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Thursday, October 1, 2026

Scenes From "Mixed-ish" (American Television Show) About People Who Have A Black Parent And A White Parent Being Racially Profiled

 “Because she's mixed-race, she doesn't identify as Black.”☠️🔥 |Mixed-ish | #Trending #shorts 

Editor:@BealeWeasley-8S, September 27, 2026

[...]

🎥 Series: Mixed-ish [American television series]
-snip-
Statistics for this YouTube video short as of October 1, 2026 as of 10:59 AM :
Total # of views - 709,299
Total # of comments - 1,094

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a 2026 YouTube video short that shows skits about experiences that a middle school age girl who is of mixed Black & White descent has that begins with her and her classmates having to fill out a school form that specifies their race.

This post also includes information about the television series Mixed-ish as well as selected comments from this video's discussion thread.

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and educational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are associated with this video short and thanks to all those who are  quoted in this post. 

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE TELEVISION SERIES MIXED ISH
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed-ish
" Mixed-ish (stylized as mixed·ish)" is an American single-camera sitcom created by Kenya Barris, Peter Saji and Tracee Ellis Ross that aired on ABC from September 24, 2019, to May 18, 2021. The series is a prequel to Black-ish, and the second series to be spun off from the parent series after the Freeform series Grown-ish. In May 2020, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on January 26, 2021. In May 2021, the series was canceled after two seasons.

Premise

Loosely based on the early life of Dr. Rania Barris (co-creator Kenya Barris' ex-wife),[1] Mixed-ish chronicles Rainbow Johnson's childhood years as she recounts her experience growing up in a mixed-race family in the 1980s. The family faces dilemmas over whether to assimilate or stay true to themselves when Rainbow's parents move from a hippie commune to the suburbs in 1985.[2]"...

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD OF THIS VIDEO SHORT

(with numbers added for referencing purposes only).

All of these comments are from September 27-October 1, 2026

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DISCLAIMER:
This compilation documents a few comments from this video's discussion thread.

These quotes are the commenters' opinions on this subject and their comments may not agree with my opinions.

****
https://youtube.com/shorts/1nslVTAaa_M?si=rFbgcLdzp1IVjtQV

1. @isam_rulez270
"What if an Indian kid comes along tf are they supposed to put down"

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2. @jojoone1099
"It must be an older movie. They didn't have the Hispanic options."

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3. @Art_or_not
"​@jojoone1099  Indians aren't Hispanic 😭, at best it's Asian

Anyways, I hate how this movie showed that she was wrong, when in her time, Hispanic/Indian ppl where considered black, Asians & other peach colored ppl where white.

It depended on skin color, which is racism. It's so stupid how no one else in the show realized that 😭.

Why does she have to be black, bc she looks black? I hated when everyone called me black, but I was Hispanic, like FULLY."

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4. @pinktaco646
"
@jojoone1099   It's not a movie its a show called "Mixed-ish"

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5. @BlackBroadwayLady
"@jojoone1099  This is an episode of Mixedish, which was a short-lived sequel to Blackish. Mixedish took place in the 1980s"

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6. @tristyy404
"
@BlackBroadwayLady  prequel

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7. @CJGmira27
"
People can say they are mixed if they want and that may be true. But almost everyone else will see them as a black person."

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8. @shadesteel9247
"Mixed people have the right to acknowledge both their races and cultures, just because they look more like one doesn't mean they can't acknowledge the other."

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9. @Ella-te7fe
"@shadesteel9247 exactly."

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10. @johnburrelljr5490
"@shadesteel9247  💯"

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11. @uceemeforeal8185
"
@shadesteel9247 [t]he comment wasn’t about whether they have the right to acknowledge their mixed heritage.  It was about how society chooses for them and in many cases no matter how hard they stand in their true identity the powers that be will scoff at, ignore or abuse them even worse if not try to use their proximity to whiteness as social validation.

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12. @deshagreely4238
"@shadesteel9247 they can acknowledge but the world won't 😏"

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13. @angneatb6036
"
@shadesteel9247 that's obvious, but unfortunately it's not the world view. That's why parents should prepare their kids,  while acknowledging that they are 100% perfect the way they are."

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14. @Miss-007-X
"That's because racial classifications come from colonizing white people who have forced their ideals onto everyone else. We don't have to ignore biology to appease white people. We are allowed to have our own thoughts now."

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15.@49jubilee
"@Miss-007-X
Some whites could have black presenting grandparents

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16. @Miss-007-X
" @49jubilee  what's your point?"

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17.@Jaenotearz
"@49jubilee and? Grandparents not parents authorization they should say bloodline.😂"

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18. @auroraborealis6009
"
@Miss-007-X  This is where world history comes in handy.

My dad was an Anglo Indian raised both in India and the UK.  He met and married my American mom in London where she worked for the State Department.

His mother was a nurse on hospital ships in WWI. My old photos show the medical staff and patients were all brown.  The officers were white.  My grandfather was an officer.

The Europeans who went to India to seek their fortunes often went home to find European wives.  The higher ups encouraged them to marry local women which led to the Anglo (or Euro) Indians.   Neither white nor brown and not really accepted by either.  Basically created for the comfort and convenience of the British Empire.

No doubt this occurred in many places throughout history.  There are Europeans with genetic ties to Ghengis Khan for example.

Nothing is that new."

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19.
@asmawiaro7869
"@auroraborealis6009  I think the most important thing is to accept our heritage ( whether one or more "heritage"). My mother is mixed and my father is also mixed. The irony, my father's father (aka my grandfather ) is already mixed. Hence I have 5 "nations" (2 maternal side + 3 paternal side). However, physically or externally I look Asian. So, I know which box to tick in whatever form I need to fill when applying for something."

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20. @auroraborealis6009
"@asmawiaro7869 I think those boxes aren’t worth the paper they’re written on.  You should be proud of all the ancestors and experiences that make you an individual because each one matters.  

Eventually everyone on the planet will be one race.   Human."

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21.@GodBlessAmerica55
"@Miss-007-X

Even though you want to insult and blame "white" people, it's very likely some of your ancestors were white."

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22. @Miss-007-X
"@GodBlessAmerica55  it's not about insulting "white" people, I'm stating a historical fact. It was "white" people who created the social construct of race and them who indoctrinated people with the "one drop rule". Which still affects people today. You do know that I could have white ancestry due to non-consensual interactions that took place in abundance before, during, and after enslavement right? So what is your point in mentioning that I could have white ancestry??"

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23. @theapavlou3030
"@BronzeSista that word "biracial" is so wrong. We say mixed, not bi-anything"

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24. @AminaCaster
"That's what I tell people all the time.im black and white and I'm  very proud of the black blood that runs through my veins.Im happy the way GOD made me."

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25. @jaitsadi-gee
"​@AminaCaster  Suppose you are African, Asian, Latino, and Indigenous (American), what would you say? Still "mixed," but is it any non-family member's business, as long as the people who matter know? 

Black and white is NOT the only mix that matters and, if you look deeper, you'll possibly find that YOUR mix runs deeper."

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26. @AminaCaster
"@jaitsadi-gee Yes I agree with you 💯"

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27. @grahambrown5739
"Tragic mixed narratives really can be so exhausting."

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28.@dchardinaycole5944
"@FelShaHer 😂😂😅fr"

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29.@FelShaHer
"Tiiiiired 🥱"

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30. @dchardinaycole5944
"
@FelShaHer 😂😂😅fr"

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31. @EarthWiser
"Definitely not as tragic as black American narratives though🤔"

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32. @ShoNuff_Ali
"
​@EarthWisertragic nonetheless. But why compare?"

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33. @jorollenola8320
"I'm shocked that so many people forget that the One Drop Rule is still in effect in this country."

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34. @JP2025-f1s
"I am a black woman with a white husband. We have two beautiful sons. We know this situation. My sons embrace both sides and focus on living their lives not their colour.  Unfortunately racism is real and experience it everywhere we go.. But  we notice it, ignore it and keep it moving🎉🎉"

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35. @cherylseebreth328
"If I am mixed/biracial, that is what  I am.  I recognize my White mother.  Did she disappear from the equation because my Dad is Black.  I will NEVER deny my mother's DNA.  I AM MIXED.   What is wrong with being mixed?  I will not allow any Eurocentrist  to tell me who I am because it is they who decided that one ounce of Black makes you Black even if you look more White than Black (not in my case 😂😂😂).   Nothing is simply black or white in this world.  There is a whole lot of gray.  How do the Eurocentrists describe a Chinese and Caucasion mix, or Japanese and East Indian mix?"

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36. @whitewolf7664
"She wasn't profiled; she was asked to identify herself. The fact that she couldn't is racism.

 She claimed she was both black and white, so why didn't she mark both boxes? Instead, she tried to add a box.

 But in the end if she was on the phone, standing in a crowd of people trying to identify herself to someone who was looking at the crowd, that is what she should have marked down. Her black features are more dominant than her white features; that is a fact.

If you are too ashamed to identify yourself how can others. You can't defeat racism with racism."

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37.@richardfrancois8219
"She's mixed and should be proud of herself"

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38.@angneatb6036
"It's not about pride. She should be proud of both, but she will be seen as Black or Hispanic  ❤️"

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39.@jaggg.3821
"
 @angneatb6036 in another episode her little brother told everybody He was Mexican because he was sick and tired of being asked What Are You?"

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40. @MyHappyOhm
"Us bi/multi racial people are proud of who we are...we also know that the world is going use our dominant trait as a baseline for treatment. Don't play dumb and don't act like bi/multi racial people aren't forced into boxes we never asked for🙄😒"

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41. @Aurora-Butterfly-1991
"
Same here. White dad. Black mom. Dad had to stand up for my mom, a lot. Racism is wild in this country."

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42. @Lithiel
"As a mix myself, it really depends on who I’m hanging out with.

I’m pale enough I can be white but when I’m actually hanging out with other white people, they know that I’m not one of them so I suddenly become exotic, or mixed.

But when I’m with people that are darker skinned or the other Black people I’m suddenly white only.

You really can’t win in this argument. All you can do is except who you are for yourself and just let everything pass over you as you navigate between how different people in the world view you."

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43. @TallPixi
"I'm Creole and have considered myself black. In my eyes my parents are black even when the people around us said they look white. One of my sisters could've passed as white but even the thought upset her."

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44. @Mekashere
"My family is multiracial on both sides, but my dad’s crew has the dark skin while my mom’s side is mostly light skinned damn. My great grandmother passed for white in her young years to be in the path of opportunity when it came to her children. It’s sad, but there’s still a color separation within my family on both sides, and no one wants to be identified as mixed even though we are. Idk why this is still a thing all these years later, but we gotta remember that most Black Americans are not fully Black. It’s impossible at this point, but oh well"

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45. @Jinshu8392
"I’m a mixed kid and everyone where i live refer to us as mixed but im also black"

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46. @sakilynn
"As a mixed woman, all true.

Before, it was "Black", "White", or "Other"; it was years before "Other" was replaced by everything else, and "Multiple Race". People thought I was either White or Hispanic/Latina because my skin tone was so well blended (now I just look White), and I still face microagressions and milder racism."

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47.@bestofmylovewhoahwhoah3239
"So many ppl want mixed ppl to see only black  but this clip shows the truth that mixed children overwhelming, frequently face this kind of struggle which black children with both black parents never face. Mixed and black are not the same... and that is okay."

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48. @natashaswain7478
"I’m black but because I have light skin and my hair looks like Rainbow’s or kinda like Tracey Ellis Ross hair. People think I mixed. I’m not mixed at all. I have two black parents. I have four black grandparents. Great grandparents are black. I just came out light skin but I am not mixed! Black people always ask me what am I mixed with nothing!"

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49. @Alinktothecats
"I mixed myself white father black and Asian mother.

I just tell myself I'm mixed but I don't know why people are offended that she's saying she's mixed cuz she is I'm guessing it's the I'm not black part that probably offends people."

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50. @Muiyoke1961
"My partner of 10 years was mixed (African American and Lebanese. He told me growing up he wasn't considered black enough or white enough to be accepted by either group."

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51. @Justusisnotjustice2026
"I know lots of mixed people who are proud but it’s mostly about the aesthetics of being mixed not because of any cultural history of accomplishments. They usually don’t know those parts. 😂 Initially, this is their parent’s job."

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52. @FoxBD
"My mixed friends usually just checked the multiple boxes that they were & no one ever said a thing after they said it's them & that the story I tell when I remind someone check all that apply. "

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53. @rainmirron
"This show is placed in the 80s. In the U.S., there was no multiple choice for race until the 90s-early 00s"

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54. @prehistoricorchid3455
"That's why I always did. I be checking like 4 boxes lol"

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55. @chacha.charmante
"But why you have to put your ethnicity on a formuler on the first place? I think it's kinda weird. I don't know, I m not american so can someone explain this to me."

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56. @prehistoricorchid3455
"@chacha.charmante  it's to dictate funding. I remember doing it in like 11th grade. Asked what it was for and it basically was a "what type of people are in the school" because I was mixed I questioned what would get the school more money, and my teacher said (basically) black because it ups the diversity which looks better"

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57. @chacha.charmante
"@prehistoricorchid3455 thanks for explaining. As an Belgian I got just that type of formular once and it was for a survey of an organization or smth. I don't even remember what it was about, but I think it was general knowledge. And we never got to know our scores. And at the end I had to put my nationality, the nationality of my parents and their studiy level and I thought it was weird. Both of my parents went to the univ and my father is a lawyer and my mom a sociologist. And we are Belgians with congolese roots."

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58. @resaHall-m2v
"@prehistoricorchid3455  yeah it is supposed to make businesses act more fairly considering they use to exclude anyone with the wrong skin"

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59. @lovelyrose2989
@chacha.charmante isn't Belgium like 95% white? They wouldn't need a form

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60. @chacha.charmante
"
@lovelyrose2989 euh no not really. But yes there is less diversity than in the US. But if you take brussels our capital, Brussels is the city with the most different nationalities in the world. So even if they are not Belgian on paper there is still a lot of diversity. And even for those with the nationality, in brussels 40 % of the population is Belgian from roots (so white people) and the 60 other procent are from immigrant background, with at 1st french people, 2nd italian (so both spots white people )and 3rd marocan. But of course there is a lot of diversity and we have brusselians from a lot of back grounds of the whole world. But even if we leave brussels who is the capital and a small area compare to the rest. In belgium we have a lot of people from Turkish, Marrocan and Congolese background over all, because of obvious historical reasons. So 95 % seems to me a too high amount, I ll rather say something like 75 % of the population is white."

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61.@BronzeSista
"@chacha.charmante In America Latinos are classified as White to increase the white population on paper.  These Latinos are not treated as white Europeans"

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62. @milouagudelo106
"That’s a good one. I am mixed born in the Caribbean and I am glad I didn’t have to deal with sh-t* like this like in the USA. But if I have to check boxes I will try this one. My granny is Asian so I would have to check 3 boxes….black, white and Asian 😂😂😂😂"

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63.@starman2671
"on most forms it says CHOOSE one or more,

so I do."

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64. @49jubilee
"It depends on how they present

If their hair is straight..it's odd"

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65 @auroraborealis6009
"Now they do have boxes with “don’t want to say” or  “mixed.”   Depending on that day I might select those.  If 10% Indian DNA counts as mixed race, I sometimes think it’s funny because no one would ever guess.  I’m a bit of a smart$$s."

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66. @savoy5639
"I have Native American black and white. No matter what box I check, I'm always gonna be considered black. That's what's called Black Americans. We are a mixture of all races"

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67. @simcity17164
"
This type of thing pisses me off, because if you say you're mixed, some black folk take offense by you not wanting to identify as black. But if you do identify as black, they're also quick to remind you that you're half white and not fully black. Damned if you do, damned if you don't"

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68.@tay2944
"Most black Americans have at least 20% European DNA, but nobody would consider them mixed because they look phenotypically black."

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"69.@TheresaHall-m2v
"Besides race only matters to doctors and family trees. Otherwise it is the color of your skin that they go by"

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70.@dianac846
"Why didn't she check both boxes? She is both"

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71. @Sir-i3r
"They wouldnt let her"

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72. @OyayoTheStorm
"Paperwork back then didn't have biracial options. It only screens one bubble"

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73. @noneyourbiz
"Question remains, why the intense push to ensure the White side is recognised too? Is there a bit of a colourism dynamic going on there? Meghan Markle expressed a similar view as a kid which sounded harmless, until her Netflix series where she let slip that she was surprised to actually be treated like a Black person. This insistence isn’t always just a harmless identity assertion."

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74. @dianac846
"​@noneyourbizok so why the intense push to ensure the black side is recognized?"

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75. @OyayoTheStorm
"Yeah .. I remember a similar issue, and my biracial friend's white father and white stepmother came to pick us all up. The stepmother got upset at how quickly the security guard changed his tune when white adults showed up, and stayed until Loss Prevention management showed up. The guard was suspended, and she told us in the car that people like that don't get real consequences, and we have to be relentless about our rights Only when we have allies there to protect us. It was a scary lesson, in the 90s, just shy of the LA riots, but we learned that hate didn't and doesn't change until people see us equally"

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76. @karlenejohnson8588
"She's right. I've always had a concern with this. Why should she identify as just one thing? She's mixed. Being mixed doesn't mean you're denying your black side, it just means you're identifying exactly who you are."

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77.@stargazer_stacey7415
"I don’t really like how she’s not really being allowed to identify as mixed (biracial). We have taught my daughter that she is both black AND white. I’ve even taught her to select both on any kind of consensus forms. She knows that the world sees her as black but I’ve always felt it’s important for her to recognize both sides of her heritage. I can’t condone making her “choose”."

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 78.@lynnevenables7193
"Mixed kids have an extra layer of struggle."

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79.@devilmecare
"Many little children are confused when they see a person with brown/melenated skin that say they're black. If there is a one drop rule then there are a whole lot of people passing as caucasian."

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80.@chingling8177
"I feel her as a mixed person all you want to do is honor both sides of yourself"

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

John Handy's 1976 Jazz-Funk Tune "Hard Work" Is The Inspiration For "Hard Work" Cadences

Hard Work - John Handy (1976) (HD Quality)

mleroy, Jul 9, 2014

"Hard Work" - John Handy (1976) Jazz-funk. Just pick a good groove and blow!!!

 "out of this world" alto sax solo!

Jazz alto saxofonist John Handy (°1933 - ) played in the mid '50 en '60 with Charles Mingus together with Eric Dolphy. He can also be heard on Mingus' most important albums of that period. Handy made his last recording in '96.

Handy was also a teacher in music history and performance at the San Francisco State University, Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrppyREk4FA

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube sound file of the 1976 Jazz-Funk tune "Hard Work" by African American alto saxophonist John Handy. Information about John Handy is included in this post along with information about the "Hard Work" cadence.

A version of the United States military cadence "Hard Work" is included in this pancocojams post along with two YouTube examples of the "Hard Work" cadence.

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, entertainment, aesthetic, and motivational purposes.

Thanks to John Handy for his musical legacy. Thanks to all others who are featured in these YouTube examples and thanks to the all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT JOHN HANDY
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Handy
"John Richard Handy III (born February 3, 1933)[1] is an American jazz musician most commonly associated with the alto saxophone. He also sings and plays the tenor and baritone saxophone, saxello, clarinet, and oboe.[2]

Biography

Handy was born in Dallas, Texas, United States.[1] He first came to prominence while working for Charles Mingus in the 1950s.[1] In the 1960s, Handy led several groups, among them a quintet with Michael White, violin, Jerry Hahn, guitar, Don Thompson, bass, and Terry Clarke, drums.[1] This group's performance at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival was recorded and released as an album;[1] Handy received Grammy nominations for "Spanish Lady" (jazz performance) and "If Only We Knew" (jazz composition). [3] 

After completing high school at McClymonds High School in Oakland, he studied music at San Francisco State College, interrupted by service during the Korean War, graduating in 1958. Following graduation, he moved to New York City. Handy has taught music history and performance at San Francisco State University, Stanford University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.[4]"...

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE MILITARY CADENCE "HARD WORK"
Here's my query to AI Overview [September 30, 2026]
"Is the USA military cadence "Hard Work" based on John Handy's Jazz tune? What is the earliest documented date for that military cadence?

AI Overview

"Yes, the U.S. military cadence "Hard Work" is directly based on jazz saxophonist John Handy's 1976 funk-jazz tune of the same name

Origins of the Cadence

• Musical Source: John Handy released the original song "Hard Work" on his 1976 album Rainbow (often released as Hard Work). It became a crossover hit and found its way into military training.

Adaptation: Drill instructors and soldiers adapted the infectious groove and chorus of the jazz track into a call-and-response running cadence during the 1980s.

Earliest Documented Date

The Song: The earliest commercial release of the musical foundation is John Handy's track in 1976.

The Military Recording: The earliest prominent documented recordings of it as an official U.S. military running cadence date to the mid-1990s, such as recordings by the U.S. Army Airborne and drill sergeant audio collections in 1996 and 1997 (famously led by then-Staff Sergeant Lamont Christian)."

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LYRICS - "HARD WORK" UNITED STATES MILITARY CADENCE
 
[As is the case with all cadences, different lyrics can be chanted for the "Hard Work" cadence. Read the write-up below these lyrics for information about the chanter and originator of these particular lyrics.] 

"Workout to the Running Cadences U.S. Army Airborne, Vol. 2 • 1997

Hard Work

Lyrics of Hard Work by U.S. Army Airborne

Everybodys doin it right (Hard work, work)

Hard Work, thats what they say (Hard work, work)

Hard Work, to earn my pay (Hard work, work)

Hard Work, do it everyday (Hard work, work)

I get up bout′ a quarter to three (Hard work, work)

Gotta go and earn my pay (Hard work, work)

Put my boots on and lace em' up (Hard work, work)

I got another days work (Hard work, work)

Hard Work, thats what they say (Hard work, work)

Hard Work, I earn my pay (Hard work, work)

I put on my ruck and move on out (Hard work, work)

Gotta go make the call (Hard work, work)

Im bangin′ on the doors in the morning (Hard work, work)

Get up and lets go to work! (Hard work, work)

Hard work, you pack up the chutes (Hard work, work)

Hard work, you loading em' up (Hard work, work)

Its a Hard Work manafest! (Hard work, work)

Hard work, you gotta do it right (Hard work, work)

Hard work, and here we go (Hard work, work)

Well son, im ready to rock (Hard work, work)

Hard work, im earning my pay (Hard work, work)

Hard work, thats what they say (Hard work, work)

Hard work, we're movin on out (Hard work, work)

We gotta go and do the job (Hard work, work)

Load em′ up on the airplane (Hard work, work)

In the early morning rain (Hard work, work)

Hard work, thats what they say (Hard work, work)

Hard work, lead me here (Hard work, work)

Hard work, turn it up (Hard work, work)

Hard work, fired up (Hard work, work)

Everybodys on the plane (Hard work, work)

Gotta sit em′ sit em' on down (Hard work, work)

Hard work, the engins are on (Hard work, work)

Hard work, the mission is GO! (Hard work, work)

Hard work, thats what they say (Hard work, work)

Hard work, I do it for play! (Hard work, work)

Hard work, I earn my pay (Hard work, work)

Hard work, we′re on the go (Hard work, work)

Writer(s): John Handy

https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/U-S-Army-Airborne/Hard-Work

-snip-
From https://genius.com/annotations/7291211/standalone_embed "Hard Work"
by U.S. Army Airborne

LamontChristian 117, 2020
"I am the voice in the cadence and originator of these specific lyrics. John Handy’s jazz tune (Hard Work, circa 1976) was likely was used originally to create the call and response ( Army cadence ) sung in the 80’s. This recorded cadence was used in a very popular Gatorade commercial and many other commercials recordings, The lead voice in this recording is me, U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major (Retired)Lamont Christian (Originally sung and recorded in 1996 while I was a Staff Sergeant, Drill Sergeant Leader at the US Army Drill Sergeant Academy, Fort Benning, Georgia)"
-snip-
The photograph that accompanies this write up is of a young African American man in a camouflage Army uniform.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #1 -Hard Work Cadence


Military.Cadences, Jan 17, 2020

Hard Work

The U.S Army Airborne

Thanks for watching!

Stay Motivated!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhx2ZA2eMj0

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2 - Hard Work Gatorade Online Ad


NEW 2014, Dec 30, 2013


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVGRt38Jdfk

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Do You Remember This Children's Recreational Rhyme That Is A Parody Of The 2001 "Survivor" Song By Destiny's Child?

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post documents an example of a United Kingdom children's recreational rhyme that is a parody of Destiny's Child's hit 2001 song "Survivor".

This post also presents information about Destiny's Child's song "Survivor" and showcases a YouTube video of that song.

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, recreational, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Destiny's Child for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

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"I'm A SURVIVOR" (children's parody of the Destiny's Child song with that title) 

[Numbers are added for referencing purposes only. The focus rhyme is given as #2 in this comment exchange.]

https://www.reddit.com/r/CasualUK/comments/k0ss6a/what_the_bloody_hell_were_the_school_playground/

1. CasualUK, 2020
"What the bloody hell were the school playground songs we used to sing?

I've just been talking with a colleague and we're trying to remember some of the songs we used to sing as kids when skipping or playing hand clapping games for example.

We're 31 and 37 for age context!

Edit - I'm now wondering how many of these songs were known around the country and which (if any) were localised to an area.

We're near Birmingham for reference."

[...]

 2. Incarnation_of_you, 2020
"Remember one that went to the tune of Survivor by Destiny's Child

 "I'm a Survivor, I got a fiver, I went on the bus and I beat up the Driver.

 Thought it was funny, nicked all his money, I'm a Survivor, Got more than a fiver"

**
Reply
3. 0hbuggerit, 2020
"Oh buggering bleedin'-hell

Oh my god I remember this!"
-snip-
Do you remember this children's rhyme or one that is similar to it? If so, for the folkloric record please share it in the comment section below along with demographic information (particularly what city, state, or nation you chanted it or heard it and which decade). Thanks!

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INFORMATION ABOUT "SURVIVOR" BY DESTINY'S CHILD
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_(Destiny%27s_Child_song)
" "Survivor" is a song by American group Destiny's Child from their third studio album, Survivor (2001). It was written and composed by group member Beyoncé Knowles, Anthony Dent, and Mathew Knowles. "Survivor" was inspired by a joke that a radio station had made about the fact that three members had already left the group, comparing the band to the reality game show Survivor.[3] Knowles was inspired to take the negative comment and turn it into a positive by writing a song out of it.[3] The song was released as the lead single from Survivor on March 6, 2001, by Columbia Records. It marked the first single released by the trio of Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams.

"Survivor" was a commercial success, peaking at number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topping the charts in Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Critically acclaimed, the song won the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards (2002). Its accompanying music video won the 2001 MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video, while the song also won a 2001 Soul Train Lady of Soul Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo. In 2017, Billboard ranked the song at number 40 on their list "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time".[4] Additionally, BET named it the 10th-best song of the 2000s.[5]."...
-snip-
Click https://genius.com/Destinys-child-survivor-lyrics for the lyrics for that song.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO - Destiny's Child - Survivor (Official HD Video)



Destiny's Child, October 25, 2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmc8bQoL-J0

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Visitor comments are welcome.

The Term "African Booty" In The Children's Recreational Rhymes "Mailman Mailman Do Your Duty" & "Policeman Policeman Do Your Duty"

Edited by Azizi Powell

[This pancocojams post is a complete reprint* of a pancocojams post that was first published in 2011 and was last updated on November 29, 2023. The visitor comments and my replies from that post are also reprinted in this post. 

*The section heading "THE HISTORY OF NEGATIVELY DESCRIBING BLACK FEMALES WITH A BIG BUTT" is a slight wording change from the 2011/2018 posts.  

That entire 2011 post (without those comments) was also republishing on this pancocojams blog in 2018. That 2018 post has no visitor comments as of this date. Both the 2011 and the 2018 post remain on this blog and are still open for comments.

The term "African booty" means "a really big butt". The inclusion of that term in these American children's recreational rhymes is a replacement of the words "Miss American beauty", In those two line verses, either the 
word "beauty" or the word "booty" rhyme or nearly rhyme with the word "duty".

The term "African booty" is only found in these children's rhymes
or in the highly negative term "African booty scratcher". In children's rhymes "African booty" is usually a neutral term that is chanted by rote memory (without any thought to its meaning). However, it's also possible that "African booty" may be considered as a compliment since in United States culture it's preferable that a woman has a big butt than a small butt or a flat butt. 

The origin of the term "African booty" came from the belief in the United States that all or most Black women from the continent of Africa and their descendants (such as Black American women) have large butts.

However, eventually the term "African booty" in these children's rhymes has also been used as a referent for non-Black females. Referring to someone having an "African booty" didn't mean / doesn't mean that the person -usually female- is from the African continent or has any Black African descent.]

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This pancocojams post provides definitions and commentary about the term "African booty". 

This post also presents various text (word only) examples of the term "African booty" that are found in the children's recreational rhymes "Mailman Mailman Do Your Duty" and "Policeman Policeman Do Your Duty". Some video examples of these rhymes are also showcased in this post.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks to all those who are featured in the embedded videos, and thanks to the publishers of those videos on YouTube.

This post was republished in its entirety on November 15, 2018 with the title "What "African Booty" Means And Examples of The Use Of The Term "African Booty" In "Mailman Mailman Do Your Duty" Children's Rhymes https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/11/what-african-booty-means-and-examples.html

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/11/my-comments-about-whether-phrase.html for a continuation of this subject entitled "My Comments About Whether The Phrase "African Booty" In The Children's Rhyme "Mailman Mailman" Is Racist".

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DEFINITION AND USE OF THE PHRASE "AFRICAN BOOTY" [Revised November 15, 2018]
"African booty", a phrase from African American English that means "a big butt", appears to be limited to its neutral or positive use in certain children's playground rhymes, or its negative, insulting use in the term "African booty scratcher".

While the term "African booty" could be applied to males, it usually is reserved as a descriptor for teenage girls and women. In the phrase "African booty", the word "African" is evidence of the widely held, although erroneous belief that all women of African descent have big butts. As is the case with a lot of African American vernacular, while the phrase "African booty" originated with Black Americans, it has also been used by non-Black Americans.

The phrase "African booty" is found in some examples of contemporary (usually post 1970s*) versions of the American children's playground rhyme family "Mailman Mailman (do your duty)". Those rhymes are also known as "Policeman Policeman (do your duty)" or similar titles. In that sub-set of that family of jump rope or hand clap rhymes, the line "Mailman mailman do your duty" is followed by the line "Here comes a lady with an African booty".

*Note below a comment from Anonymous, July 10, 2018 that she or he recalls children jumping rope "in the 1960s in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood" singing "African booty" in a jump rope song. This is the earliest reference that I've come across of the term "African booty" being found in a children's rhyme.

Examples of "Postman Postman Do Your Duty" rhymes without the "African booty" term are included in now classic 1959 collection of mostly United Kingdom children's rhymes The Lore and Language of Schoolchildren by Iona & Peter Opie. Here's an excerpt about the "Mailman Mailman" rhyme from that book:

"In all of Britain the young have sent our Valentines {Valentine cards are definitely in fashion again}, and they have written anonymous verses, In Aberdeen and elsewhere in Scotland the boy follow the old convention of putting verse on the envelopes, addressed to the post man.

Postman, Postman, do your duty
Take this to my loving beauty.
Postie, Postie, don't delay,
Do the rhumba all the way" (Opie, Lore & Language, p. 236)"

Instead of the phrase "my loving beauty", I believe that the usual pre-1970s American versions of this rhyme included the phrase "an American beauty" or "Miss American beauty".

I've also found two online examples of the use of the term "African beauty" in "Mailman Mailman" rhymes. [Read Example #7 and #8 below]. "African beauty" may be a folk etymology substitution for "African booty". However, given the often negative attitudes about Black physical appearance in mainstream United States and other Westernized cultures, it would be significant if "African beauty" were purposely used in these children's rhymes.

From my online research, it appears that some children continue to use the phrase "American beauty" as the rhyming line to "do your duty", while other children use the phrase "African booty". While it's probable that most of those persons who chant "here's come a lady with an African booty" are Black, there's evidence that that line has crossed over to non-Black persons.

Various YouTube videos document the fact that a number of non-Black children routinely chant the "African booty" phrase in "Mailman Mailman Do Your Duty" handclap rhymes. Some commenters in those videos' discussion threads* and in some other online sites also have shared examples of "Mailman Mailman" rhymes with the term "African booty". These bloggers and these children featured on YouTube videos appear to use "African booty" as a matter of course. That phrase doesn't appear to have any positive or negative connotations for them

*As of Feb. 28, 2018 YouTube disabled commenting for most videos that feature children. This action was taken to "protect children from predatory comments".https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/28/18244954/youtube-comments-minor-children-exploitation-monetization-creators 

When YouTube disabled that comment feature, they deleting the comments that had been published in those video's discussion thread. Unfortunately, that action erased a treasure trove of material for folklorists and meant the end of that rich resource of children's recreational rhymes and cheers from that time on. Thankfully, prior to knowing about that impending action,  I had copied some comments from some of those discussion threads before Feb. 2018. Also, thankfully, YouTube discussion threads about children's recreational rhymes that feature adults are still active, and (for some reason) a few discussion threads that feature children are still active.
-end of note about comment feature being disabled-
 
The word "booty" may have been introduced to non-African Americans by K C & Sunshine Band's 1976 hit R&B record "Shake Your Booty". The phrase "shake your booty" may appear in a few African American hand clap rhymes or cheers, but it doesn't appear to be used that often in those play experiences. I can't recall ever coming across any use of the words "African booty" in any other hand clap rhyme or cheer other "Mailman Mailman Do You Duty" or similarly titled rhymes as "Policeman Policeman", "Postman Postman" etc.

Apart from its use in the insulting term "African booty scratcher" (which isn't used in children's rhymes), the term "African booty" doesn't appear to be common among African Americans or non-African Americans.  Instead, it's much more likely for contemporary Americans to informally say that  someone (particularly a woman) has "a big butt" or "a big booty" (with the word "butt" used more often than the word "booty").

I believe that most African American adults know what the word "booty" and the term "African booty" mean, and I believe that it is much less likely that non-Black American adults know what the word "booty" and the term "African booty" mean. Depending on their age, I believe that it's likely that a lot of African American children don't know what "African booty" means. I think that children (usually girls) regardless of their race/ethnicity who chant "Mailman Mailman" ("Policeman Policeman)" rhymes which include the phrase "African booty" do so from rote memory without any thought about what that phrase means.

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MY MEMORIES OF THE POLICEMAN POLICEMAN RHYME AND MY DAUGHTER'S USE OF THE TERM "AFRICAN BOOTY" IN POLICE LADY" RHYMES
Here's the version of the very similar rhyme "Policeman, Policeman" that I recall from my childhood in the mid 1950s, Atlantic City, New Jersey (African American girls, group jump rope)

Policeman, Policeman,
Do your duty.
Here comes [insert the jumper's name or nickname]
an American beauty.
She can wiggle.
She can wobble
She can do the flip [later the word 'twist' replaced the word 'flip']
But I betcha five dollars she can't do this:
Lady on one foot, one foot, one foot,
turn all around. [jump on 1 foot and turn around]
Lady on two foot, two foot, two foot
Touch the ground.[jump on 2 feet and touch the ground]
Lady of three foot, three foot, three foot [jump on 2 feet with one hand on the ground]
Lady on two feet say your prayers. [jump on 2 feet while folding your hands like you are praying]
Lady on four foot, four foot, four foot [jump on 2 feet while placing both hands on the ground]
[Now] Go to bed. [jump out of the rope]
-snip-
In the mid 1980s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, my daughter and her girlfriends jumped rope while chanting a version of the "Policeman Policeman" rhyme that is very similar to the one that I recall from my childhood. However, the version that my daughter & her friends chanted reflects two significant societal changes: the inclusion of women in the police force, and the attitude that having an "African booty" was a good thing. Instead of "policeman", the girls chanted "Police lady Police lady do your duty".

In the early 2000s, my daughter - an elementary school teacher - shared with me an experience she had while taking her first grade class to a nearby public park. All of the students in her class were African American. A White man and his pre-school (White) daughter happened to be visiting that same park. Some of the girls in her classroom who were turning the ends of the jump rope sang the "Police Lady Police Lady" rhyme which included the line "here comes a lady with an African booty". (I'm not sure if the girls in her classroom knew that version before she sang it or not.) The White man asked could his daughter and he join the jump rope game, and before long he and his daughter were singing the "here comes a lady with an African booty" line. That's just one example of how versions of rhymes get passed on from one generation to another, and from one racial population to another.

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "AFRICAN BOOTY" AND "AFRICAN BOOTY SCRATCHER"
It should be noted that the phrase "African booty" is not a taunt like the similar phrase "African booty scratcher".

I believe that the referent "African booty stratcher" pre-dates the use of "African booty" in these children's rhymes. Unlike "African booty" [in those rhymes], "African booty stratcher" is definitely racist as it equates Black people (and particularly Black Africans) to monkeys or and apes. Often the person being taunted by that phrase is an immigrant from Africa, and often the person doing the taunting is an African American.

I believe that the "African booty" in the "Mailman Mailman" rhymes isn't an insult. Saying that a female has an "African booty" might even be considered a compliment since teenage females and adult females regardless of race/ethnicity like to have big butts. That said, having an "African booty" wasn't always considered a compliment, and it's probably wisest to refrain from using that phrase as a description of any female, particularly any Black female.

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THE HISTORY OF NEGATIVELY DESCRIBING BLACK FEMALES WITH A BIG BUTT
The stereotype of Black women having big butts was heavily influenced by, if not originated from the gross, racist mistreatment in the early 19th century of the South African woman Sarah Baartman and another South African woman. In 1810, Sarah Baartman and the other African woman were taken from South Africa and exhibited in Great Britain and elsewhere in Europe as a freak of nature because of their "big butts". These women were labeled "the Hottentot Venus”. Upon her death until 2003, a replication of Baartman's body which emphasized her large protruding butt was featured in a French museum. Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Baartman for information about Sarah Baartman.

Americans have had ambivalent opinions about big butt females for quite some time. Jimmy Castor 1975 "Bertha Butt Boogie" Rhythm & Blues songs document the humor Americans' have for big ("heavy set") women with big butts. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LQJYgs1sxc "Bertha Butt Boogie" for an example of those songs. Also, click http://artists.letssingit.com/jimmy-castor-lyrics-the-bertha-butt-boogie-8tbtw43 for the words to that song.

Among African Americans, a female with a "Bertha Butt" means a female (usually a Black female) with a large, protruding butt. I believe that phrase was used prior to the Jimmy Castor songs. My theory is that the origin of "Bertha Butt" was the 1947 American prison Blues song "O Berta". That song has a line "I call Berta, but she didn't answer me". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/06/o-berta-prison-blues.html for a pancocojams blog post about that song.

In contrast to song's that ridicule big butt women, the 1988 R&B song "Da Butt" by the Washington, D. C. group E. U. [European Union] praises those women, reflecting the positive societal value given to women who have a big butt. Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FShE0VifCYs for a video of that song. Click http://lyrics.filestube.com/song/a433f344b5c91eca03e9,Da-Butt-From-School-Daze.html for the lyrics to that song.

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PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES FOR THE RHYME "MAILMAN MAILMAN"
As mentioned above, the "Mailman Mailman" (do your duty) rhymes used to be chanted while jumping rope. However, as is the case with most jump rope rhymes, by at least the 1960s, in the United States at least, partner or three or four person handclapping was the preferred performance activity for those rhymes.

As documented by several YouTube videos and their viewer comment threads, the phrase "African booty" continues to be chanted by girls -regardless of race- as either a handclap rhyme, or a movement rhyme without accompanying handclap activities. With either of those performance activities, the girls use mimicking motions on cue- they shake their balled up fists in front of them when saying pom poms (in imitation of cheerleaders holding pom poms); they shake their hips from side to side as was done to the once popular "twist" dance; and with each rendition of the rhyme, they move their feet farther and farther apart either to do a split, or to see which girl falls down first. In the later case, the last girl who remains standing is the winner.

To date, I've not seen any off-line or online evidence on YouTube or elsewher that the "Mailman Mailman" ("Policeman Policeman") rhymes with or without the "African booty" phrase are still being used as a jump rope chant. This isn't surprising since chanting while jumping rope appears to be rarely done in the United States since at least the 1990s.

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FEATURED RHYMES
[These examples of "Mailman Mailman" ("Policeman Policeman") rhymes which include the phrase "African booty scratcher" are presented in no particular order.]

Example #1
mailman mailman
do your duty
here comes a lady with an
african booty
she can do the pom pom
she can do the twist
most of all she likes to kiss
-Guest, http://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=4300 Children's Street Songs; 12/2/2004

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Example #2
mail man mail man
do ur duty hear comes a lady with an African booty
she can do the pom pom she can do the splits but best of all she can kiss kiss kiss with her read hott lips
-socalgal89 at June 16, 2005 http://blog.oftheoctopuses.com/000518.php [This blog is no longer viable]

**
Example #3
Mailman mailman do your duty
here comes a lady with an African booty
she can do the pom poms
she can do the twist
but most of all
she can kiss kiss kiss
-celinababe29; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3G7c6Fj_WM; 6/24/2009

[This video is embedded below.]

**
Example #4
Mailman mailman do your duty
here comes a lady with an African booty
she can do the pom poms
she can do the twist
but most of all
she can kiss kiss kiss
With her big
red
lips
k.i.ss.i.n.g
-KellyJulia12 ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgr8ApS4LWI&feature=related; 7/11/2010

[This video is embedded below.]

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Example #5
Mailman mailman do your duty
here comes a lady with an African booty
she can do the pom poms
she can do the twist
but I betcha five dollars
she can’t do this
k-i-s-s-i-n-g
-loserweirdo311; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9Gs7-MQyrE; 8/15/2009

**
Example #6
Mailman, mailman do your duty.
Here comes a lady with an African booty.
She can do the pom-poms, she can do the splits, I bet you $5 she can't do this:

(Take your feet, and go back and forth, pointing your toes out, then your heels out, then toes, then heels....
As you're doing it, your feet are moving out, so you're getting closer to the ground.) [Thanks to Ciara A.]; http://www.beachnet.com/~jeanettem/chants.html#MAILMAN; retrieved 12/28/2011
-snip-
Here are two examples from different YouTube viewer comment threads which gives the phrase as "African beauty" instead of "African booty":

Example #7
the way i do it is ive got an african beauty she can do the pom poms she can do the splits but most of all she can kiss kisss kiss k.i.s.s
-123leta ; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3G7c6Fj_WM&feature=related; 6/2011

**
Example #8
I learned it like 'Mail man mail man do your duty. I got a date with an African beauty. She can do the pom-pom, she can do the splits, most of all she can kiss kiss kiss. K-I-S-S ( for each letter you go like if your doing the splits )
-livetolove97; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgr8ApS4LWI&feature=related; October 2011

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Here are two examples of "Mailman Mailman" rhymes that include the term "big fat booty" which I think is an equivalent term for "African booty":
Example #9 (fragment)
Mailman, mailman do your duty here comes the lady w/the big fat booty...
-Classy_Diva5 (African American female, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc sorority, Bay Area, California); http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/showthread.php?t=4123; 12/28/2000

**
Example #10
Mail man mail man do your duty
Here comes a lady with a
With a big fat booty
she can do the pom pom
she can do the twist
but most of all she can blow you a kiss
Uggh!
-froggielover737; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80uKGksoFTA&feature=related; 1/22/2007

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Mailman, Mailman



Uploaded by celinababe29 on Jun 24, 2009

My little sister and her cousin playing Mailman, Mailman after i taught them an hour earlier.
-snip-
These girls are chanting "with an African booty".

**
Example #2: mailman mailman game



Uploaded by KellyJulia12 on Jul 11, 2010

Weird, huh?
-snip-
These White girls are chanting "with an African booty". The fact that they are smiling and shaking their own hips implies to me that "African booty" isn't an insult.

**
Example #3: Mailman mailman do your duty



glancei, Published on Sep 26, 2015

Hand game- mailman mailman do your duty
-snip-
This video replaces one that is no longer available.

Notice that these two Black girls (presumably from the United States) chant "American beauty", which documents that not all African American girls chanted "African booty" when they performed this jump rope game.

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Example #4: Mail man do your duty



delcia50, Published on Apr 19, 2013
Este video se subi� de un tel�fono Android.
-snip-
The girl in this video says "African booty". Note that she doesn't appear to be African American, suggesting that non-African Americans also chant the term "African booty" as a part of this rhyme.

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COMMENTS FROM THE PANCOCOJAMS POST THAT WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2011
  1. This was really informative, just leaving a comment to let you know that this post was not in vain!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dani!

      I appreciate your comment. It's good to hear from folks who read these posts.

      My sense is that as the world gets more connected, things that Americans take for granted -such as that particular meaning of the word "booty"-may be unfamiliar to non-Americans. Also, some Americans might not be familiar with the term "African booty".

      And it seems to me that "African booty" is considered a complimentary term is meaningful, in and of itself.

      Delete
  2. “The stereotype of Black women having big butts was heavily influenced by, if not originated from the gross, racist mistreatment in the early 19th century of the South African woman Sarah Baartman and another South African woman. In 1810, Sarah Baartman and the other African woman were taken from South Africa and exhibited in Great Britain and elsewhere in Europe as a freak of nature because of their ‘big butts.’”

    I learned of Sarah Baartman several years ago. That was a very tragic story and it was a disgrace how she was treated both during her life and after her death. So I understand there being some sensitivity due to historical baggage for a woman having a large posterior, particularly women of African descent.

    “In the phrase ‘African booty’, the word ‘African’ is evidence of the widely held, although erroneous belief that all women of African descent have big butts. As is the case with a lot of African American vernacular, while the phrase ‘African booty’ originated with Black Americans, it has also been used by non-Black Americans….Saying that a female has an ‘African booty’ might even be considered a compliment since teenage females and adult females regardless of race/ethnicity like to have big butts.”

    I am a white American man and I am familiar with the phrase. In today’s context, I think of a woman having an “African booty” as a compliment, because I think it is a very desirable feminine trait. I am aware that not all African-descended women have that trait, but many do, including many “Latinas” and others who have partial African heritage. This would likely apply to Jennifer Lopez. I am actually delighted that more people today acknowledge that many of these “non black” celebrities, like Jennifer Lopez (supposedly), have African ancestry.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment, newyorkman.

      If the statement that someone [particularly a female] has an "African booty" is a compliment then I suppose that indicates some progress has been made away from the notion that anything "African" is bad [not good]. But we [the citizens of the world] have a very long way to go before most Black African traits-such as dark skin color, physical features, and very curly (i.e. nappy) hair- are considered something that is neither bad nor good but "just is" and Nordic White features are considered the same way.

      Delete
    2. Azizi PowellJuly 10, 2018 at 6:36 AM
      I just re-read the comment that was posted by December 19, 2013 at 4:10 PM.

      "I am aware that not all African-descended women have that trait, but many do, including many “Latinas” and others who have partial African heritage. This would likely apply to Jennifer Lopez. I am actually delighted that more people today acknowledge that many of these “non black” celebrities, like Jennifer Lopez (supposedly), have African ancestry."

      I want to clarify a point that you wrote:

      I believe that saying that when Black children say [in the context of a jump rope rhyme or otherwise] that some female who isn't Black has "an African booty" doesn't mean that they think that that person actually has some African ancestry. Instead, I think it means that that female has a big butt like an African female.

      In contrast, I recall that while "African booty" was a compliment that was directed to females, the term "Bertha butt" was a teasing insult that was directed to females or males. A person who had a Bertha Butt has a butt that protrudes.

      Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LQJYgs1sxc for Jimmy Castor Bertha Butt Boogie and read the comments about this term.

      Delete
    3. I have heard of the term "Big Bertha" and recall it was not intended as a compliment.

      Delete
    4. Thanks for sharing that information, John, New York.

      Although I've never heard or read of "Big Bertha" being used in reference to a female, its use as an insult would conform with my recollection/knowledge of "Bertha butt".

      That said, in some comments in t he Jimmy Castor Bertha Butt Boogie discussion thread whose link I gave immediately before your comment, a few commenters write that husbands call their wife "Bertha Butt" as a compliment for their wife's large behind (ass/butt).

      Delete
  3. African booty meaning in Mailman Mailman Do your duty basically means an african lady with a ''big bum'' which is inappropriate for kids in rhymes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous thanks for your comment.

      The Black girls who I observed chanting this rhyme-including my daughter- in the 1980s and since consider/ed "African booty" to be a big bum to use your terminology. However, that descriptor was considered a compliment.

      Delete
  4. Growing up in the 1960s in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood (future home to Obama), and attending an elementary school with children of all ethnicities, I was confused by the phrase "African booty" in the jump rope song. I had no idea what it really meant, but even as a 7 year-old, I was uncomfortable saying it and didn't think it was a compliment.

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    1. Anonymous, thanks for your comment.

      I recall that prior to the late 1960s/early 1970s, most people in the United States-including Black people, considered "Africa" and "African" negatively. That's why I think it's significant that "African booty" was used in this jump rope rhyme to refer positively to a female with a big butt.

      Maybe the positive reference was what the jump rope rhyme that you heard in the 1960s in Chicago's Hyde Park, but maybe it depended on the race/ethnicity of the girls singing the rhyme.

      My point is that I think when Black girls sing/sang that rhyme it usually means something positive and refers to the fact that [people think] that Black women are known for our "big butts" while the negative stereotype for White women is that they usually have "flat butts".

      However, see the comment that I added above on July 10, 2018 about the negative reference "Bertha butt". I added that comment as a result of reading yours and wanting to clarify the point about whether "African booty" was considered negative or not.

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