect for black republicans.

[wesleysniperking]

Usopp, Representation, and the Black Experience: My Perspective (maybe TL;DR)

Disclaimer: This post reflects my personal interpretation and connection with Usopp's character. I understand that not everyone may share the same perspective, and that's okay. This is just my own take based on my experiences and thoughts about identity and representation.

When it comes to Black characters, I’ve noticed a recurring theme where they often distance themselves from their non-Black friends or take time away due to personal struggles. It’s a reflection of the weight they carry, and sometimes there’s even some regret for doing so. I can think of plenty of shows that have touched on this, and honestly, I get it. A lot of Black people, myself included, feel the need to face things alone, likely because of deep-rooted issues tied to our history, upbringing, and the challenges of navigating predominantly non-Black spaces—especially when tokenism is involved.

I’ve been that person, and in many ways, I still am. My sister and mom often joke that Usopp feels like a Black guy with a lot of “white” friends. They also mention how Black men, especially those in subcultures like the hipster scene, often juggle two social circles. My cousin, a big One Piece fan, is the perfect example of this. Even Jacob Gibson, who plays Usopp in the live-action series, gives off a similar vibe.

I know this might come off as blunt or even as a generalization, but to me, Usopp reflects a part of the Black experience. He’s like the Lando (or Finn) in Star Wars, Link Hayes in The Mod Squad, Noah in Young Riders, and Marcellus in The Originals. He’s the Renee in Ally McBeal, Tucker in Danny Phantom, Black Panther in Avengers, Cyborg in Teen Titans, Gerald in Hey Arnold, James Rhodes in Iron Man, Chris Washington in Get Out, Ben in Night of the Living Dead, and Christopher in Scrubs. He’s that Black guy.

Maybe One Piece could show Usopp as more than just his race, but it’s hard to ignore the connection. And that’s okay. It’s something I’ve been reflecting on for a while, and I wanted to share it.

GIF credit

[creatingblackcharacters2]

I'm Serious.

I promise I'm not just talking out of my ass lol. I do feel passionately about the topic. And again, I can't make anyone do anything, and every Black person may not feel the same. But if you're going to write to me directly to ask me for help about my identity, show respect to my identity by capitalizing the B in Black.

[steve-needs-a-hug]

It's really, really interesting to see how certain people are talking about a biracial mixed-race woman now that she may be about to become the US president.

At the orange felon's rally, Michaelah Montgomery (a Black woman and conservative activist) defended his comments claiming that Kamala Harris had always used to be an Indian woman, and has suddenly "turned Black" now. Montgomery went even further to say that "the same Black people who are mad at Trump for being confused about her race, ethnicity, nationality, whatever, are seemingly forgetting that while you're touting her as a savior for black people, she identifies as an Asian woman, [...] She chose her side, and it wasn't ours."

Someone I know on IG messaged me saying Harris is not Black. I responded that her father is Jamaican, and they responded by stating that doesn't make her Black, and sending screenshots of news headlines touting Harris as the first Indian-American US senator.

As a mixed-race person myself this rhetoric sounds incredibly bizarre. In what world does Harris being the first Indian-American senator and then VP make her not Black anymore? She is Black and she is Indian. It's not complicated.

Although I'm sure there's variety in how mixed-race people conceptualize their identity, I know that even though I'm genetically half-Slavic and half-West Asian, I have never identified as half-anything. I am a Pole and I am a Persian. When I'm singing along to disco polo with my Polish friends, I'm Polish. When I'm on holiday with family eating joojeh kabob, I'm Persian. I've studied identity for the past 3 years of graduate school, and I know that the identity that defines you most in the moment is determined by the context you currently exist in. It's not complicated.

This divisive rhetoric has reached a new level of insane, and I hope to hear more people speak out about it.

[ghost-37]

On this day in 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, NY.

Edit: In a conspiracy that involved federal, state and local officials, on 28 February 1965, Malcolm X was assassinated while speaking at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, NY.

[blackstar1887]

Unraveling Identity: Cam'ron, African Americans, and a Pan-African Perspective

[sbrown82]

Did you have any difficulty growing up as a mixed Afrolatina and relating to your African American side? I know most of my friends had a hard time but was it different then than it is now?

Hol' up, hol' up, anon! I'm not sure of how you came to this, but I am not mixed, I am not biracial, I am not ethnically ambiguous, I am not a "5 percenter"....I AM BLACK! I may be a little light-skinnedededed 🥴🤣, but, like many light-skinned Blacks, I don't know, nor do I care where my fair complexion comes from. I am a mono-racial Black woman. I was born in New York City to two Black Nicaraguan parents, both of whom speak Spanish as a first language, they both have Caribbean accents and Jewish last names. And even though I was born in this country, I don't actually identify as "African-American" mainly because I don't feel like the term fully describes who I am (to me, it erases my Latinaness and my Caribbeaness). It also represents a culture, heritage, history, and understanding that I don't have. I mean, it ain't like I can say I got family and roots in Mississippi and grew up on collard greens and cornbread. I also feel like a lot of people use this term to put ALL people of the African descent under the same umbrella: for instance, I once heard someone refer to Naomi Campbell as an "African-American" model, and I thought "No she ain't!" She is a Black British woman of Jamaican heritage. So, me personally, I just say I am Black, if people want to know more about me, they can just ask. But to answer your question, HELL NAH...I've never had a problem with my Blackness...ever. I loooove being Black. I bask in it. I know a lot negroes that live past the Rio Grande do, and it's a damn shame, but that was not my experience. I'm very aware and proud of my Blackness. In fact, it was much easier, and honestly, more comfortable for me to gravitate toward people who look like me growing up (i.e. Black Americans). Mind you, even though my parents are Hispanics, I did not grow up speaking the language myself, I'd never been to the country until my teens, and of course I'm Black, so I didn't look like most of the Latinos I saw on TV (who all looked Italian to me). To be honest, it was harder to accept that I was Latina because I just didn't fit into what most people think of Latinos. Sometimes I even felt embarrassed of my Hispanic heritage. I mean, I felt Hispanic around my family and inside my own home, but once I left those 4 walls, I did at times feel like an outsider because people didn't understand that Black folks like me existed.

[influencingforjohn]

Black girls deserve to be in love too . Black woman deserve marriage too . Black mothers deserve dedicated fathers to their children too . Black nurses DESERVE roles in leadership too .

[realjaysumlin]

(31) Women and Blacks on TV | Charlotte O'Kelly - Academia.edu

Nothing has changed since the beginning of radio and television which often degrade women and everyone Black. Imaging means a lot and this is something that no one who isn't considered as being a white male should support.

Even in commercials the image of the white male is portrayed as being the ideal male for families and properly fitted above all males on earth. While picturing the Black Indigenous Male as unfit and dangerous.

This type of imagery is disturbing because it has so many negative effects on the Black Indigenous Males in particular when it causes unprovoked violence against them by law enforcement agencies and others.

[louart1]

Exploring Black Identity with Kerry James Marshall | Art21

[wesleysniperking]

Usopp’s identity

I understand that some people disagree with the idea that Usopp is Black, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, I do believe there are those in the fandom who go out of their way to deny Usopp’s Black identity as a way to mask their unconscious bias. We all have biases to some extent—that’s inevitable. But to refer to people who argue for Usopp’s representation as a 'crying minority' is both insensitive and dismissive. It’s baffling how some can be so blunt and careless about race and stereotypes online, yet act differently in public. Now that Usopp’s skin tone seems to be getting lighter, the debate has become even more heated.

[captaingimpy]

Review of United Shades of America: Reflections on Race, Gentrification, and Identity

W. Kamau Bell’s United Shades of America feels like one of those rare shows that doesn’t just scratch the surface of difficult conversations but digs deep into the messiness of what it means to live in the U.S., especially if you’re marginalized. What strikes me about Bell as a host is how he genuinely relates to people. He’s not just another journalist asking questions. You can see he’s putting…

[blackponderer]

"Tip of the Spear" by Orisanni Burton (p. 4)

[ghost-37]