Since the recent Tiger Woods media frenzy began, I've seen a great deal of comments regarding Tiger "denying his blackness" or "denying his black heritage." It seems that because he refers to himself as "Cablinasian" some people feel that he is denying the part of him that is black.
This is something that I've thought deeply about for many years, especially because I happen to be biracial. When I had to choose between black and white on applications in past years, I'd always chosen black. After all, I'd grown up in a household with a black mother and because anyone could look at me and tell that I wasn't white! But since the "other" or "multiracial" options have become available, I have chosen to select one of those instead. And it's not because I'm denying my black heritage, but simply because I have more than one parent, and the other just happens to be white.
I embrace both sides of my heritage, black and white. And I'm sorry if I offend anyone when I say that I'm biracial, but I don't feel that I should have to choose one or the other simply because there's someone out there who feels that if I don't classify myself as being black, then I'm not being proud of my black heritage.
Give Tiger a break...and trust that when he looks in the mirror, he is very much aware that he is looking at a man with strong black heritage.
Your thoughts?
