One-drop rule a part of racist past
The Standard-Times
by Michael De Luz
December 18, 2002
It has been called the most evil rule the U.S. ever devised. It was crafted during one of the most shameful periods in America’s history — the brutal enslavement of African people in the deep South in the 1800s. It was later used by hate-filled segregationists during much of the 1900s in the South and the West.
And despite this horrible history, a dwindling segment of local people are trying hard to save it.
What rule is this? The “one-drop rule,” which essentially states that if a person has even one African ancestor, that person must categorize him/herself as black. Let’s take a closer look at it.