[Theoria]

Fascinating bit of history. The good ol' turban trick.

Yes, there is Obama turban photos. I chose not to post those.

[jocon307]

I actually knew a guy (he’d be in his fifties now, like me (sigh)) whose stepfather had a brother who had “passed” for white. (My friend was white, btw.)

The step-uncle, so to speak, was completely estranged from his family, daren’t acknowledge them, etc.

I did meet the stepfather at one point and he was pretty light skinned, iirc.

I think there was some story about the uncle sneaking back for his mother’s funeral, but maybe I’m just making that up.

We lived in NYC, and it all seemed so archaic and just weird. But of course that man was from somewhere else, I don’t know where, and he was from a totally different era than us young ones.

I wonder if he ever revealed his secret.

[smalltownslick]

Chuck Willis?

[ClearCase_guy]

Back in the bad ol' days, blacks had good reason to pass for white, or indian, or whatever. There were disadvantages to being black in American society. No doubt about it.

Today? Do any black people try to pass as white? Halle Berry? Obama? Nope. There are advantages to being black in American society today. No doubt about it.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Yes siree all those non blacks had it great in America in the Jim Crow era!