Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1998 01:04:53 PDT
From: patricia cobb
Subject: Questions
Dear Mr Landrith Jr.
I stumbled upon your web page and found it very interesting. I do have a
question for you. Who is Jim Crow? you make many references to him and I
do not know who he is. As for the work you are doing, I have to say
bravo! I am the mother of multiracial children. Well to tell the truth I
am multiracial also. Not long ago I started working on Genealogy and
found out that I am from many places. I am Irish, Scottish, English,
Welch, German, American Indiana. And that is only from 5 generations.
What an eye opener. How smug we are to think that we singularity. Maybe
that is why we are best described as God's children. To tell the truth
we are all interracial. How great would the world be if all of the human
race accepted that and instied of fighting for names to describe us we
would just say Human Race! Who knows maybe some day, but for now it is
important that the multiracial people have a place and voice in this
world. How much I remember the day when the nurse would come in with my
children's birth certificates and say I had to choice. When I replied
but they are of three races. They are American Indian, Black, White.
They were quick to tell me that I did not have a choice and that I
should choice black. I pondered over this and when I spoke to another in
the hospital about my dilemma I was told to choice white. My anger rose
and there set my child's birth certificate and upon my shoulders set the
decision that he would have to live with for the rest of his life. I
remembered a friend telling me that if you were so many percent Indian
then you were recognized as Indian. So in a defiant way I choiced
Indian. The black at the hospital were outraged and the whites also. For
21 years now I have had to fight this fight. Draged into Principles
offices both white and black demanding that I change it and pick white
or black. I stood firm if my children could not be recognized as both
then they would not be recognized as either. I have listened to the
cries of agony when my children have come home telling me that they are
pressured to become one or the other race. That not only students but
teachers have told them that they are black and to stop trying to hide
from their race. I taught my children to respect all races but funny how
the other races will not respect them and acknowledge all races within
them. Thanks for your work my it make a difference and may God walk with
you through your struggles.
Patricia S. Cobb
Editor's Comment: For more information of the origins of Jim Crow,
click here: http://syn.fxbbs.com/reports/jimcrow.html
