Serena Williams had the opportunity to take the high road, regarding the comment that Ilie Nastase made about her unborn child. Had she blown it of, and not considered it as racism, then most likely many others would have done the same. As an African American female Wimbledon champion, whose face is known round the world, Serena should be used to scrutiny. And understand that people are curious when it comes to race.
Sometimes people will come right out and ask what they desire to know, regarding the hue of the complexion. I was once asked, if all 3 of my grandchildren had the same mother and father.
This was no doubt because their complexions and hair textures all vary. There is black, white, and Native American coursing through their veins, from both their mother and father. And each of them displays it in a different way. Nastase regarding Serena's baby, was overheard asking, "Let's see what color it has, chocolate or milk." And his words have infuriated people around the globe.
Slavery is to blame for all these hues
When the first African slaves were brought to America, they were dark in complexion. When slave girls began giving birth to children who were fathered by their masters, things changed. Biracial children and their offspring are varied in skin tone and hair texture. This why it fascinates so many.
In the book "Queen," Alex Haley tells the story of his grandmother, who could pass for white. Black people did not believe that she was biracial, and whites often had disdain for her. They could not tell by looking at Queen that she had black in her. She appeared to be one of them, and it made people uncomfortable.
On the other hand, former President Barack Obama is biracial, but he looks black.
If he did not tell it, no one could guess by his appearance. None of this should matter but in this life it does. This is why Mr. Nastase's comments were more curiosity than racist.
When one parent has the complexion of Serena Williams, and the other is white, there is no telling what the baby will look like. And it causes people to speculate, from normal human curiosity..
In the book "Jubilee," Vyrie was a biracial slave child in a situation similar to Queen. Not only did she look 100% white, but she resembled her master than the children born from his wife. When people came to the plantation and saw the similarities, it caused tongues to wag. It caused the master's wife to lash out at the child, who had nothing to do with her parentage.
No two biracial children look the same
There is no one size fits all when it comes to children with a mixture of heritages. Consider Wentworth Miller, who portrays Michael Scofield on "Prison Break." Had he not admitted to being biracial, probably no one would have guessed because he looks completely white. .Actress Halley Berry has a white mother, Tracey Ross has a Jewish father, both look like light complexioned black girls.
Dwayne Johnson, AKA the rock is biracial, but d season his hue is that of a white man.who gets a good suntan. Mariah Carey, Jennifer Beals, Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, Corbin Bleu, and Tiger Woods are all biracial. Each of them has their own unique look, as will Serena Williams baby.
People are curious when they do not know what they are dealing with.Also interracial unions and marriages continue to be difficult for some to deal with. Serena Williams should know this if for no other reason, than being in the world of professional tennis, as a black woman.
I believe that African Americans can at times be overly sensitive to issues of race, and skin tone. And that whites wanting to be politically correct will sometimes say what they believe is the right thing, rather than what they feel as did Mr.
Nastaste.. My children were asked often if I was biracial, because my complexion is very light. I was teased as a child by darker black girls who told me I looked white. it comes with the territory.
Ilie Nastaste just spoke what many are thinking and it was overheard. He did not use the N word, neither did he say anything derogatory regarding Ms. Williams baby. He is pondering about all the variations of hues, that result from a union between people of different races. And now even though they will not admit it, so are a lot of other people, including African Americans.
Complexion is something that is unpredictable in people of color. There are African American children who are born so light they look white, but later in life, their hue darkens.
Sometimes mixed race children are born looking totally white, but by the time they are teenagers they look completely black.
Serena Williams knows she is a public figure who is a dark brown African American female. And that her baby's father is white. These are issues that will get you talked about in this world, so she needs to get over it. Had know, regarding color, whether you agree or not. Inquiring minds of all races just want to know,
