I know some of you are wondering where I am going with this blog. Well hang in there with me for a moment and you will see. For those of you unfamiliar with the term "redbone", it is a term which is less than complimentary used to describe beautiful black people of lighter complexion. I am not sure of the origins but I can bet that it probably has origins from slavery. And I will also bet that most derogatory terms we use come from the plantation. Unless you live under a rock, I know you have heard about the Don Imus incident. No, I am not here to re-hash it all but I wouldn't be my opinionated self, if I didn't mention it before I make my point.
First of all, while I don't agree with the derogatory messages in Hip Hop, I do not think Hip Hop music had anything to do with Don Imus's comments. He said what was in his heart and directed to a specific group of women. Also, I wasn't necessarily taken back by the "nappyhead" comment cause well, truth be told alot of us have nappy heads. And that is nothing to be ashamed of. It is what it is. In fact with the emergence of dreads and natural hair styles, African Americans have come to love their hair. But to call those females, "hoes" was way out of line. Nevertheless, we as black folks are up in arms and want Don's head on a platter. He crossed a line and but had he been a black man, would he have been okay with saying this? Not to me. Rude and disrespectful is rude and disrespectful, no matter what color.
So is there a double standard? Some say no, but I say oh heck yeah. In fact, I have been a victim of this double standard most of my life that I have memory. For those of you who may not realize this, but in the African American community, I was born a "redbone". Although, I am sure the doctor told my mother she had a healthy nine pound baby girl of which I am sure she was and still is truly proud. And, get this, she named me Sherry, not "Redbone", after the song "Sherry Baby", that 1960's song. In the African American community, we love giving each other nicknames. I think most of the time, they are usually terms of endearment, however, even as a child as well as an adult, I never found any love when folks (often family members) referred to me as a "redbone" or "high yellow". I mean, we all know where this color stigma began...back on the plantation where the light skinned slaves worked in the house and the darker skinned slaves worked outside which obviously caused some division among the people. And while most of us in 2007 have never been a slave or worked on a plantation, we still treat each other like we are working for "Massa". The irony is that we want the Caucasian community to realize we are not still on the plantation but we continue to behave like we are still living there.
Is the a double standard? Yes. Because should I ever make reference to any African American who is darker than myself in some way that is less than complimentary, I am sure I would be labeled as "thinking I was better than", or "thinking I am white" or some other label. But yet and still, as a black person with the lighter hue, is it okay in 2007 to refer to me as a "redbone"? I don't think so and I am speaking out on behalf of all the light skinned beautiful black people. Racism from other races is not cool and Racism from your own is even less cool.
Now I know what yall are thinking, "Sherry, you ain't never made reference to another black person's color in a derogatory way." Honestly, no I don't recall and if I have God forgive me. I have used color to describe someone but I never thought to make fun of something a person has no control over. Why? Well, it would be silly for me to make fun of light skinned people since I am one. Plus why disrespect my mother who is a beautiful light skinned woman. And why would I make fun of someone who is dark when my father is a beautiful dark skinned man. And why would I, when my family is a beautiful collage of African Americans who have different skin tones. And why would I when I have friends who range from beautifully dark to spectacularly light. No, my friend, color makes no difference to me.
Don't get me wrong, I am not taking anything from those of you with dark skin who have suffered the same racism from your own people. But I can only speak to the situation I know. However, what I am really saying is that it is ALL wrong no matter what color you are and how you have been treated. And we all know, two wrongs, don't make a right.
So if my skin color bothers you, you must take that up with the One responsible for it. You see in the womb, God said he knew me. He made me in his image and according to Psalm 139:13 -14:
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
I am in no position to dispute the Almighty about his choice to use the light brown crayon on my body. So in that respect, I will proudly accept His choice. And I am so glad His concern is for my soul and not based on my skin color. In order to rid our community of this plague that has followed us off the plantation, be proud of who you are and learn to respect others for who they are.
Peace and blessings to everyone, especially my blog readers (black, white, brown, purple, green...) but most of all, this blog goes out to the "REDBONES!"
5 comments:
Sherry,
You hit it right on the head with this one. I always enjoy reading your blogs and definetly believe GOD has given you a beautiful gift with words where you can be truthful, biblical and just real!!!
However, this redbone and high yellow thing, it's gotta go. Being a biracial child raised by my mother's parents who are white it was real hard. I never talked like I was from the hood,which in our community gives you credibility. I was too dark for the white kids and way to yellow for the black kids. When I went to college and these dark skinned brothers would be like I love my redbone and big bone sistas, i was ready to fight!!!! It is ironic how our community always wants to talk about how white people are against us and we just keep under their rules and ways, never able to get ahead. But why don't people understand we are bringing one another down when we are racist towards one another and we make music that objectifies our beautiful sistas???? Now if other races see that we accept this treatment from our own, why would they believe that they needed to treat us any different??? I could go on and on about this subject but really what I came to say is thanks for your insight and reminding me that however light my skin may be.....GOD colored my skin himself in the exact shade HE wanted and I am fearfully and wonderfullly made. I will praise HIM because HE made me in HIS image and if I am in HIS image, I don't care what people say!!!!!
Thanks Sherry! Be blessed my sister!
Love you
Rachel
Sherry.. girlFRIEND!! Loved this blog. Although I am not what some consider a "Redbone".. I am on the lighter end of the spectrum of the glorious colors that African-Americans can come in. Its funny because I have also noticed that those who are lumped into this category of "Redbone" vary according to geographical area of the country. Growing up in Ohio and moving to the DC metropolitan area I was surprised the first time someone told me that I was "Red" because where I grew up I am considered brown skinned or caramel. I know for a FACT how mad it makes me that LOTS of US refer to lighter skinned African-Americans in such a derogatory manner. To me it is very sad that we as a people continue to perpetuate negative attitudes towards variance of skin color within the race. We are all of African descent ... PERIOD! We are all beautifully and wonderfully made .. PERIOD! Girl, you had me in front of my computer screen givin' up the most claps. My father is a very light-skinned green-eyed African American man and I have heard his stories and his pain associated with skin color and My mother is a beautiful dark-skinned African-American woman and I have heard her stories and her pain associated with being a dark skinned woman. Why as a people have we not gotten past this..I dont know...but when we begin to speak out and start a dialogue I believe it to be a very essential part of the healing process. Your article really helped me to reaffirm that God makes us all the way He wants us to be and that really we should all be trying to uplift each other instead of focusing on our differences.
Love ya!
Becky
Sherry Sherry,
I really enjoyed reading this blog. I, too suffered from the same nonsense, but from the other end of the color spectrum. All my life I've heard "You are pretty black girl." or "You are my little chocolate doll." I would find myself wondering, "Why couldn't I just be a pretty girl or a doll?" Why did everything have to be associated with my hue? I carried this issue with me for years and years. When I went to college as a freshman, it got worse. It seemed that people (boys, in particular) wouldn't talk to me. It would seem that all the other people would talk to each other. And I attributed that to my color. (18 year old logic,hmmm...) Then I had a light skinned roommate and all the boys would come to the yard! Well,what I neglected to say was I was painfully shy and seldom spoke up. Ummm...you get what you give! It was not until years later, that I came across the verse that you quoted..."I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous is thy works and my soul is right well..." that I knew that I was made in His image and this is How He wanted me to be. I took comfort in that verse and knowing that God didn't make no junk! So, to all my motley brothers and sisters, you are beautiful and you are the way you are supposed to be. This saying is corny, but God don't make no junk!
LTW
I also agree with you , when you talk about skin color, but i must say this, i am from great old Philadelphia, and never did i have to deal with men mostly, refer to me as that pretty black girl. Living down south now, i am so sick of hearing men say , there is nothing like a redbone(excuse my language)but , they say stuff like , the pussy is better looking or the skin complexion is better, but what they don't realize is that there is a big difference in a redbone and yellowbone."Redbone" is a term used to describe certain racially mixed ethnic groups in the Americas. Many use the term "redbone" for African Americans with light skin. This still seems to cause controversy and confusion among people. The actual term is "yellowbone". The two terms tend to blur when one can say someone is "so light that you can see the red blood flowing though their bones".
Contents [hide]
1 Origins
2 Famous yellowbones
3 Redbones in literature
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
[edit] Origins
There are two classes of "Redbones" and are two separate ethnic people. The first ethnic group who were called "Redbones" were groups of multi-ethnic families with similar or the same English surnames who were labeled as Free Persons of Color, Mulatto or Indian by early American census takers. The term was used for these mixed race multi-ethnic groups of families in Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi and East Texas.
The ancestry is said to consist of a combination of two or more of the following ethnicities; Northern European, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Native American and African ancestry of various degrees and mixtures. The origin of this group is probably from Southern states, where many minorities freely mixed, in short multiracial and some not.
The Native American tribes in these groups may include the Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Coushatta, Cheraw, Tuscarora, Nansemond and members of the Powhatan Confederation.
A specific brown-to-reddish skinned people of Louisiana with dark eyes and straight, frizzy or curly hair. They are often thought of as a tri-racial people of Native American, African and some form of Eastern or Western European heritage. Redbones are not necessarily Creole or Cajun, nor mixed with any other heritage-they traditionally speak English.
"Redbone" is seemingly a term common in the Neutral Zone and East Texas among nineteenth century era Euro-Americans and African Americans who thought they were referencing people of multi-ethnic genetics. Later generations of these two ethnicities seemingly continued to reference the descendants of these racially obscure people to the extent that some of these descendants seemingly began to think of themselves as "redbone." A usage is also claimed for an isolated enclave in South Carolina whose complexions confounded their neighbors. Close scrutiny reveals only vaguely distinct differences between the culture of the referenced people and the culture of the dominant Euro-Americans surrounding them wherever the epithet is used.
"Melungeon" is simply another epithet seemingly used in similar fashion with evidenced history to about the same era which produced the terms "redbone", "moor", "brass ankle", etc. All these terms have been associated with many of the same surnames. The term "melungeon" was seemingly common among Euro Americans and African Americans in Tennessee and Kentucky before its usages was recently expanded through tourism promotions and genealogy marketers.
Sherry , i agree with the points that you have made, i also have a big issue with the way people focus on the color of the skin. I am from Philly and now i am located down south and i get tired of hearing , you a preety black girl.Living in Philly, i never was confronted with the color of my skin , but down south i hear stuff like(and excuse my language)redbones pussy look better or the skin complexion is prettier or that the lighter you are the better. To me , many peolpe are confused about what a redbone and yellowbone is, so i decided to break down the meaning...."Redbone" is a term used to describe certain racially mixed ethnic groups in the Americas. Many use the term "redbone" for African Americans with light skin. This still seems to cause controversy and confusion among people. The actual term is "yellowbone". The two terms tend to blur when one can say someone is "so light that you can see the red blood flowing though their bones".
Contents [hide]
1 Origins
2 Famous yellowbones
3 Redbones in literature
4 See also
5 References
6 External links
[edit] Origins
There are two classes of "Redbones" and are two separate ethnic people. The first ethnic group who were called "Redbones" were groups of multi-ethnic families with similar or the same English surnames who were labeled as Free Persons of Color, Mulatto or Indian by early American census takers. The term was used for these mixed race multi-ethnic groups of families in Louisiana, South Carolina, Mississippi and East Texas.
The ancestry is said to consist of a combination of two or more of the following ethnicities; Northern European, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Native American and African ancestry of various degrees and mixtures. The origin of this group is probably from Southern states, where many minorities freely mixed, in short multiracial and some not.
The Native American tribes in these groups may include the Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Coushatta, Cheraw, Tuscarora, Nansemond and members of the Powhatan Confederation.
A specific brown-to-reddish skinned people of Louisiana with dark eyes and straight, frizzy or curly hair. They are often thought of as a tri-racial people of Native American, African and some form of Eastern or Western European heritage. Redbones are not necessarily Creole or Cajun, nor mixed with any other heritage-they traditionally speak English.
"Redbone" is seemingly a term common in the Neutral Zone and East Texas among nineteenth century era Euro-Americans and African Americans who thought they were referencing people of multi-ethnic genetics. Later generations of these two ethnicities seemingly continued to reference the descendants of these racially obscure people to the extent that some of these descendants seemingly began to think of themselves as "redbone." A usage is also claimed for an isolated enclave in South Carolina whose complexions confounded their neighbors. Close scrutiny reveals only vaguely distinct differences between the culture of the referenced people and the culture of the dominant Euro-Americans surrounding them wherever the epithet is used.
"Melungeon" is simply another epithet seemingly used in similar fashion with evidenced history to about the same era which produced the terms "redbone", "moor", "brass ankle", etc. All these terms have been associated with many of the same surnames. The term "melungeon" was seemingly common among Euro Americans and African Americans in Tennessee and Kentucky before its usages was recently expanded through tourism promotions and genealogy marketers.
As you see, many people are very mislead and this is because of the many generations of the slave mentality , and it is up to us the break that wall, because hate among us , is leading to the down fall of us!
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