@@preciousbaby3652 you don’t even know what CRT is nor have you read it. You’re just going by what you’ve heard others say! But you have zero problems with the slaves being taught white histor my full of lies that continue to be told to children and celebrated to this day!
While I find these stories interesting, the way the "white" people frame these discoveries is just disturbing. To describe having black ancestry as "shocking" and "surprising" is just kind of ridiculous given the history of the US.
Not really surprising to this white woman. I'm sure there are plenty of white people in America who have some Black and or Indian ancestry. Especially if the family has been in the US since colonial times. The one drop rule is ridiculous. Fun fact white Afrikaaners have on average 11% non-European genes. Turns out hardly any European women emigrated to South Africa in the first century of settlement. The result is that the founding mothers of Afrikaaners were Black, 🇮🇳 Indian, and especially Indonesian and probably others as well. They never practiced the one drop rule, and even at the height of apartheid thousands of people officially changed their racial status from coloured (mixed) to white every year.
Its part of the reason the powers that be right now are fighting against teaching REAL Black American history, because they would have to explain why Jantavious Jackson in Chicago and Clint Atwood from the boonies in Arkansas are BLOOD RELATIVES! And too many families have been LIED TO in America acting like they didnt have anything to do with anything. If you remember a couple years back Ancestry.com changed up their algorithms essentially to make it harder for BLACK AMERICANS to find our family trees because it was uncovering TOO MUCH TRUTH. There was a avery very very short news cycle about it, and then nobody else ever talked about it again. i remember tho
Well to be fair, many whites dont expect it in their family . For black families that's Tuesday. We know the history because for it has followed , emcompassed and impacted black families in a Whole different way! So I can see why they would be shocked, surprised despite the history of this country. When the history doesn't really impact you, they are just ....words. .
@@zimt2863 True...but that is because mixed race was "legally" considered Black in the United States. So those kids were raised by their Black family for the most part. Unless ofcourse they could " pass" and then mingle with the white families and culture. These stories could be much different if the mixed race child was typically raced by their white family
How is being partially African American in the U.S. unbelievable given our history??? I think a lot of ‘white’ people with 100+ year roots in America will have the same story.
I’m black and when my white friend showed me a picture of her grandma, I asked if she was mixed-race. My friend said not that she knew of, but he grandma had full lips, wavy hair, and a bit if color and looked like some of my mixed relatives. My friend also had very full lips and a big butt (which she hated). It shouldn’t be surprising to anyone in this country that they aren’t 100% white or black.
It's "surprising" because racial identity determines so many things in American life. The one drop rule denotes that the person passing for white had to sever themselves from family in order to move up in the world. White identity carries with it a lot of feelings that can be "ripped away" upon such a discovery.
Yeah but his legacy will be more important and will be considered worth something financially because he has white blood and black blood running through them and they passed for so many years. That's what they did back then they passed.
@@moorek1967 My comment is that his family, regardless of color, should be given the medal he rightfully earned but was disqualified for, due to his race. This is on the principal of merit--nothing more.
@@richardlindseybaritone He was *not* disqualified because of his race. Although this TV news report did a terrible job of telling the story, the truth is that Charles Brookins was regarded at the time as white, and his disqualification had nothing to do with his race. "Once in the finals, however, he finished in second place, but was disqualified when a judge claimed that he had improperly cleared a hurdle. The U.S. team protested and there were a few eye-witness accounts who felt the judgement was bogus, but it was upheld on appeal, nonetheless."
@@caljensandie365 What are you referring to? Sounds like you are assuming that someone in Charles Jr.'s family did not "acknowledge" him. That isn't what happened at all. His father died when he was still a child, and after that Charles Jr. continued to live with his mother and brother, both of whom identified as "black" or "mulatto" on every census through 1940. Charles Jr. was the one who self-identified as white. So I don't know what you mean about someone in his family supposedly not "acknowledging him" (not acknowledging his race?).
they marry white over time to pass ..i knew a puerto rican familly that did this their great grandmother was dark like lupita now they all look like cameron diaz after generations of only procreating with white people they got rid of the black over time
Pretty much if you’re passing you always have a better life generally I’m more opportunities so I don’t blame anybody back then or even now that pass is there life it’s up to them go for it and good luck on your journey
It is absurd to think this is an isolated incident. I've had my DNA tested multiple times. In building my family tree, one take-away that has been made abundantly clear is there is no such thing as 'us and them.' We are ALL interconnected, regardless of race. My ancestry can be traced to Africa and Europe as can scores of the world's population. Yes, there are some who will go to great lengths to conceal or refuse to acknowledge certain facets of their ancestry. Live in denial if you will but wishing a thing away, does not make it so. Embrace your truth. Evolve already!
White passing black & mixed people would pass for white all the time during the slavery & Jim Crow era to survive. This isn’t a surprise or something new.
Exactly!! Igor ogi I 100% agree with your comment. I am a africian american born and raised. America is a race conscious society and very racist as well. I don't care about things like this either.
Hey Charles brookins other great grandson here! Just found out that there’s a TH-cam video about my grandmas dad and it’s not that old and that people are still talking about him, and his very interesting yet still a bit mysterious backstory. And it’s very heartwarming I thank you all for The love and interest in our history and hope it inspires you to look into yours. Rest assured we are very proud of our family lineage.
My first thought was baseball player Ted Williams who didn’t reveal that he’s half Mexican until a month before his death for fear of discrimination - he was also ashamed of and avoided that side. Then his body was frozen in two pieces.
@MichealEBeard YES SIR !!! Like a lot of "mixed raced" Africa Americans (sorry, just trying to hit ALL bases), in many families and/or situations, PASSING as WHITE meant the DIFFERENCE in quality of life, bad lables, getting a JOB, and.....SURVIVAL, PERIOD !!! America's "Black Eye" !!! LOLOL (but NOT funny) 🧐
@@lahopkins9746it’s a better life if you can avoid the brutally of racism at that time. There are plenty of Black people that were murdered even so I think a life with some lies is far better than possibly none at all.
The fact that so many states are actively trying to prevent history like this from being taught in schools is truly tragic. There is more that connects us in this country that divides us.
@@michaelshultz1590 I completely concur with that. You are what you look like. So what if you had a black ancestor 300 years ago. It's ridiculous to say that having small trace ancestry of any racial group trumps everything else.
Luke 8:17 says, "For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." This scripture came to mind while reading the comments.
This scripture is interesting but there are also inherent problems with it. When it comes to determining racial status, this is a huge “curve-ball.” There is no such thing as biological “race.” Such a topic is “sociological,” or in other words “man-made.” There is no feature that is unique to ONE group of people. I have Irish friends whose hair is nappier than mine. I went to a store in Italy and the clerk was from Sicily. She was darker than me and appeared to not care for me because I did not speak the language! Race is sociological, not biological. Travel abroad and you will discover that.
@@alrobinson261 beloved, I will discover what exactly. I'm a naturalized American citizen and where am from, we are well versed on history whether American, European, French, Spanish etc, etc, etc. Never assumed that a person who writes a comment has not traveled abroad either. I didn't say anything related to biology, psychology, Sociology etc. I said that scripture came to mind when I read the comments and actually when I listened to the gentleman. Have a blessed day beloved 💖 ❤️.
@@maudlyn25 Thanks for responding. I hope you gain from this insight. You sounded offended that someone would expand on your comment. On this type of media, you cannot hide. When you make a comment, it will warrant 100’s of reactions. If you find that offensive, then you should consider keeping your comments to yourself! Your interpretation of that scripture is not chiseled in granite. Some of us have a different application and understanding due to our life experience. Instead of being offended by it, you should listen and.learn.
My great great great grandfather was a German Judge that immigrated to Texas. Only one of his children married a non-German, it was one of his sons that came with him. He was a Confederate soldier who after the war brought a black wife back to Texas. My father descended from one of their seven sons. My last name is German of course! I have an Anglo German cousin and we were born in the same month and are both the same ages. We both have German last names but his is different because he descended from a daughter who also married a German immigrant. We've attended many events together because we live in the same area and I have attended two of the family reunions in La Grange, Texas and they didn't treat me any different that anyone else. I know all the names of my grandfathers going all the way back to 1595. Not many people can say that. My father always said we were German Chocolate. We all still get a big laugh out of that. My DNA test indicates that I am 22% German.
You are so blessed to know so much of your family history because it’s true as you said that many chocolate people don’t. Many of us don’t know anything past our great great grandparents and we hit a dead end in researching our family history
Wow! I know mine too. We have a German line in Texas from 1500/1600s Baden-Württemberg, Germany who immigrated to Pennsylvania and Kentucky first. Greathouse originally Groethausen/Grothaus. Paternal last name.
@@msladys1920, you are so right about the dead ends. My siblings and I did research on our ancestry. Unfortunately, we only made it as far as 1805 in Virginia. We have been looking for someone reputable to investigate further.
This is America 🇺🇸 How is this story shocking People did what they had to do in order to survive a racist nation. There are millions of stories just like this beautiful one. Its always important to know your history and be proud of your ancestry.
@@ertfgghhhh I am Black I survived being black my entire life. Times were different back then. There were little opportunities for black people so the ones who looked white passed. There are alot of people walking around with black blood. Unless you understand 400 years of slavery. Don't judge
@@jautonjones9255 i am female, black, southern, born in early 70s, lived with relatives in slave plantation areas. And actually know the names of slaves in my family (my grandmothers uncles and father). Judge correctly. I know what i am talking about.
@@ertfgghhhh ok so im confused why you trying a debate I wish Black people stuck together instead you replying for attention. If you was born in the 70s around my mom age. Have a nice day I respect my elders
@@ertfgghhhh ,that man was light shin enough to pass for a white person,but a lot of us are not and can not pass for white.Many of us could and still can not.
The truth, color. There's nothing else to explain. Black people, though free, were still consider lesser and unable to make great achievements even if they came second place. Racism was that cruel back then. In their mind he should have never been in a white man's sport (I'm just phrasing it better then what they would have)
@Dow John Jesse Owens was 20+ years later. Figure out why the Black track star was disqualified for smoking weed last year but the Russian skater was still allowed to compete in the winter Olympics after a dirty drop.
But he was part white…he was mixed race. Black west African don’t look like his great grand father. It is weird how people just cannot say mixed race…like you cannot see that ? It is ridiculous. These are black people with NO mixed ancestry. How does a mixed race person get confused for black? th-cam.com/video/LV1rcEed3Hg/w-d-xo.html
@O W are applications addressing this? This proves that mixed race is a real thing. Science triumphs an application th-cam.com/video/y9SLJGI6Hjo/w-d-xo.html
@@PsychicMedium4747 you said it it’s weird that people can’t say mixed race… clearly his grandfather is mixed but like the other person said he was probably trying to pass for while NOT MIXED so it’s weird that people who are mixed are trying to pass as white just as it’s weird that their trying to pass as black thou majority of the time they’re trying to pass as white… it’s not what people say or think it’s what the individual think stop trying to blame black folks for mixed folks self hate js 😂
Hearsay. Prove that. We shouldn't spread info we can't prove. The Most High even tells us that. The tongue is a two edged sword& holds life & death in it. Speak life not death! Rebuke hatred. Its bad for your heart& soul.
Those holding the Olympics probably found some bs reason to disqualify him because of his race. That sh** was done all the time whenever ppl of color performed better than their white counterparts.
Literally not a single shocking thing said. I did a TN/KY genealogy project for Anthropology in 2003 and found thousands of white-identified people descended from slaves and free people of color. Some popular groups are the Goins, Mullins, Locklear, Basil/Bazel, Hanks, Weaver, etc.
@@bigboyshit1 If the word master offends you I'm sorry. I was only speaking on where a lot of race mixing occured, in slavery and it still continues today. Some may not want to face it but it's true. As far as what happened 6 million years ago I'll let you have that one.
Wow! His great grandfather was an Olympian. That is definitely something to brag about. I'm totally hung up on that. I would be soooo proud if I were him. Amazing!
The title isn't entirely wrong but isn't right either . This guy would technically be considered Black due to the law but obviously was a mixed race person .
My great grandmother was born 1928 died in 2017 she was a mixed woman born and raised in the segregated south, she married my great grandfather a Haitian immigrant and had my grandmother in the 50’s
@@finnwar5680 Neanderthals are by far the stupidest creatures. Do your homework mate. Forceful colonization while stealing from the indigenous isn't development. Meaningful Development is when you solely rely on your potential and not steal from everyone else.
So funny, several months ago I had a DNA test done on myself to trace my heritage. I am mostly of English and German heritage. How surprising for me as was everyone else in my family that there was 2% African ancestry in my dna line. I couldn't of smiled more though...not because I found it somewhat "cool" but knowing that in this large chaotic world we're all interrelated in some way or another.
It is just plain cool to me. Though from a scientific POV, it’s kinda weird that it takes tests for us people to know we are interconnected - tests that are designed to search for common allelic differences in our DNA.
@@celticmulato2609 no there is no difference. Stop with colorism. If there is no scientific evidence on these DNA testing companies then how can you prove the difference? You going tell us there's a desert in the middle. How about you travel there then tell us? Have you even done a minute reading of non whitewashed history? How about friends that actually from those areas?
@JP What rubbish and your claim of colorism! Phenotype is what people use to judge your race and even deeper your genotype! The world doesn't go by America old racist 1 drop rule( 1924 to 67) . Don't let Afro centrics pseudo- intellectuals brainwash you ! The Sahara dessert separates North Africa from Sub Sahara Africa and the indigenous peoples of both places are different races as its obvious to even a fool! DNA is science and is not political correct as facts don't care about feelings!!
A friend of mine from Montreal told me she couldn't invite me to her graduation ceremony because her father is a virulent racist. The following year, she got him a family genealogy/DNA test type gift for Christmas. Turns out he was descended from two black slaves who fled America on the underground railroad. He was stunned and in denial, yelled at her. I laughed so hard, my ribs hurt.
Discrimination based on skin tone, also known as colorism, racism or shadeism, is a form of prejudice and discrimination in which people of certain ethnic groups, or people who are perceived as belonging to a darker-skinned racial group, are treated differently based on their darker skin tone. Soon all these things will be of the past. The true God of Ps 83:18. Will do away with the ignorance that has been plagued and passed down from generation to generation. This has to do with the sin of disobedience from our North African first parents, Adam and Eve. That is why Jesus died for our sins. Otherwise, there would be no hope for us..
He's so surprised he had to call the local news and tell them. Instead of just celebrating it as a family? Only because we happened to be in the Olympics?
Shouldn’t, but does, and has for generations. The world should be so weary of it all and ready to move on. Sadly, that’s not the case and we seem to be going backwards instead of forward.
They knew that their great grandfather was Black, but because he was planning on capitalizing the situation by writing a book, all of a sudden, it became a shocking having a Black great grandfather. He can’t sell it to me. I am intelligent enough to know that having a Black heritage is normal.
In The Deep South these people would be called Octoroons and they have been around for Centuries, especially, in waaaay out there places like Louisiana.
I see people are still holding onto the one drop rule. I spent most of the video looking for the black man😂😂😂. But I'm African, I guess our and Americans' definition of black is a bit different.
Thank you! My first thought upon seeing the picture was that's a white man. I guess I'm white then, because my very fair, black grandmother's parents have white backgrounds. One drop rule should work both ways.
Before he hated black people, now he’s humbled and excited to be one. For the rest of his life he will tell black people, my great great grandfather was black.
@@boxgaming281 didn't say Ali was White He had & was Proud of his Irish Admixture,Look up his mom. His blood line is turning white thru his grandson Ali Walsh. His anti white period was when he was in the NOI.
@Raymond Gadreault, your percentage is way off. Mixed race blacks, the one drop blacks, are counted as whites. So, the black population is undercounted. Learn about Woodrow Wilson and his policies.
This was invented by slave owners. Unlike the Spanish Caribbean whi had a separate category for mixed people, white plantation owners and the American government didn’t want to give mixed people another category bc is was not profitable - they were just a slave. Then post slavery and Jim Crow the racial divide was further reinforced so you were either black or white - miscegenation laws did not allow mixed race people to identify as white. White Americans benefitted from this system where power, privilege and wealth could only be passed down generationally to their own.
Exactly!! People are so stupid they don't realize it came from slave owners to keep from having to claim their illegitimate children from rape!! Blacks want to claim EVERYONE except other Blacks!! If BOTH of your parents aren't Black neither are YOU!!! 🙄
@@AnastasiaBeaverhousn period, stories like this are so exhausting and just shows how desperate some black people are to have proximity to whiteness. This man is white and so was his great grandfather. Wasted a whole news segment on this.
“White Des Moines man discovers his great-grandfather was an Olympian who looked basically like a white man but had some indeterminate amount of African ancestry and was shunned for it.” There. Fixed the title. Otherwise, an interesting story of a genealogical find.
I remember one of my chem teachers being shocked about hi Black ancestry. He swore up and down that he was partially Cherokee but nope, it came back 20% African. He was stuttering like crazy, upset that he had Black family members smh
What? Did he discover it in class before you all? If he was so disturbed by it he wouldn't have let his students know in my opinion OR you just made this up??
See.. I've said it before.. while everyone is beating their chest about who and /or what they are... or NOT ... You shake that "family", tree hard enough.. all KINDS of things start falling down. Glad you're able to Know and actually hold in your own hands that history.. never let it go. Good luck on your book.😲😲🥰🥰😎
@@browneyedgirl4268 How do you know just by looking at him ? I look mulatto but I’m not. Both of my parents are black. There’s many people who are half/half who looks complete white or black.
@@limonesycafe8898 And we both know how that happened right ? The raping of slave girls because I have no recent white ancestors. Both of my parents are black Americans.
Your GG was a handsome talented man..what a time in history he lived through it must be shocking for you to find out as I guess it was never discussed among your family..May the truth allow you understanding and compassion for your GG it has set you on a journey of retracing footsteps of your ancestry..all the best to you and your family
@@ertfgghhhh he could have been lynched simply for being black if he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time or if he got white people upset. walking on eggshells. today its basically the same situation but at least now there is a higher chance of receiving justice post-mortem because of social media. so I agree that its not a death sentence more like a life sentence in a mental/societal prison of amerikkkan race relations.
being black is NOT A death sentence .........there is nothing wrong with being black ...whats WRRRONG is the hate that breeds murder from those who dont like difference hence :death sentence
It amazes me that in America that people with 50 % Caucasian blood or even a little bit more are refered to as being black. His great grandfather looked very different from someone from sub saharan africa. No racism meant here by me, but you never hear that 50/50 mixed race person being refered to as white
Flowers of different colors are still flowers. All colors are beautiful to mostly everyone when it's convenient for them. I personally, consider one's character.
1) His father was born a SLAVE. 2)He was listed as Black in the Census.. 3)If he were 100 percent white, he wouldn't have had to lie and pass for white. 4) He was "disqualified" from the Olympics after coming in 2nd place! YEP. HE DEFINITELY was Black!
I wish I were in Your shoes! My ancestry revealed the guy I am named after was a confederate solder. Showing just how deep the systemic racism in my family and the WORLD is. Now that I’m 63 a name change would really suck.
I don't think anyone who has a confederate ancestor needs to change their names. You are your own person and no one chooses to be born or who their parents are.
how about a nick-name, like l have alot of them. just make your own and pretend someone keeps calling you that, or just say you need a nickname - you will get some. ??? problem solved, we all have different identities really,, im also in your age range, im 62. if i knew you i'd give you a nickname like 'nick or nike not nike',,, nike,,, lol... you be fine.
Just the fact that it bothers you shows how of a good person you are, just remember you are not them, you are way better. You can also try looking for someone else with your name that did good things and adopt that person as the person you were named after.
The essential question for me if I was him is why was my family hiding this information? Why was they ashamed of their own father and grandfather? That’s the video I want to watch.
Mr. Newscaster and everybody else out there, why are you befuddled by this when this has been your legacy all along? Time to take the blinders off and face the truth! 🙄🤔😎
Big ups to him for although being able to pass a fool white folks, he held true despite the persecution of the times, which he would of received on both sides and pushed forward in life to such a high level.
How would he have received persecution on “Both sides”? Where is the history of persecution with the black community embracing mixed or biracial family members? Black peoples were legally and socially made to embrace people who even were mostly white, but with at least one drop like this man. in fact, you can see how these white supremacy standards and rules of protecting whiteness and rules of white purity are still practiced by both white and even black peoples - with the example of calling the great grandfather “black” when clearly he is mostly white. Even now - white people refuse to allow and offer whiteness to their own people and exclude them from their community and it’s just excepted and perpetuated.
I agree with Whiskey Woman. And, the designation white or black is meaningless. You can see that his great grandfather had African and European heritage and that the European physical traits were dominant. He wasn't passing as white. He was white. White and black are really just colors (and not really accurate for describing skin tones); they are the most superficial descriptors. This story is full of old-fashioned notions and vocabulary. I like the story but not its tone. I also agree with Still A. On "Finding Your Roots" this would be a wonderful story of human achievement.
Physical traits have nothing to do with race or ethnicity. If you know anything about the history of African Americans, the mixed-race children of White slave owners were classified as Black regardless of percentage (One drop rule) and were reared entirely within Black culture. Despite his great-grandfather's blonde hair and blue eyes, he was still treated with the exact same regard as any Black person which is likely how he was "disqualified" in the Olympics. He likely had to distance himself from visibly Black relatives in order to function in society, so NO he wasn't "White".
@@reneerobinson3559 I appreciate your explanation of historical perspectives on racial identity, which I do know about; however, I wasn't talking about how people thought about "racial mixing," I was talking about the truth.
@@Richard-zm6pt Your "truth" is subjective. And as an obviously Non-Black person, it's respectfully not your place to tell people of African descent who or what we are. Stay in your lane please✊🏿
@@reneerobinson3559 I'll be quiet after this, but it is not my truth. It's just genetic fact. Superficial aspects of human difference should not be a basis of discrimination. I hope that is a universal truth. Your bias has led you to misunderstand me. And, you have no idea what my heritage is. I don't like racism and want it to cease. That's all I am saying.
@@reneerobinson3559 'Physical traits have nothing to do with race or ethnicity" That's a lie, race labels were created with physical traits in mind, 'black" as in dark skin, a physical trait. "the mixed-race children of White slave owners were classified as Black regardless of percentage (One drop rule) and were reared entirely within Black culture. " Also false, in the slavery days they were labeled as "mulatto". The "one drop rule" was a jim crow law and wasn't created until the 1930's. "Despite his great-grandfather's blonde hair and blue eyes, he was still treated with the exact same regard as any Black person which is likely how he was "disqualified" in the Olympics. " Another falsehood, he wasnt treated exactly the same since he was able to pass as white, he would be seen as white by most people and treated differently in everyday situations.
My niece has 25 percent straight up African ancestry - doesn't look like it though.....ha ha ha. Everyone thought my daughter was of Spanish ancestry, nope..........looks can be deceiving.
@@lilcourtny08 If you live around mixed people you are more likely to notice it because it's a look you have grown up with. I live in the Caribbean and he looks like a light skinned black man to me.
He looks 100% white to me and I seen so-called whites who are darker than him and their features....... Babe Ruth, Johnny Cash, Rhea Pelman, John Turturro......
US had a “one drop of blood” rule, arguably the most extreme “racial purity” standards in the world, which labeled anyone with even just one black great grandparent a full black person with the limited rights that entailed. Even outside Jim Crow South black people were vulnerable to racist eugenics and anti-miscegenation laws. That’s why so many white-passing mixed families hid it and so many descendants are discovering it today.
Lol, this is so Common in Brazil, that would not be surprising to anyone having a Black ancestor. It would be like "oh, I have an ancestor who was an olimpic athelet"
Maybe if they started teaching the whole history of America and all Americans this wouldn’t be so surprising or ‘unbelievable.’
Uh, CRT.....naw
@@preciousbaby3652 ahhh, so you acknowledge what CRT truly is and that’s it’s not about making white peoples feel bad…
@@user-cv3gd2wr5q sarcasm to the original comment.
They can't do that. That would hurt their feelings and destroy fragile egos
@@preciousbaby3652 you don’t even know what CRT is nor have you read it. You’re just going by what you’ve heard others say! But you have zero problems with the slaves being taught white histor my full of lies that continue to be told to children and celebrated to this day!
While I find these stories interesting, the way the "white" people frame these discoveries is just disturbing. To describe having black ancestry as "shocking" and "surprising" is just kind of ridiculous given the history of the US.
Not really surprising to this white woman. I'm sure there are plenty of white people in America who have some Black and or Indian ancestry. Especially if the family has been in the US since colonial times. The one drop rule is ridiculous.
Fun fact white Afrikaaners have on average 11% non-European genes. Turns out hardly any European women emigrated to South Africa in the first century of settlement. The result is that the founding mothers of Afrikaaners were Black, 🇮🇳 Indian, and especially Indonesian and probably others as well. They never practiced the one drop rule, and even at the height of apartheid thousands of people officially changed their racial status from coloured (mixed) to white every year.
Its part of the reason the powers that be right now are fighting against teaching REAL Black American history, because they would have to explain why Jantavious Jackson in Chicago and Clint Atwood from the boonies in Arkansas are BLOOD RELATIVES! And too many families have been LIED TO in America acting like they didnt have anything to do with anything. If you remember a couple years back Ancestry.com changed up their algorithms essentially to make it harder for BLACK AMERICANS to find our family trees because it was uncovering TOO MUCH TRUTH. There was a avery very very short news cycle about it, and then nobody else ever talked about it again. i remember tho
Well to be fair, many whites dont expect it in their family . For black families that's Tuesday. We know the history because for it has followed , emcompassed and impacted black families in a Whole different way! So I can see why they would be shocked, surprised despite the history of this country. When the history doesn't really impact you, they are just ....words.
.
@@zimt2863 True...but that is because mixed race was "legally" considered Black in the United States. So those kids were raised by their Black family for the most part. Unless ofcourse they could " pass" and then mingle with the white families and culture. These stories could be much different if the mixed race child was typically raced by their white family
@@turnne True no argument there. It would be another story!
How is being partially African American in the U.S. unbelievable given our history??? I think a lot of ‘white’ people with 100+ year roots in America will have the same story.
I’m black and when my white friend showed me a picture of her grandma, I asked if she was mixed-race. My friend said not that she knew of, but he grandma had full lips, wavy hair, and a bit if color and looked like some of my mixed relatives. My friend also had very full lips and a big butt (which she hated). It shouldn’t be surprising to anyone in this country that they aren’t 100% white or black.
And the great majority of African Americans have also European ancestry.
Because white Americans really don't understand their own history.
It's "surprising" because racial identity determines so many things in American life. The one drop rule denotes that the person passing for white had to sever themselves from family in order to move up in the world. White identity carries with it a lot of feelings that can be "ripped away" upon such a discovery.
@@politereminder6284 yep
They should be PROUD! They had an Olympic athlete in their family. That's really cool. Anything else is...normal.
Period!!
Yeah but his legacy will be more important and will be considered worth something financially because he has white blood and black blood running through them and they passed for so many years. That's what they did back then they passed.
Exactly like wtf ok so he’s black or biracial that’s not news everyone is mixed wtf
Exactly!
This👆🏽👆🏽👆🏽👆🏽
He's more surprised of his great grandfather's black ancestry than of his taking part in the Olimpic Games! 😄
That part!
Olympic*
🤓Right!
Lol
@@michaelshultz1590 be a teacher
His family needs to be given that silver medal his great grandfather rightfully earned at the Olympics
The great grandfather who family who acknowledged him not this side.
And your point is that white family deserves a reward for being the descendants of a black man?
@@moorek1967 My comment is that his family, regardless of color, should be given the medal he rightfully earned but was disqualified for, due to his race. This is on the principal of merit--nothing more.
@@richardlindseybaritone He was *not* disqualified because of his race. Although this TV news report did a terrible job of telling the story, the truth is that Charles Brookins was regarded at the time as white, and his disqualification had nothing to do with his race.
"Once in the finals, however, he finished in second place, but was disqualified when a judge claimed that he had improperly cleared a hurdle. The U.S. team protested and there were a few eye-witness accounts who felt the judgement was bogus, but it was upheld on appeal, nonetheless."
@@caljensandie365 What are you referring to? Sounds like you are assuming that someone in Charles Jr.'s family did not "acknowledge" him. That isn't what happened at all. His father died when he was still a child, and after that Charles Jr. continued to live with his mother and brother, both of whom identified as "black" or "mulatto" on every census through 1940. Charles Jr. was the one who self-identified as white. So I don't know what you mean about someone in his family supposedly not "acknowledging him" (not acknowledging his race?).
This is more common than MANY ever want to admit!
@Ajax
💯💯💯 Mad TRUTH!!
Nothing but facts. The joke is “I was so surprised”! Yeh, right.
they marry white over time to pass ..i knew a puerto rican familly that did this their great grandmother was dark like lupita now they all look like cameron diaz after generations of only procreating with white people they got rid of the black over time
@@helena3631 yep this is what white folks planned all along
Why is it such a hard thing to admit? They better be glad they have some kind of diverse dna or else they would just be straight up Neanderthal.
I disagree. Not unbelievable. Instead, very believable.
So why is no one mentioning how handsome his great grandfather was?
Edit: I’m getting some negative comments. This wasn’t a serious question.
ABSOLUTELY!
He sure was handsome!
He was gorgeous 🤩
He's stunning.
He was 😍
The news anchor said "Unbelievable." It really isn't.
Yeah I noticed that as well ... Like What?
The minute I saw that gap in his teeth I knew!
And you're right, Mark. It really isn't unbelievable at all . . .
It's American as apple pie..
Pretty much if you’re passing you always have a better life generally I’m more opportunities so I don’t blame anybody back then or even now that pass is there life it’s up to them go for it and good luck on your journey
It is absurd to think this is an isolated incident. I've had my DNA tested multiple times. In building my family tree, one take-away that has been made abundantly clear is there is no such thing as 'us and them.' We are ALL interconnected, regardless of race. My ancestry can be traced to Africa and Europe as can scores of the world's population. Yes, there are some who will go to great lengths to conceal or refuse to acknowledge certain facets of their ancestry. Live in denial if you will but wishing a thing away, does not make it so. Embrace your truth. Evolve already!
Yes there is no us and them. Don't know why this seems as incredible as scientists have proven that human life started in Africa.
You know what ma’am? You so fricken right!
I was hoping to find more diversity in my AncestryDNA results, 100% Southern East Chinese, made in Canada 🇨🇦 ♥️🌏🇺🇦
White passing black & mixed people would pass for white all the time during the slavery & Jim Crow era to survive.
This isn’t a surprise or something new.
@@Shay45 The white passing are usually 1/4 black mixed. They are NOT even half black. They are 20-25% black and the 75% are white.
“Everybody knew it, they just didn’t talk about it.” Great way to start this video out
😂
Lol seriously
The "Critical Race Theory" made up buzz word/trojan horse described perfectly.
Great-grandpa was very handsome! 🥰
That part!
Such a gorgeous heartbreaker!
I would have dated him.
No doubt he the guy will now be classified as 'black'in the National socialist states of America.
According to our society's definition of black this white man from DesMoines is actually a black man from DesMoines.
I don’t understand why this is such a big deal given the history of the US.
Exactly!! Igor ogi I 100% agree with your comment. I am a africian american born and raised. America is a race conscious society and very racist as well. I don't care about things like this either.
Communist need propaganda
It’s not, folks just don’t want to be black.
@@lapislazulii141 this literally makes no sense.
@@lapislazulii141 should’ve kept that dumb comment in your head.
Hey Charles brookins other great grandson here! Just found out that there’s a TH-cam video about my grandmas dad and it’s not that old and that people are still talking about him, and his very interesting yet still a bit mysterious backstory. And it’s very heartwarming I thank you all for The love and interest in our history and hope it inspires you to look into yours. Rest assured we are very proud of our family lineage.
Ay me too
Then why was it hidden and so "shocking" to discover it?
@@livefree5895 Why didn't you comprehend the story? All your answers were spoken 😒
@@livefree5895 When a Black person does something great - that's when whites claim them as "family."
Wow....this happens a lot and people don't discuss it or they cut themselves off from their family.
Or their family cuts them off.
That depends. A lot of individuals proudly say their part Cherokee/Native American, or part Spanish, even if they bear no resemblance to them.
Yeah, they to. I see many white people but they not real white to expecially when they have curly hair
They knew
My first thought was baseball player Ted Williams who didn’t reveal that he’s half Mexican until a month before his death for fear of discrimination - he was also ashamed of and avoided that side. Then his body was frozen in two pieces.
HE PASSED LIKE MANY OTHERS TO HAVE A BETTER LIFE
@MichealEBeard YES SIR !!! Like a lot of "mixed raced" Africa Americans (sorry, just trying to hit ALL bases), in many families and/or situations, PASSING as WHITE meant the DIFFERENCE in quality of life, bad lables, getting a JOB, and.....SURVIVAL, PERIOD !!! America's "Black Eye" !!! LOLOL (but NOT funny) 🧐
Is it really a better life when the life you live is a lie because you have to hide and essentially bury a part of yourself?
@@lahopkins9746it’s a better life if you can avoid the brutally of racism at that time. There are plenty of Black people that were murdered even so I think a life with some lies is far better than possibly none at all.
So true but what a shame they had to.
We'll agree to disagree. Appreciate your comment though.
The fact that so many states are actively trying to prevent history like this from being taught in schools is truly tragic. There is more that connects us in this country that divides us.
Too bad there are no black people who know how to use the internet to read this comment....
This has nothing to do with critical race theory.
@@moorek1967 you sound so dumb
@@darknessreigns3038 I guess I would to you.
@@moorek1967 stop being an idiot
That 1 drop rule is very telling.
Only racists believe that. Anyone that is predominantly white is white.
One drop rule doesn't apply to everybody
@@michaelshultz1590 I completely concur with that. You are what you look like. So what if you had a black ancestor 300 years ago. It's ridiculous to say that having small trace ancestry of any racial group trumps everything else.
@@michaelshultz1590 Exactly. 1 drop rule is outdated and should be left during that time.
@@ulical yes. White ppl get to define Blackness by default of saying this is not white bc one drop. Everybody still supports this. Disgusting to me.
Luke 8:17 says, "For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open." This scripture came to mind while reading the comments.
This scripture is interesting but there are also inherent problems with it. When it comes to determining racial status, this is a huge “curve-ball.” There is no such thing as biological “race.” Such a topic is “sociological,” or in other words “man-made.” There is no feature that is unique to ONE group of people. I have Irish friends whose hair is nappier than mine. I went to a store in Italy and the clerk was from Sicily. She was darker than me and appeared to not care for me because I did not speak the language! Race is sociological, not biological. Travel abroad and you will discover that.
@@alrobinson261 beloved, I will discover what exactly. I'm a naturalized American citizen and where am from, we are well versed on history whether American, European, French, Spanish etc, etc, etc. Never assumed that a person who writes a comment has not traveled abroad either. I didn't say anything related to biology, psychology, Sociology etc. I said that scripture came to mind when I read the comments and actually when I listened to the gentleman. Have a blessed day beloved 💖 ❤️.
@@maudlyn25 Thanks for responding. I hope you gain from this insight. You sounded offended that someone would expand on your comment. On this type of media, you cannot hide. When you make a comment, it will warrant 100’s of reactions. If you find that offensive, then you should consider keeping your comments to yourself! Your interpretation of that scripture is not chiseled in granite. Some of us have a different application and understanding due to our life experience. Instead of being offended by it, you should listen and.learn.
@@alrobinson261 beloved, who told you I was offended. Is it because of my response, chai! No wahala my brother.
Exacly.... my profile picture is a portrait of jesus christ himself ... and yall that fat meat was greasy lo
My great great great grandfather was a German Judge that immigrated to Texas. Only one of his children married a non-German, it was one of his sons that came with him. He was a Confederate soldier who after the war brought a black wife back to Texas. My father descended from one of their seven sons. My last name is German of course! I have an Anglo German cousin and we were born in the same month and are both the same ages. We both have German last names but his is different because he descended from a daughter who also married a German immigrant. We've attended many events together because we live in the same area and I have attended two of the family reunions in La Grange, Texas and they didn't treat me any different that anyone else. I know all the names of my grandfathers going all the way back to 1595. Not many people can say that. My father always said we were German Chocolate. We all still get a big laugh out of that. My DNA test indicates that I am 22% German.
You are so blessed to know so much of your family history because it’s true as you said that many chocolate people don’t. Many of us don’t know anything past our great great grandparents and we hit a dead end in researching our family history
Wow! I know mine too. We have a German line in Texas from 1500/1600s Baden-Württemberg, Germany who immigrated to Pennsylvania and Kentucky first. Greathouse originally Groethausen/Grothaus. Paternal last name.
That sounds a more intriguing story than this one to be honest.
@@msladys1920, you are so right about the dead ends. My siblings and I did research on our ancestry. Unfortunately, we only made it as far as 1805 in Virginia. We have been looking for someone reputable to investigate further.
This is America 🇺🇸
How is this story shocking
People did what they had to do in order to survive a racist nation.
There are millions of stories just like this beautiful one. Its always important to know your history and be proud of your ancestry.
??? You could survive being black. Many of us did......there is no real need to pass or reject your family to be considered white
@@ertfgghhhh I am Black I survived being black my entire life. Times were different back then. There were little opportunities for black people so the ones who looked white passed. There are alot of people walking around with black blood. Unless you understand 400 years of slavery. Don't judge
@@jautonjones9255 i am female, black, southern, born in early 70s, lived with relatives in slave plantation areas. And actually know the names of slaves in my family (my grandmothers uncles and father).
Judge correctly. I know what i am talking about.
@@ertfgghhhh ok so im confused why you trying a debate
I wish Black people stuck together instead you replying for attention. If you was born in the 70s around my mom age.
Have a nice day I respect my elders
@@ertfgghhhh ,that man was light shin enough to pass for a white person,but a lot of us are not and can not pass for white.Many of us could and still can not.
If he came in second I'd like to know why he was disqualified.
The truth, color. There's nothing else to explain. Black people, though free, were still consider lesser and unable to make great achievements even if they came second place. Racism was that cruel back then. In their mind he should have never been in a white man's sport (I'm just phrasing it better then what they would have)
🤔
@Dow John Maybe he was disqualified not because he was black, but maybe because he tried to pass as white.
@@3minutestill Yes a black man, could not beat out all the other contestants......everyone knows that ! Disqualified.
@Dow John Jesse Owens was 20+ years later. Figure out why the Black track star was disqualified for smoking weed last year but the Russian skater was still allowed to compete in the winter Olympics after a dirty drop.
His great grandfather probably spent his whole life trying to “pass”.
Yes facts 💯
But he was part white…he was mixed race. Black west African don’t look like his great grand father. It is weird how people just cannot say mixed race…like you cannot see that ? It is ridiculous. These are black people with NO mixed ancestry. How does a mixed race person get confused for black? th-cam.com/video/LV1rcEed3Hg/w-d-xo.html
@O W yes they are now in days. Just because it’s not added does not negate it
@O W are applications addressing this? This proves that mixed race is a real thing. Science triumphs an application th-cam.com/video/y9SLJGI6Hjo/w-d-xo.html
@@PsychicMedium4747 you said it it’s weird that people can’t say mixed race… clearly his grandfather is mixed but like the other person said he was probably trying to pass for while NOT MIXED so it’s weird that people who are mixed are trying to pass as white just as it’s weird that their trying to pass as black thou majority of the time they’re trying to pass as white… it’s not what people say or think it’s what the individual think stop trying to blame black folks for mixed folks self hate js 😂
in 2022 black olympian gal got disqualified for canbis herb once; Rusian girl tested positive for enhance drugs and is ok.
EXACTLY.....WEED MELLOWS PEOPLE OUT NOT ENHANCE
Hearsay. Prove that. We shouldn't spread info we can't prove. The Most High even tells us that. The tongue is a two edged sword& holds life & death in it. Speak life not death! Rebuke hatred. Its bad for your heart& soul.
@@donnakay453 You abusing the Lord's word to slience people about injustice is perfectly fine your eyes? Just go away
@@donnakay453 Can you prove the Most High or the existence of a Soul?.
@@donnakay453 Who raised ya, did you comprehend what you were replying to🤯🤦🏾♀️
Well to be perfectly honest, both his grandfather and GREAT grandfather could "pass' in certainly circumstances.
Espesially today.
Yup
Black and white photos can be deceiving. They had European features however in a lot of cases skin tone and hair texture reveals mixed heritage.
His great grandpa is mixed so hes only like 5 percent black lol
@@mistersomerton Yes but back then most mixed people were culturally black and lived in black communities. That's why we had the concept of "passing."
@@PoeCommunicateATL lol im half black my mom is full but if you keep marrying white your family becomes white
The narrator said his ancestor was disqualified from the Olympics, but there's no explanation why.
Those holding the Olympics probably found some bs reason to disqualify him because of his race. That sh** was done all the time whenever ppl of color performed better than their white counterparts.
Is this DSF Mrs Bailey? Lol. Just wondering.
Right
It's clear to me why he was disqualified
Probably because he was trying to pass as white.
Literally not a single shocking thing said. I did a TN/KY genealogy project for Anthropology in 2003 and found thousands of white-identified people descended from slaves and free people of color. Some popular groups are the Goins, Mullins, Locklear, Basil/Bazel, Hanks, Weaver, etc.
Interesting
Not shocking at all when you see the color of indigenous people everywhere.
Do you still have the I info about the Goins?
Yep, a lot of people in that region with those family names are Melungeon aka mixed race black/white people
Heather Locklear is a recognized card-carrying member of the Lumbee tribe.
As a black man with a blue eyed white great-great French grandfather it is surprising. But more common then you think
@@ermaluvvie Nigerian is African.
Master laid and raped many slaves so its very much possible
I think white folks have the problem. Black Americans have lived with being mixed since the beginning.
@@jaysapphire8185 - don’t use the word master please!
We were all once black! Having descended from a common ancestor some 6 million years ago!
@@bigboyshit1 If the word master offends you I'm sorry. I was only speaking on where a lot of race mixing occured, in slavery and it still continues today. Some may not want to face it but it's true. As far as what happened 6 million years ago I'll let you have that one.
Wow! His great grandfather was an Olympian. That is definitely something to brag about. I'm totally hung up on that. I would be soooo proud if I were him. Amazing!
Hello Amanda, how are you doing today, hope you’re fine and safe from the COVID-19 virus??
Be proud of who you are
That time they cant do that if your colored
In any right and sane society that young chap would have come home from the Olympics and been picked up by MGM. He certainly had the looks for it.
So true, because he was very handsome! ♥️
And those looks weren't even passed on to the people who needed to keep him hidden.
That’s why u should never judge ppl . We’re all more connected then we think !
what is sad is that the most incredible. inspiring and relative worthy of the MOST PRIDE, was hidden. NEVER AGAIN.
Happens in a lot of families, and sometimes it’s not even about race. The best get buried.
Oh god, the one drop rule still has a STRONG chokehold on people I see.
Yeah because that looks like a white man to me.
@@jesusisapisces and is. These people are pathetic.
Which is why the history of killing the ones who "passed" once their lineage was discovered.
Right, they got what they wanted and now their bloodline is white🤷🏾♀️
@@KandyGTV Exactly 🤦🏾♀️🤦🏾♀️
Embrace your families past. It won't change who you really are but it will open you mind and maybe your heart.
Omg,how cool would it be to have an Olympian in the family? What a cool discovery!!
The title isn't entirely wrong but isn't right either .
This guy would technically be considered Black due to the law but obviously was a mixed race person .
Looks like a white guy to me, probably was 3rd generation mixed baby. Great Great grandfather or mother was half blk
He is not black. He is white.
Research the “One Drop Rule”.
@@jamesmorton5017 i think the original poster is referring to the great grandpa as mixed race not black
Facts
My great grandmother was born 1928 died in 2017 she was a mixed woman born and raised in the segregated south, she married my great grandfather a Haitian immigrant and had my grandmother in the 50’s
💜💜💜💜
Stories like this is more common than you think...
We are all more alike than we care to admit! 💕
@@dtrpresi4228 you are right because some of us are homosapiens while others are neanderthals
@@omarcamara6808 Partially Neanderthal or Denisovan - otherwise correct.
@@omarcamara6808 Europeans are the only ones with neanderthal ancestry. That is the big difference, along with the developed differences of course.
@@finnwar5680 Neanderthals are by far the stupidest creatures. Do your homework mate. Forceful colonization while stealing from the indigenous isn't development. Meaningful Development is when you solely rely on your potential and not steal from everyone else.
@@omarcamara6808 Yes !!!!!
The further you go in history the darker things get
Literally
Great-Granddad was obviously more than a little European.
Slave masters raped their slaves. Duh!
So funny, several months ago I had a DNA test done on myself to trace my heritage. I am mostly of English and German heritage. How surprising for me as was everyone else in my family that there was 2% African ancestry in my dna line. I couldn't of smiled more though...not because I found it somewhat "cool" but knowing that in this large chaotic world we're all interrelated in some way or another.
That’s so cool
It is just plain cool to me. Though from a scientific POV, it’s kinda weird that it takes tests for us people to know we are interconnected - tests that are designed to search for common allelic differences in our DNA.
North African or Sub Saharan African? Big difference!!
@@celticmulato2609 no there is no difference. Stop with colorism. If there is no scientific evidence on these DNA testing companies then how can you prove the difference? You going tell us there's a desert in the middle. How about you travel there then tell us? Have you even done a minute reading of non whitewashed history? How about friends that actually from those areas?
@JP What rubbish and your claim of colorism! Phenotype is what people use to judge your race and even deeper your genotype! The world doesn't go by America old racist 1 drop rule( 1924 to 67) . Don't let Afro centrics pseudo- intellectuals brainwash you !
The Sahara dessert separates North Africa from Sub Sahara Africa and the indigenous peoples of both places are different races as its obvious to even a fool! DNA is science and is not political correct as facts don't care about feelings!!
This was moving. Wow. And boy was his grandfather a handsome man. 💕✨😌🥂
A friend of mine from Montreal told me she couldn't invite me to her graduation ceremony because her father is a virulent racist. The following year, she got him a family genealogy/DNA test type gift for Christmas. Turns out he was descended from two black slaves who fled America on the underground railroad. He was stunned and in denial, yelled at her. I laughed so hard, my ribs hurt.
Discrimination based on skin tone, also known as colorism, racism or shadeism, is a form of prejudice and discrimination in which people of certain ethnic groups, or people who are perceived as belonging to a darker-skinned racial group, are treated differently based on their darker skin tone.
Soon all these things will be of the past. The true God of Ps 83:18. Will do away with the ignorance that has been plagued and passed down from generation to generation. This has to do with the sin of disobedience from our North African first parents, Adam and Eve. That is why Jesus died for our sins. Otherwise, there would be no hope for us..
Karma
And then everybody clapped
❤
He's so surprised he had to call the local news and tell them. Instead of just celebrating it as a family? Only because we happened to be in the Olympics?
It's because he's writing a book, so he wants publicity.
When a Black person does something great - that's when whites claim them as "family."
Black blood can't be denied.
Shouldn't make a different cause we all are human beings. No one is better than the other.
❤
Sadly, it has made a difference and yet does today.
Shouldn’t, but does, and has for generations. The world should be so weary of it all and ready to move on. Sadly, that’s not the case and we seem to be going backwards instead of forward.
Fundamentally true statement however the reality of racism in America is also real.
Tell white amerikkka that
Unbelievable! Wow! The great grandfather was a nice looking man but it’s sad how he was treated.
Yep he was a cutie for sure
Sad how he was treated ??? POC are still getting treated that way
They knew that their great grandfather was Black, but because he was planning on capitalizing the situation by writing a book, all of a sudden, it became a shocking having a Black great grandfather.
He can’t sell it to me. I am intelligent enough to know that having a Black heritage is normal.
💯 Facts!!!
I dont think he knew
lol I’m black and I have 3 full white great great grandpas
@@tanit7741 You must be beautiful, beautiful glowing skin and tall.
@@Jesus-The-Everlasting-Father I’m short but all the rest applies lol
In The Deep South these people would be called Octoroons and they have been around for Centuries, especially, in waaaay out there places like Louisiana.
And they're still around, sir. I live in Louisiana . . .
@@andimurray2896 say it again for the people in the back.🌟🌟🌟
so meaning 1/8th black?
Good afternoon my octoroon
@@crazylazy812 😂😂🤣😂🤣😂
I see people are still holding onto the one drop rule. I spent most of the video looking for the black man😂😂😂. But I'm African, I guess our and Americans' definition of black is a bit different.
Lmaooo me too
Nope....only white Americans
Please don’t even get me started.. they won’t claim Africa but will claim a white man 😂
I’m African American and I was searching for the black man the whole video lol. Still haven’t found him….
Thank you! My first thought upon seeing the picture was that's a white man. I guess I'm white then, because my very fair, black grandmother's parents have white backgrounds. One drop rule should work both ways.
Before he hated black people, now he’s humbled and excited to be one. For the rest of his life he will tell black people, my great great grandfather was black.
I’m mixed white passing I love seeing my people winning and being proud of be mixed 💯
Jessie Owens was mixed as well and so was Muhammad Ali
But your white passing...
You're a selfhater!
Please just be wyte!!
@@incoco2 Muhammad Ali was NOT wyte!
He didn't even like wyte ppl!
Always trying to colonize something or whitewash
@@boxgaming281 didn't say Ali was White He had & was Proud of his Irish Admixture,Look up his mom. His blood line is turning white thru his grandson Ali Walsh. His anti white period was when he was in the NOI.
I don't think you know what white passing mean.
The stupid, idiotic “one drop rule.”
@Raymond Gadreault, your percentage is way off. Mixed race blacks, the one drop blacks, are counted as whites. So, the black population is undercounted. Learn about Woodrow Wilson and his policies.
yes, " one drop rule" is stupid
This was invented by slave owners. Unlike the Spanish Caribbean whi had a separate category for mixed people, white plantation owners and the American government didn’t want to give mixed people another category bc is was not profitable - they were just a slave. Then post slavery and Jim Crow the racial divide was further reinforced so you were either black or white - miscegenation laws did not allow mixed race people to identify as white. White Americans benefitted from this system where power, privilege and wealth could only be passed down generationally to their own.
Exactly!! People are so stupid they don't realize it came from slave owners to keep from having to claim their illegitimate children from rape!! Blacks want to claim EVERYONE except other Blacks!! If BOTH of your parents aren't Black neither are YOU!!! 🙄
@@AnastasiaBeaverhousn period, stories like this are so exhausting and just shows how desperate some black people are to have proximity to whiteness. This man is white and so was his great grandfather. Wasted a whole news segment on this.
“White Des Moines man discovers his great-grandfather was an Olympian who looked basically like a white man but had some indeterminate amount of African ancestry and was shunned for it.”
There. Fixed the title.
Otherwise, an interesting story of a genealogical find.
How is this unbelievable? You people are hilarious.
What’s unbelievable to me is he doesn’t look like a black man.
@@user-nn6nq8kv3y Probably because his ancestry is over 90% European.
@@seanskoog388 90%???
@@user-nn6nq8kv3y He is at least 75% white, calling him black is just silly.
Back then one drop rule
I remember one of my chem teachers being shocked about hi Black ancestry. He swore up and down that he was partially Cherokee but nope, it came back 20% African. He was stuttering like crazy, upset that he had Black family members smh
Where in the bible, does it tell you to do a DNA.
@@archiefitzpatrick6966 this is your fallback?😂😂😂
What? Did he discover it in class before you all? If he was so disturbed by it he wouldn't have let his students know in my opinion OR you just made this up??
@@archiefitzpatrick6966 where in the Bible does it tell you to have a social media and TH-cam or buy a phone .......😑
Everybody claims to be cherokee haha.
How can this story be unbelievable? This is very common to find out your family has been White-passing for decades!
Hello Kathy, how are you doing today, hope you’re fine and safe from the COVID-19 virus?
No such thing as white passing
See.. I've said it before.. while everyone is beating their chest about who and /or what they are... or NOT ... You shake that "family", tree hard enough.. all KINDS of things start falling down. Glad you're able to Know and actually hold in your own hands that history.. never let it go. Good luck on your book.😲😲🥰🥰😎
Yes
His great grandfather was biracial.
I would say quadroon at most.
Still black in America back in those days. It’s obvious you can’t judge America by today’s standards.
@@browneyedgirl4268 How do you know just by looking at him ? I look mulatto but I’m not. Both of my parents are black. There’s many people who are half/half who looks complete white or black.
@@slarvadain188 Lol You look mixed because you are. Both of your parents are mixed, bi/multiracial.
@@limonesycafe8898 And we both know how that happened right ? The raping of slave girls because I have no recent white ancestors. Both of my parents are black Americans.
Your GG was a handsome talented man..what a time in history he lived through it must be shocking for you to find out as I guess it was never discussed among your family..May the truth allow you understanding and compassion for your GG it has set you on a journey of retracing footsteps of your ancestry..all the best to you and your family
Hello Kaye, how are you doing today, hope you’re fine and safe from the COVID-19 virus??
Now why did he have to pass...because being notably black was a death sentence. Then as well as now.
How is it a death sentence if we still exist? A death sentence means you will be put to death. One did not have to pass
@@ertfgghhhh he could have been lynched simply for being black if he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time or if he got white people upset. walking on eggshells. today its basically the same situation but at least now there is a higher chance of receiving justice post-mortem because of social media. so I agree that its not a death sentence more like a life sentence in a mental/societal prison of amerikkkan race relations.
He's not passing at all he's still a white man
being black is NOT A death sentence .........there is nothing wrong with being black ...whats WRRRONG is the hate that breeds murder from those who dont like difference hence :death sentence
He's NOT Black.. 🙄 He's biracial
A very nice and uncommon report of Olympic and American history. Both thumbs up 👍 👌 👏.
What a marvelous story. This young man has a most honorable heritage and I can't wait to read his book.
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Love who we are,,you look like him ,Peace and love, 💯
It amazes me that in America that people with 50 % Caucasian blood or even a little bit more are refered to as being black. His great grandfather looked very different from someone from sub saharan africa. No racism meant here by me, but you never hear that 50/50 mixed race person being refered to as white
Agreed
Flowers of different colors are still flowers. All colors are beautiful to mostly everyone when it's convenient for them. I personally, consider one's character.
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Am I the ONLY one who doesn't think he was Black?
He wasn't. He had some miniscule black admixture allegedly but he was every bit a white man.
No. The whole time I was looking for a Black man.
Same it's not a black man i was looking at.His great-grandfather was clearly white
Yep he wasn't black he s not that blessed
1) His father was born a SLAVE. 2)He was listed as Black in the Census.. 3)If he were 100 percent white, he wouldn't have had to lie and pass for white. 4) He was "disqualified" from the Olympics after coming in 2nd place! YEP. HE DEFINITELY was Black!
We are all one people in God
Thx for sharing your family story. Very interesting
I wish I were in Your shoes! My ancestry revealed the guy I am named after was a confederate solder. Showing just how deep the systemic racism in my family and the WORLD is. Now that I’m 63 a name change would really suck.
You are not responsible for what happened in the past. I have people in my ancestry who did crimes, but I don't let that dictate how I treat people.
I don't think anyone who has a confederate ancestor needs to change their names. You are your own person and no one chooses to be born or who their parents are.
Well, maybe if my name was Hitler, but that name of course comes with a different level of notoriety!
how about a nick-name, like l have alot of them. just make your own and pretend someone keeps calling you that, or just say you need a nickname - you will get some. ??? problem solved, we all have different identities really,, im also in your age range, im 62. if i knew you i'd give you a nickname like 'nick or nike not nike',,, nike,,, lol... you be fine.
Just the fact that it bothers you shows how of a good person you are, just remember you are not them, you are way better. You can also try looking for someone else with your name that did good things and adopt that person as the person you were named after.
The essential question for me if I was him is why was my family hiding this information? Why was they ashamed of their own father and grandfather? That’s the video I want to watch.
Mr. Newscaster and everybody else out there, why are you befuddled by this when this has been your legacy all along? Time to take the blinders off and face the truth! 🙄🤔😎
What a wonderful discovery. Congratulations!!!
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This great grand parents was definetely mixed , a white for native Africans .
Many of us has similar stories, our Ancestors refused to talk about it due to much pain and in some cases horror and traumatic.😢
This ain't nothing strange.
Big ups to him for although being able to pass a fool white folks, he held true despite the persecution of the times, which he would of received on both sides and pushed forward in life to such a high level.
pass a fool ........
How would he have received persecution on “Both sides”? Where is the history of persecution with the black community embracing mixed or biracial family members? Black peoples were legally and socially made to embrace people who even were mostly white, but with at least one drop like this man. in fact, you can see how these white supremacy standards and rules of protecting whiteness and rules of white purity are still practiced by both white and even black peoples - with the example of calling the great grandfather “black” when clearly he is mostly white. Even now - white people refuse to allow and offer whiteness to their own people and exclude them from their community and it’s just excepted and perpetuated.
Lots of words to say Nothing.
whole paragraph just to sound st*pid.. what laws were black people enacting on mixed people? while whites were enslaving their own mixed children.
lol, youtube is recommending me this in 2024 Paris Olympics
This is what happens when you call anyone that's 1/16 african-descendant as "black".
Had his great-grandfather not been an Olympian, I don't think he would have come out with this family history. Money baby, money talks.
I've learned some of my grandfather's siblings passed for White. My grandfather did not and married a African American woman.
New title: Man discovers his great-grandfather was barely black and also an Olympic athlete
How tf is he "barely" Black when he was half-black? It's called DNA!!! How you "look" is not what your DNA is made up of.
Exactly
@@jamdawgutube He looked white so his great-grandfather was white and ^passed as white
He just looks white
That's how he passed.....He was fair skinned
@@stephaniejackson1678 he wasn’t black, full stop.
@@stephaniejackson1678 "Fair skinned".. all his features look white, he was at least 75% white.
Very believable considering this country’s history.
"Black" as defined by the archaic One-drop rule. 🙄
Imagine having an Olympian in the family history! Amazing!
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What a rich history to find and some of it on video is priceless.
I agree with Whiskey Woman. And, the designation white or black is meaningless. You can see that his great grandfather had African and European heritage and that the European physical traits were dominant. He wasn't passing as white. He was white. White and black are really just colors (and not really accurate for describing skin tones); they are the most superficial descriptors. This story is full of old-fashioned notions and vocabulary. I like the story but not its tone. I also agree with Still A. On "Finding Your Roots" this would be a wonderful story of human achievement.
Physical traits have nothing to do with race or ethnicity. If you know anything about the history of African Americans, the mixed-race children of White slave owners were classified as Black regardless of percentage (One drop rule) and were reared entirely within Black culture.
Despite his great-grandfather's blonde hair and blue eyes, he was still treated with the exact same regard as any Black person which is likely how he was "disqualified" in the Olympics.
He likely had to distance himself from visibly Black relatives in order to function in society, so NO he wasn't "White".
@@reneerobinson3559 I appreciate your explanation of historical perspectives on racial identity, which I do know about; however, I wasn't talking about how people thought about "racial mixing," I was talking about the truth.
@@Richard-zm6pt Your "truth" is subjective. And as an obviously Non-Black person, it's respectfully not your place to tell people of African descent who or what we are. Stay in your lane please✊🏿
@@reneerobinson3559 I'll be quiet after this, but it is not my truth. It's just genetic fact. Superficial aspects of human difference should not be a basis of discrimination. I hope that is a universal truth. Your bias has led you to misunderstand me. And, you have no idea what my heritage is. I don't like racism and want it to cease. That's all I am saying.
@@reneerobinson3559 'Physical traits have nothing to do with race or ethnicity" That's a lie, race labels were created with physical traits in mind, 'black" as in dark skin, a physical trait. "the mixed-race children of White slave owners were classified as Black regardless of percentage (One drop rule) and were reared entirely within Black culture. " Also false, in the slavery days they were labeled as "mulatto". The "one drop rule" was a jim crow law and wasn't created until the 1930's. "Despite his great-grandfather's blonde hair and blue eyes, he was still treated with the exact same regard as any Black person which is likely how he was "disqualified" in the Olympics. " Another falsehood, he wasnt treated exactly the same since he was able to pass as white, he would be seen as white by most people and treated differently in everyday situations.
It would have been interesting to know if he took a dna test and what it showed. His family would never be able to dispute that.
Oh c’mon, don’t be naïve. This stuff is more common than you think.
My niece has 25 percent straight up African ancestry - doesn't look like it though.....ha ha ha. Everyone thought my daughter was of Spanish ancestry, nope..........looks can be deceiving.
The term mulato is not racist because here in latin America we use it all the term and the term comes from Latin based
Has this guy ever questioned his own features? From this video, his Black ancestry is written all over his face.
That part 🙄
Amen! I could spot it a mile away. There are blacks who look whiter than he does, and they acknowledge their blackness.
I must be blind, like completely white to me
@@lilcourtny08 If you live around mixed people you are more likely to notice it because it's a look you have grown up with. I live in the Caribbean and he looks like a light skinned black man to me.
He looks 100% white to me and I seen so-called whites who are darker than him and their features....... Babe Ruth, Johnny Cash, Rhea Pelman, John Turturro......
I don’t know if it’s because I am Puertorriqueña or what but in those pictures I dont see his grandfather as black
Such a beautiful and proud story. 💗
What’s really shocking is that his great grandfather is not even black. That’s a whole white man.
Right?? I'm looking for the black like 🧐🧐👀
Lol, y’all better stop.
I agree!
Nowhere in the world he would be considered Black only in racist Jim Crow South and only if he told them he had an admixture !
US had a “one drop of blood” rule, arguably the most extreme “racial purity” standards in the world, which labeled anyone with even just one black great grandparent a full black person with the limited rights that entailed. Even outside Jim Crow South black people were vulnerable to racist eugenics and anti-miscegenation laws. That’s why so many white-passing mixed families hid it and so many descendants are discovering it today.
He came in 2nd at the Olympics but was disqualified. Why??
Lol, this is so Common in Brazil, that would not be surprising to anyone having a Black ancestor. It would be like "oh, I have an ancestor who was an olimpic athelet"
Americans like to pretend race mixing doesn't happen.
*I don't think he was black unless both of his parents were black*
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