Blake Griffin is a famous NBA player with white parents. He’s also, as far as we can tell, not white. But that hasn’t stopped people from wondering about his race. There are a lot of misconceptions about who gets called “white” and why. The answer to “Is Blake Griffin White?” is thankfully more complicated than it first appears. Let’s get into the details…
Is Blake Griffin White?
If you say yes to the above question, then my friend, you are a racist. I understand that not everyone feels the same way about race as I do, but it is still a problem in our country and something that needs to be addressed.
Why Do People Think Blake Is White?
- His first name is Blake. He could be named after his great-grandfather.
- His last name is Griffin. It’s a very common last name, especially in the U.S., so he might not be half-black.
- He’s an attractive person, but his skin is lighter than most African-Americans, so he might not be black either.
- He’s 6’10”. He could be a taller and more athletic person, so he probably is not black.
- He was born in Oklahoma, which has a largely white population, and he has never lived in a place where there are many African-Americans. Therefore, he is probably not black either.
- He has always been very outgoing and friendly with African-Americans, so he must be white or at least not have strong feelings about race at all since he isn’t afraid to hang out with them.
- I don’t know much about his family history, but I know that his parents are both white and that his father is an executive for the Pistons organization (according to Wikipedia). Therefore, he might be white too!
- He is very tall. There are many tall people in the U.S., including African-Americans, so he could be white too.
- His skin tone is lighter than most African-Americans, but it’s still darker than the average Caucasian person’s skin tone, so he probably isn’t white either.
- He is married to an African-American woman and has a baby with her named Noah! This means that he must be white because they already have a black baby together! The only way that Blake could possibly have a black child together with an African-American woman would
The History Of Racial Identification In America
- The first time that we used the word “nigger” was in 1619. That was around the time of the Salem Witch Trials, which were a very important time in American history. The word “nigger” then became a term for a slave. It had nothing to do with skin color at that point. The word then became more and more associated with darker skin until it eventually came to be used as a racial slur.
- The first person who recorded using the word “nigger” as a racial slur was Samuel Johnson, an English lexicographer who lived from 1709-1784. He published his dictionary in 1755 and used the word as a racial slur in his book so that white people could understand how black people spoke to them. These days, “nigger” is often considered an offensive term, but it has been around since before slavery ended!
- In 1791, President George Washington signed the first law in American history that banned the slave trade. This was the beginning of the end of slavery in America. The word “nigger,” however, was still being used as a racial slur to refer to black people from nearly 200 years after it was first used by Samuel Johnson.
- The last time that “nigger” was used as a racially offensive word in America happened on January 1, 1961, when President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order that ended all segregation in federal businesses and public facilities throughout America. This is also when most people started referring to black people as “Negroes” instead of “niggers” or “black folks.”
- In 1963, President John F. Kennedy made a speech saying, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” This speech is considered by many to be a very important one in the history of American race relations.
- In 1964, the first Black president, Lyndon B. Johnson, was inaugurated as President of the United States. He continued to push for civil rights legislation in order to protect black citizens against racial discrimination. In 1965, he signed a law that banned racial discrimination in public facilities such as schools and restaurants. This is also considered to be one of the most important laws in American history because it ended segregation and racism in America’s public institutions.
- In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. made a speech at the Democratic National Convention that stated that all Americans should be judged by their character instead of the color of their skin (this was an important part of his “I have a dream speech”). This speech is also considered to be one of the most important speeches in American history because it helped end racism for good in America! It’s very likely that Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated shortly after this speech, would have continued his fight for civil rights and against racial discrimination in America.
- Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream speech” is also considered to be one of the most important speeches in American history because it helped end racism for good in America!
Why Are People Confused About Blake’s Race?
- The NBA Players Association has a rule that states players should not publicly discuss their race.
- Blake Griffin is not the first NBA player to be confused about his racial identity. Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal was also confused about his race for a very long time.
- Blake Griffin has been called “the best white player in the NBA” by ESPN’s Jalen Rose and the “best white basketball player alive” by Sports Illustrated writer Luke Winn, but they weren’t just being nice when they said that. They were being serious!
- Blake Griffin was accused of being a “sellout” for making an appearance on Conan O’Brien. Does that sound like someone who identifies as white? I think not.
- Blake Griffin also played for the Oklahoma Sooners, a team that is known for its diversity and racial inclusiveness, but he has kicked off the team after arriving late to practice one day. That should not be confused with being white!
Bottom Line
As we’ve seen, there are many people who are not white but are not black either. But there are also many people who are black and white. There are Native Americans who are also white. There are Latinos who are also white. And there are African Americans who are also white. There is no “black” racial group. There are many different racial groups within the “black” category. The same is true of “white.” Blake Griffin might be one of the many people who are black and white.