I recently read a blog post that ruffled my feathers a bit. Basically it was the same old “all black americans are mixed with something somewhere down the line, and these self-proclaimed ‘biracial’ people are no less black than us, and to top it all off they’re always so negative about black people.” I had to leave a comment. I kind of liked it, so thought I would post it here…

When you said “there is no need to go back and claim the Native American and European American ancestry that does not claim me” you made a point that encourages me to continue to defend my biracial identity. Your Euro ancestry may not claim you, but mine does claim me. It claimed me every time my white dad picked me up from school, took me to work with him, took me to Europe on family vacations. When my white grandparents took me to the doctor or to the mall. When my father calls me on the phone, sings with me at weddings, and watches my videos because he wants to know who I really am and what parts of himself he sees in here. THAT is the main, and perhaps only, difference between 1st generation biracials and intergenerationally mixed “blacks”. But it’s a big difference. Someone commented about having a fair relative who could pass for white, but doesn’t. She identifies as black. Her parents are black. She is steeped in black culture- whatever version(s) of it she was surrounded by. It would feel weird for her to claim anything else no matter what she looks like. Same for me. I could pass for black, but it doesn’t feel right because I know even if no one else does that I come from white too. I love white too. Even if most white people don’t know it. I know it. It’s who I am. And who I say I am has got to have more validity than what most people say I am. I don’t live with most people. I live with me.

two of them anyway. tonight i had the great pleasure of meeting ms. heidi durrow of lightskinnededgirl.typepad.com and the mixed chicks chat. wow! i have come away from this encounter so energized and optimistic and happy. the time flew by as we talked about everything biracial. we went over the things we’ve divulged in our respective mediums and the things we haven’t. we made plans for the future and, to me anyway, everything seemed possible. and still does. thanks, heidi!

Well…in an effort to turn a highly unproductive day into a less of a waste I have started this blog. I have been meaning to do this for some time now, as I have realized that some things are better written and read than spoken and heard in a video. Every time I try to make a video about some “biracial revelation” I’ve written in a journal, it just doesn’t sound right. So this is where I’ll be posting those things I guess. I also guess that I should not assume that this blog will be automatically linked in the reader’s mind (or on the internet) to my Vlog on YouTube. My name is Tiffany. I am biracial. Specifically I have a Black mother and a White father. For years I bought into the idea that this meant that I was black. Then I came to my senses some twenty years later. Now I’m on a crusade to spread the word. The word that “Black” is not a taint that cancels out all other. The word that because my father (grandmother, grandfather, cousins, uncles) is white, then so am I. And even if I don’t look white, I still have a right to claim my heritage without shame or even hesitation. I am not on a crusade to create a separate race. There is already separation enough amongst us.  For the most part I am not concerned with having a special box to check. I want to get rid of the boxes. The only thing I can think of doing to start us on that path is talking about race openly, honestly, kindly, compassionately, and with sensitivity to the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of others. My goodness this is wordy. I suppose that’s what this is all about though. Hopefully I’ll get used to it. I think I will. Stay tuned….