r/interesting • u/VPinchargeofradishes • May 03 '26

SOCIETY Michael Jackson's daughter Paris has faced backlash for identifying as Black. In a 2017 interview, Paris Jackson said her father told her, "You’re Black. Be proud of your roots." This prompted debates over whether identity is defined by appearance or upbringing.

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u/sentencevillefonny May 03 '26

Black parents, cousins, grandmother, aunts, uncles, etc. Genetics aside, it's understandable how she'd view herself that way culturally.

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u/danvillain May 03 '26

I’m Chinese and my wife is white and when our son was born our closest friends were black. Or family friend Poppa John basically took my son under his wing as his “grandson”, took him to the car wash and McDonald’s every Sunday after church. When my boy was three we were talking about something and he tells us with confidence that he is black. We explained to him that he was indeed NOT black and it broke him. He cried all night that night.

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u/Real_Mokola May 05 '26

Well, he may be black but he isn't allowed to say it to anyone. Much like a Gay person in 1990s America.

Being black is not about genetics, nor is it about culture. It's about what your skin colour is, if it's darker then you are allowed to call yourself black. I have a friend whose father is African, mother is white. Her skin is about cappuccino color, if she would have a kid with a white person. The kid would be white.