OMB’s Decision
on the Multiracial Category

by James A. Landrith, Jr.
October 30, 1997

The OMB announced their recommendations on the multiracial category yesterday. As was predicted by Project RACE and others in the multiracial movement, “mark one or more” was adopted. To quote Susan Graham of Project RACE,

“As we predicted, the “Mark one or more” format has been adopted. It is a bittersweet VICTORY for us. Multiracial children and adults will have the ability , for the first time in the history of this country, to check as many of their races as apply. However, they can NOT officially be called multiracial. At the briefing, Sally Katzen of the OMB, who made the decision stated that they will not use the term multiracial, which she claims is different from a “multiple racial American.” Franklin Raines, Director of OMB is the father of three multiracial children. At the briefing Raines denounced a “multiethnic” or “multiracial” category. OMB is trying to erase the term multiracial from the public’s vocabulary. Why? Because some of the advocates for other racial groups do not like it, notably the black caucus. Without a multiracial identifier what will our children be called? Check all that apply kids? Half and halfs? John Hope Franklin, Chair of President Clinton’s Commission on Civil Rights calls them “half-white Negroes” and “half-black whites.” This is offensive to me, my children, and Project RACE families across the United States and in four countries.

OMB is allowing the NAACP and others to define our children. It’s politics as usual in Washington. Some of the other so called multiracial activists have also aided OMB in their decision by acquiescing to their desires in order to claim total victory.”

There you go. As I’ve said before, the NAACP and company is behind this to a great extent. I for one, am disgusted and infuriated at this total lack of respect and blatant display of racism on the part of the OMB, the NAACP and their accomplices. This should serve as a wakeup call to all interracial couples, multiracials and their families that the civil rights community is not concerned with our civil rights. They are, however, concerned with making sure that black is black and nothing but black.

Astonished and Disgusted (yet hopeful),

James A. Landrith, Jr
Editor and Publisher

James Landrith is the notorious editor and publisher of The Multiracial Activist and The Abolitionist Examiner, two cyber-rags dedicated to freedom from oppressive racial categorization. Landrith can be reached by email at: editor@multiracial.com or at his personal website/blog.

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