In the documentary Who is Black in America, many teenagers as well as adults had a hard time identifying and accepting their “blackness”. However, others were very accepting and took pride in their “blackness” while others did not consider them black at all. Society has classified race into two categories. Either you are black or you are white. But, what makes you black? How can anyone tell you that you are or are not black? Who is really black in America? There are a couple of factors that are used to determine a person’s “blackness” in America. One factor would be the “One Drop Rule”. As Dr. Yaba Blay explains, according to the One Drop rule, if you have any trace of any black blood, no matter how far back, you were considered black. No matter how light the person could be, if they had a black ancestor 5 generations down the line, they were black. Some people do not believe in that rule and they reject. However, there are many people who still believe and live by that rule. The interviewer herself said she lives by that rule. Her mother is black and her father is white. Though she may have a lighter complexion than most and a …show more content…
According to some of the people featured in the documentary, there are different types of black experiences. One black experience would be whether or not you get racially profiled or not. Another would be what you get labeled as. There are famous and popular labels for black people such as “the N word” and “monkey”. The Egyptian girl, Becca, from the documentary considers herself black. However, her friends and peers disagree with her. They say that even though Egypt is in Africa, she may African American, but they do not consider her black. They say this because she may not have the same experience as them. She may have a better opportunity and chance with some things than the rest of them will because of the difference in their skin