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

****
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. 

****
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]"...

****
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

****
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"

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

**
Reply
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."

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

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

**
Reply
6. @tristyy404
"@BlackBroadwayLady  prequel

**
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."

**
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."

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

**
Reply
10. @johnburrelljr5490
"@shadesteel9247  💯"

**
Reply
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.

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

**
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."

**
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."

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

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

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

**
Reply
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."

**
Reply
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."

**
Reply
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."

**
Reply
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."

**
Reply
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??"

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

**
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."

**
Reply
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."

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

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

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

**
Reply
29.@FelShaHer
"Tiiiiired 🥱"

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

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

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

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

**
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🎉🎉"

**
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?"

**
Reply
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."

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

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

**
Reply
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?"

**
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🙄😒"

**
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."

**
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."

**
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."

**
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"

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

**
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."

**
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."

**
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!"

**
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."

**
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."

**
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."

**
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. "

**
Reply
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"

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

**
Reply
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."

**
Reply
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"

**
Reply
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."

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

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

**
Reply
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."

**
Reply
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"

**
Reply
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 😂😂😂😂"

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

so I do."

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

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

**
Reply
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."

**
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"

**
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"

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

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

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

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

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

**
Reply
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."

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

**
Reply
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"

**
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."

**
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”."

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

**
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."

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

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Race, Standards Of Beauty, The Odyssey Epic Poem, And Television & Movie Adaptations (Video & Comments)

 

Odysseus Meets Calypso

@WolfStrife, May 10, 2025

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents some information about "The Odyssey" Greek epic poem with a focus on Helen of Troy and The goddess Calypso..

This post showcases a YouTube video that features African American beauty pageant winner and actress Vanessa Williams as the Greek goddess Calypso in a 1997 American television series adaptation of The Odyssey.

Selected comments from the discussion thread of that video. A number of those comments refer to the casting of Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong'o as Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan's 2026 movie adaptation of The Odyssey.

Vanessa Williams is a light skinned Black woman and Lupita Ngong'o is a dark skinned Black woman.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this pancocojams post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/07/race-in-ancient-greece-comments-from.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Race In Ancient Greece: Comments From A YouTube Discussion Thread About Christopher Nolan's 2026 The Odyssey Movie".

Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/07/comments-about-black-actress-lupita.html for the pancocojams post entitled "Comments About Black Actress Lupita Nyong'o Being Cast As Helen Of Troy In Christopher Nolan's 2026 "The Odyssey" Movie".

****
SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE GREEK POEM KNOWN AS "THE ODYSSEY"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey
"The Odyssey ... Ancient Greek: Ὀδύσσεια, romanized: Odýsseia [odýsseːa])[2] is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the Iliad, the Odyssey is divided into 24 books. It follows the heroic king of Ithaca, Odysseus, also known by the Latin variant Ulysses, and his homecoming journey after the ten-year-long Trojan War. His journey from Troy to Ithaca lasts an additional ten years, during which time he encounters many perils and all of his crewmates are killed. In Odysseus's long absence, he is presumed dead, leaving his wife Penelope and son Telemachus to contend with a group of unruly suitors competing for Penelope's hand in marriage.

The Odyssey was first composed in Homeric Greek around the 8th or 7th century BC; by the mid-6th century BC, it had become part of the Greek literary canon. In antiquity, Homer's authorship was taken as true, but contemporary scholarship predominantly assumes that the Iliad and the Odyssey were composed independently, as part of long oral traditions. Given widespread illiteracy, the poem was performed for an audience by an aoidos or rhapsode.

Key themes in the epic include the ideas of nostos (νόστος; 'return', homecoming), wandering, xenia (ξενία; 'guest-friendship'), testing, and omens. Scholars discuss the narrative prominence of certain groups within the poem, such as women and slaves, who have larger roles than in other works of ancient literature. This focus is especially remarkable when contrasted with the Iliad, which centers upon the exploits of soldiers and kings during the Trojan War.

The Odyssey is regarded as one of the most significant works of the Western canon. The first complete English translation of the Odyssey was in 1616. Adaptations and re-imaginings continue to be produced across a wide variety of media. In 2018, when BBC Culture polled experts around the world to find literature's most enduring narrative, the Odyssey topped the list."...
-snip-
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Odyssey_(2026_film) for information about the 2026 American movie The Odyssey that was written and directed by Christopher Nolan.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT HELEN OF TROY
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of_Troy
"Helen ... commonly known as Helen of Troy[3][4] and sometimes as Helen of Sparta,[5] is a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus by Leda or Nemesis, and the sister of Clytemnestra, Castor, Pollux, Philonoe, Phoebe and Timandra. She was first married to King Menelaus of Sparta....[2] Her subsequent marriage[c] to Paris of Troy was the most immediate cause of the Trojan War."...
-snip-
Helen of Troy is a fictional character. 

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE GREEK GODDESS CALYPSO
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calypso_(mythology)
"In Greek mythology, Calypso ... Ancient Greek: Καλυψώ, romanized: Kalypsṓ, lit. 'she who conceals')[1] was a nymph who lived on the island of Ogygia, where, according to Homer's Odyssey, she detained Odysseus for seven years against his will. She promised Odysseus immortality if he would stay with her, but Odysseus preferred to return home. Eventually, after the intervention of the other gods, Calypso was forced to let Odysseus go.

Etymology

The name Calypso derives from the Greek καλύπτω (kalyptō),[2][3] meaning 'to cover', 'to conceal', or 'to hide';[3][4] as such, her name translates to 'she who conceals'.[5]"...
-snip-
The goddess Calypso is a fictional character.
 
The Greek name "Calypso" has a different etymology (origin and meaning) than the Calypso Caribbean music genre.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THIS VIDEO

Disclaimer: I don't agree with all of the comments that are presented in this compilation.

All of these comments were published in July 2026 after Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey movie was released.

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

https://youtube.com/shorts/bQDGOT3_jxs?si=cpgzyyGY-9WeeVC6

1. @christophertorak
"Now THAT's my Calypso❣️😍"

**
Reply
2. @WolfStrife
"💯"

**
Reply
3. @RosaHuchin-d9y
"Totalmente de acuerdo y por milllllll🍷🍷🍷"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English
"Totally agree, and a million times over! 🍷🍷🍷"

**
Reply
3. @Heydude-u8w
"Are you nuts? Charlize is top"
-snip-
Charlize Theron is a White South African actress who is casted as Calypso in Christopher Nolan's 2026 movie The Odyssey. 

**
4. @matthix2678
"Now if Vanessa played Helen we can have a conversation."

**
Reply
5. @blackswanrevelations
"Isn’t Vanessa Williams black? Wasn’t that the whole thing actors couldn’t act like other races? Very silly to me. Troy is still my fav movie."

**
Reply
6. @IfyOgwude
"@blackswanrevelations she is ambigous enough for their sensibilities apparently"

**
Reply
7. @pamelajudithrwanyarare8429
"@blackswanrevelations Helen of Troy is fiction. It's mythology meaning there was never a person in real life called Helen of Troy just like there was never an Odysseus or Andromeda or Apollo etc. All these are fantasies. And if it's fantancy anyone can play it."

**
Reply
8. @Xxd414
"@pamelajudithrwanyarare8429  why does it matter that it's fictional? It's part of Greek culture and history. It seems like European stories are allowed to be anything but other races it's a problem. Respect others cultures as you want for yours."

**
Reply
9. @akarus451
"​ @pamelajudithrwanyarare8429 is a fiction story from a real life culture and country. Imagine doing a Nordic Mythology and Thor, Loki are asian lol that is disrepectful af "

**
Reply
10. @pamelajudithrwanyarare8429
"@akarus451 No it's not. White people or Europeans don't own the copyright to fantasy, human beings do. Secondly things like mermaids have existed in all cultures of the world especially where those cultures are surrounded by water, so Ariel as a mermaid can be any skin colour you want because it's all made up. You have white Tarzan in an African jungle, a white China queen of the jungle, a blonde blue eyed kid in the middle of east Africa. Did you hear Africans complain or quarell? No because Sheena, Tarzan are works of Fiction. They can be white, black Asian and anyone in between. What would be wrong is if you got Brad Pitt to play Nelson Mandela or got Denzel Washington to play Winston Churchill(which would be a massive upgrade for Churchill considering he was physically unattractive)"

**
Reply
11. @SeanTheDon-r1u
"@pamelajudithrwanyarare8429  Right, so let's cast Timothee Chalamet as Black Panther and watch all hell break loose...😱"
**
Reply
12. @WilliamGarrow
"@Xxd414 So like the fact that Andromedea is a Princess of Ethiopia.  But Hollywood made her and all her subjects in movies look like a place in Scandinavia?"
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andromeda_(mythology)
"Andromédē) is the daughter of Cepheus, the king of Aethiopia, and his wife, Cassiopeia. When Cassiopeia boasts that she (or Andromeda) is more beautiful than the Nereids, Poseidon sends the sea monster Cetus to ravage the coast of Aethiopia as divine punishment. Queen Cassiopeia understands that chaining Andromeda to a rock as a human sacrifice is what will appease Poseidon. Perseus finds her as he is coming back from his quest to decapitate Medusa, and brings her back to Greece to marry her and let her reign as his queen. With the head of Medusa, Perseus petrifies Cetus to stop it from terrorizing the coast any longer.

 As a subject, Andromeda has been popular in art since classical antiquity; rescued by a Greek hero, Andromeda's narration is considered the forerunner to the "princess and dragon" motif."...
-snip-
Notice that in this story a Greek king has no problem about marrying an Aethiopian (Ethiopian, meaning Black) woman.  This suggests that there were other intermarriages between Greek and Ethiopian people during that time.

**
Reply
13. @pamelajudithrwanyarare8429
"@SeanTheDon-r1u Go ahead who has stopped you?"

**
Reply
14. @Catherine.Dorian
"@blackswanrevelations Here’s the thing, they could’ve gotten away with Vanessa because she’s just that beautiful, no one would question the entire thing because of how stunning she is.  Lupita is beautiful, yes, but not stunning enough to excuse the casting.  Also, if hers was the only inaccurate casting then people wouldn’t have been quite so upset but being given a trans man as an actual man and then the other random races as Greeks (like the Indian guy) it all became very clear it was just checking race boxes rather than hiring the best actors for the characters"

**
Reply
15. @FranciscoAldereteE
" @Catherine.Dorian. is Matt Damon Greek?"

**
Reply
16. @dutoitkotze4812
"@FranciscoAldereteE  he’s closer to Greek than Lupita is"

**
Reply
17. @nodinitiative
"@blackswanrevelations  the real issue is that the Black woman potraying Helen was not as hot as many other Black actresses, although beauty is subjective, there are much more attractive Black actresses to play as Helen."

**
Reply
18. @malafakka8530
"So, it isn't about race but beauty then. Not sure that's any better. Not that I would complain"

**
Reply
19. @VictoriaThompson-h5u5f
"Lucky our beauty comes in different hues..and don't need your approval. White view does not define what beauty is..so who cares"

**
Reply
20. @arabaotoo4080
"I agree. Her beauty merits that role n yes she is a black goddess"

**
Reply
21. @thefranken-thing
"@arabaotoo4080  *Mixed goddess"

**
Reply
22. @liltinyoutlaw1
"@thefranken-thing  no she is not. thx for playing"

**
Reply
23. @Xxd414
"@VictoriaThompson-h5u5f  it's not the point. It's a European cultural part of our history. It should be respected. Why when it's white stories y'all think it can just be washed over? But your stories are respected? Huh. Greeks aren't black. Greek mythology is Greek. The end."

**
Reply
24. @cassidyanne2
"@X @Xxd414  imagine thinking the odyssey is a “white” story. Begging ppl to read a book"

**
Reply
25. @devalyngolliday4652
"@Xxd414 what color are the Cyclops or sirens or the Minotaur?  It's Mythology and Greek people tend to have darker features ( hair, eyes, olive skin) but no one would care about a blond haired, blue-eyed person in the role would they??  Stop the cap please!"
-snip-
In the context of this comment, the word "cap" is an African American Vernacular English word that means "lies"/"lying".

**
Reply
26. @Suseau
"​​ @devalyngolliday4652  are you suggesting a Greek with brown hair and tan skin wasn't still ethnically white? Or that there were no blonde Greeks?

Americans are so obsessed with rewriting and organizing everything by skin colour, it's a joke!

You would look at someone like Mbappé and tell him what his identity was. You tell off Latinas, if they dare to be dark, but not consider themselves to be black. All this pretentious ethical correctness while feeling so damn entitled to other cultures and people's whole identities. Tyla - who is mixed, largely Indian, gets backlash if she doesn't bow down to your rules of colour. Stop the cap!"
-snip-
In the context of this comment, the word "cap" is an African American Vernacular English word that means "lies"/"lying".

**
Reply
27. @Privatesectorzero292
"No, you would still be arguing with the colorist aka bigots and racist trying to tell you that there were no black people in Ancient Rome or Greece. But there were. The Mediterranean Sea borders the entire northern edge of North Africa, stretching about 2,500 miles (4,000 km) from the Strait of Gibraltar in the west to the coast of Egypt in the east. Five African nations touch this sea. In Homer, they didn’t have colorism or anything of the sort. A-poem re written over thousands of years and translations would. HOWEVER, in Greek mythology, there are Ethiopians. YES. The word comes from GREEK! It means burnt from the sun, cause black wasn’t a thing. it wasn’t called Africa YET. Ancient Rome had black soldiers etc., Ancient Greeks knew about them, and wrote extensively about the “Aithiopia” land of the sun burnt face. The ancient Greeks believed their gods frequently interacted with "Ethiopia." In Greek literature, it was considered a sacred, utopian land where the gods went to relax and receive sacrifices. In Iliad, Homer writes that Zeus and the 12 olympians, left Greece for twelve days to feast with the "blameless Ethiopians," delaying divine intervention in the Trojan War. Poseidon too! In the Odyssey, he  receives sacrifices there for mount Olympus. How do I know, I’m a classicist. 🤣. A classics major. LOOK IT UP. 😁"

**
Reply
28. @Suseau
"​@Privatesectorzero292 every teenager at grammar school reads these things in Latin and Greek. Interaction with and presence of Africans is common knowledge and not questioned. Calm down - especially on those capitals."

**
29. @ΝΑΤΑΜ
"Well, we all know why we are watching this... Thank you mr Nolan for reminding us of this epic mini series."

 **
Reply
30. @lindamartin-dm3nt
"Which mini series is that?"

**
Reply
31. @SeanTheDon-r1u
"@lindamartin-dm3nt  The Odyssey TV miniseries (from 1997)"

**
Reply
32. @clusterfoxtrot4462
"The only film version so far that matters to me."

**
33. @anitaproq3528
"Today I learned that there are different versions of 'The Odissey' depending on the language it was translated to originally. They say, that version, which this mini series was based on, was translated from Homer with some depths that Nolan's version lacks, not because of his artistic way of seeing, but literally because it was quite another book. Nevertheless he might have wanted to make himself some homework, similar to what Mel Gibson did for 'The Passion of the Christ' or  'Apocalypto'"

**
34. @rohinimoon16
"I haven’t seen this movie but this bit I’ve seen made me cringe hard lol. I love Nolan’s Odyssey."

**
35. @andrearlieth2711
"Now that´s a face that could launch a thousand ships"

**
Reply
36. @peter455sd
"The whole 6th fleet"

**
Reply
37. @andrearlieth2711
"​@peter455sd 😅 Ohoy navy men"

**
Reply
38. @Darkness-ie2yl
"This is Not Helen so why do you guys keep making this reference?"

**
Reply
39. @00ghostcobra
"@Darkness-ie2yl  She definitely could have played Helen, with that face.."

**
Reply
40. @a.h.2667
"@00ghostcobra Vanessa is black, I thought that was the whole debate of who should play Helen."

**
Reply
41. @Darkness-ie2yl
"@00ghostcobra  So could Lupita. Shes beautiful enough."

**
Reply
42. @longin-b6f
" @a.h.2667 IF Helena has to be black ( for the purpose of the DEI) THEN she must look like Vanessa Williams. 10/10. That's what the people mean."

**
Reply
43. @Leolaglamour
"​@longin-b6f  He didn't pick Luputa for DEI. 🙄  He picked her for her talent. Its amazing how your "I'm colorblind" bullcrap goes away when it comes to movies. Per usual your lies are exposed."

**
Reply
44. @voiceover2191
" @Darkness-ie2yl American education system that when you mention Homer, they hear the Simpsons' theme in their mind."

**
Reply
45. @SynnJynn
"@voiceover2191  at least the Simpsons was more entertaining"

**
Reply
46. @voiceover2191
" @SynnJynn Thank you for proving my point"

**
Reply
47. @michaelbaker8633
"​ @Darkness-ie2yl  Probably for the same reason you keep missing the point entirely.

 If they had cast a black woman who looks like Vanessa Williams to play Helen instead of the troll they shoved in our faces, there would never have been so much backlash"

**
Reply
48. @Darkness-ie2yl
"@michaelbaker8633  And you somehow think Christopher Nolan was unaware that the small minded would be whining and complaining? That some of you think everyone needs to look like Taylor Swift or Dua Lipa to be beautiful according to your standards? He wanted to hear your screams. We like it."

**
49. @esthervieira6141
"That calypso makes sense that he stayed so long, not Charlize doing nothing at the beach"

**
Reply
50. @christopherIronGreek7472
"That’s what they needed in the new Odyssey"

**
Reply
51. @Shilohs_System
"Meh"

**
Reply
52. @SeanTheDon-r1u
"@Shilohs_System  That was pretty much the reaction when viewers saw Helen's face in Nolan's version...."

**
Reply
53. @Shilohs_System
"Getting mad about a fictional character being played by a real person is mental illness. Plus the "real" Helen would have been from Turkey, so no promise her skin would have been white ANYWAYS"

**
Reply
54. @SeanTheDon-r1u
"@Shilohs_System  And getting mad over people's opinions/criticism about a fictional movie is a form of mental gymnastics worthy of a 1st place prize...🥇"

**
Reply
55. @christopherIronGreek7472
"@Shilohs_System  😂 not mad about anything. Just voicing an opinion. Sounds like you’re the one getting mad. Last time I checked, people are allowed to have their own opinions. 😂"

**
Reply
56. @francescapowell1538
"Why cos she’s light skinned and got recessive genes that have lightened her eyes, proving her family lineage was marred by the traces of slavery?"

**
57. @eddisontollett8845
"I'll be blunt and honest: no, nobody would complain because Vanessa Williams is widely seen as beautiful and desirable, whereas Lupita Nyong'o was cast primarily for her acting talent. Christopher Nolan also likes working with actors who have won Oscars."

**
Reply
58. @oksana818
" @eddisontollett8845 I’d be blunt and honest - the role of Nolan’s Helen didn’t require any extraordinary or unique acting talents. Plenty of actresses could’ve done part just as successfully"

**
Reply
59. @eddisontollett8845
"​ @oksana818 Sydney Sweeney fits the traditional image of Helen of Troy far better than most actresses people have suggested.

In Greek mythology, Helen isn't just an attractive woman she is described as the most beautiful woman in the world. Her beauty is so extraordinary that kings, princes, and legendary heroes are willing to cross the sea, risk their lives, and fight a war that lasts ten years.

For that story to feel believable on screen, the actress needs to have a level of beauty and sex appeal that instantly makes the audience understand why so many men would lose their minds over her.

In my opinion, Sydney Sweeney would have been a much stronger choice. Her appearance aligns far more closely with the timeless image of a woman whose beauty is powerful enough to launch a thousand ships and become the catalyst for one of the greatest wars in mythology."

**
Reply
60. @Fraughtech-7
"@eddisontollett8845  Thank god you are not the casting director then."

**
Reply
61. @Alan-a-Dale484
"@eddisontollett8845  most of the people complaining would still complain. It's not about Lupita's beauty."

**
Reply
62. @Fraughtech-7
"@e @eddisontollett8845  Lupita is beautiful aswell. People would definitely complain either way, because they don’t want a black actress in the role.

They would say it’s woke."

**
Reply
63. @kbobdixie1829
"@Fraughtech-7 yes bc it is woke"

**
Reply
64. @Fraughtech-7
"@kbobdixie1829  you don’t know what that word means."

**
Reply
65. @kbobdixie1829
"@Fraughtech-7 😂 and you don't know how it's colloquially used..do u realize words are often used in a common everyday way that isn't a textbook definition? 😂"

**
Reply
66. @Fraughtech-7
"Lupita was named people magazine most beautiful person so no beauty is not the issue."

**
Reply
67. @tsopmocful1958
"​@Fraughtech-7 She's not even cute.

VW in this vid would have been a great choice and she is a better Calypso than Nolan's choice too.

 Much better."

 **
Reply
68. @rijusnar1994
"@Fraughtech-7 please dare to tell us Lupita is more beautiful than Vanessa .

We don't care about what magazines saif its bullcrap"

**
Reply
69. @Fraughtech-7
"@rijusnar1994  Where did I say that. Do you not have reading comprehension. I’m saying both of them are beautiful."

**
Reply
70. @Fraughtech-7
"@tsopmocful1958  Lupita is good looking and I don’t think you read my comment at all. People will still complain if either of them are casted, because they are BLACK. Have you not seen the discourse online, they are complaining about not just beauty, but RACE. There are no Greek people casted in the odyssey and people want accuracy not just eye candy. People would still be annoyed if  they casted Vanessa."

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome. 

Does Lamine Yamal "Look" Like A Spaniard?" & What Does That Question Even Mean? (YouTube video & comments)

Lamine Yamal is NOT A Typical Spaniard

@DNAUncovered, July 20, 2026

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video short about Lamine Yamal's DNA test results.

This post also presents selected comments from that video's discussion thread that explore what makes a person a Spaniard and what a Spaniard looks like.  The narrator of that video postulates that Lamine Yamal's DNA results mean that he is different than the typical Spaniard.  Some commenters wrote that anyone growing up in Spain is a Spaniard and to say that Lamine Yamal doesn't "look like a Spaniard" is just as foolish as the statement that a person doesn't "look like American". Other commenters disagreed with this position.

It should be noted that commenters who indicated that they had the same or similar DNA as Lamine Yamal (i.e. Moroccan. West African, and Northern African DNA) didn't agree with each other about whether a person with this DNA was a Spaniard if they were born or raised in Spain. 

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Lamine Yamal for his accomplishments and his positive role modeling. Thanks also to all those who produces and published this video. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-meanings-of-names-lamine-yamal-with.html for the pancocojams post entitled "The Meanings Of The Names "Lamine" & "Yamal" (with two YouTube videos & information about Spanish Footballer Lamine Yamal)."

****
INFORMATION ABOUT LAMINE YAMAL
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamine_Yamal
"Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana[α] (born 13 July 2007) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a right winger for the La Liga club Barcelona and the Spain national team. Regarded as one of the best players in the world, he is known for his dribbling and playmaking ability.[β]

[…]

Yamal has represented Spain internationally at various youth levels, and made his debut for the senior team in 2023, becoming the youngest player to represent and score for the country at age 16. He helped Spain win their fourth UEFA European Championship in 2024, becoming the youngest player to score in the tournament (age 16),[11] and was awarded the tournament's Young Player Award. At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Yamal scored Spain's opening goal of the tournament and played a key role as they won their second World Cup title.

Early life

Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana was born on 13 July 2007, in Esplugues de Llobregat in the Barcelona metropolitan area in Catalonia.[12][13] Yamal's father, Mounir Nasraoui, is from a village between Larache and Ksar el-Kebir, Morocco[14] and his mother, Sheila Ebana, is from Bata, Equatorial Guinea.[15] He has a compound given name to honour two family friends, Lamine and Yamal, who helped his parents financially shortly before Yamal was born.[16] As a baby he was featured in a 2007 UNICEF charity photo shoot with his future club Barcelona, during which he was bathed by a 20-year-old Lionel Messi. The photos went viral online nineteen years later as the players were set to face each other as their nations' star players in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.[17][18][19]

An important figure in Yamal's upbringing was his paternal grandmother, Fatima, who migrated from Tangier, Morocco, to Spain in 1990.[20] Facing immense financial hardship, she worked to anchor the family in Rocafonda, a neighbourhood in the city of Mataró in Catalonia. When Yamal's parents separated during his early childhood, Fatima took on a pivotal role in raising him, managing his daily routine and ensuring he could attend training sessions.[21] Yamal started playing football at local club La Torreta in Granollers at the age of four.[22][23] His goal celebrations include a hand gesture indicating the number 304, the last three digits of the Rocafonda postcode 08304. Following his success, his popularisation of the number has been credited with bringing pride and recognition to the working class community of Rocafonda.[24][25]

At six years old, Yamal was scouted by Barcelona and was invited to training sessions at La Masia. He signed for the club in 2014 and moved to Barcelona to live and train at the academy.[26][27]”…

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD

These comments are given in no particular order.

All these comments are from July 20, 2026 and July 21, 2026.

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only. 

https://youtube.com/shorts/lAdYjI7ibwU?si=LC9XCvGSFDncEyW5

1. @mikespearwood3914
"How did you get his DNA??"

**
Reply
2. @DogofRaw
"That's a scary thought"

**
Reply
3. @kooshaghazisaeed-wn9vo
"you can estimate with enough knowledge you don't need a test"

**
4. @marialawson75
"So tired of people automatically assuming people are suppose to look a certain way.  What makes a person look American."

**
5. @StellaStar-i5b
"And your point is?...he grew up in Spain...educated lived!...he's a Spanish!..🎉"

**
Reply
6. @M0EMimouni
"🎯👌👌🇪🇸. I'm of Moroccan Origin Living In Canada 🇨🇦 for 55 Years. I Consider MYSELF Pure Canadian ✨️.  If Ur Born In A Contry & Getting AN Educated n Earns Ur Living In That Contry, HWO Cares About The Origin 0f You're Great Grandparents. WELCOME to 2026 & WORLD 🏆 🎉🎉

Congrats T0 Everyone In SPAIN 🇪🇸 ❤️."

**
reply
7. @maramra393
"@M0EMimouni that's nuts. I'm Moroccan born and raised in Spain, I'm still Moroccan and will never be a Spaniard nor accepted by them. If you're a Moroccan Muslim, you have no business claiming a western country as your own. We're Amazigh people no matter where we're born our blood won't stop being Amazigh"
-snip-
Here's some information about the meaning of the word "Amazigh":
From https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/berbers
"The Berbers, also known as Amazigh or Imazighen, are the Indigenous peoples of North Africa with a rich history that dates back to prehistoric times. They inhabit a vast region stretching from Egypt to Morocco, Algeria, and parts of West Africa. The term "Berber" originates from Arabic and historically referred to foreign-language speakers, while the Berbers themselves identify as Imazighen, meaning "free people." Over centuries, they have maintained their distinct culture despite numerous invasions, including those by the Romans and Arabs."...

**
8. @r.s.m.burke1
"Looking at him, I don’t think anybody would mistake him for being fully Spaniard."

**
Reply
9. @juandiegovalverde1982
"He's fully Spaniard."

**
Reply
10. @FYCH45
" "Spaniard" is not a "race", it's a nationality. He is "fully Spaniard". "

**
11. @keithwilliams744
"Everyone originated in Africa he’s Spanish now based on the current borders and rules of nationality. Spain is just an example of a nation that has refused to limit its path to greatness. Viva España."

**
12. @jeffersonwright6249
"A BIG HOT SHOUTOUT TO THE DIMWITTED NARRATOR AND EDITOR OF THIS CLIP: SPAIN ATTRACTS AS MANY IF NOT MORE FOREIGNERS TO ITS SHORES AND ECONOMY AS THE REST OF THE INDUSTRIALISED 1ST WORLD!"

**
13. @savioblanc
"Lol...typical? He ain't a Spaniard, proper.

He's a citizen of Spain and of Moroccan and Black African heritage."

**
14. @GeckAqua
"He don't even look Spanish lol."

**
Reply
15. @SharonY.2023-bf8mq
"What does Spanish look like  ?"

**
Reply
16. @Brother_Dre1900
"He can be Spanish. There are Black Latinos."

**
Reply
17. @Lubna-v3d
"@Brother_Dre1900 He is supposed to be from Spain. He is not "Latino." Latinos are mixed because they don't really have the land. They mixed with people who came from Spain, with the indigenous women (Europeans killed most of the men), with Africans, some Asians, etc..."

**
Reply
18. @Tiago-d8o7n
" @Lubna-v3d  “latinos are mixed” what?!? Portugal and Spain the OG latinos. America Latina/ Latin America comes from being colonized by Latinos ake the Portuguese and Spanish..."

**
Reply
19. @Brother_Dre1900
"@Lubna-v3d

I know this. That doesn't compromise what I've said about Black Latinos. Furthermore, he looks indistinguishable from Black Latinos; therefore, I can understand if he's confused for one.

Thirdly, the player in question is not a Spaniard, but because he is a citizen of Spain, he is Spanish."

**
Reply
20. @juandiegovalverde1982
"@Brother_Dre1900  from the Oxford Dictionary: Spaniard: a person from Spain."

**
21. @angelletsgetit
"Have U ever been 2any Spanish(Latin) countries🤔 He actually does look Spanish & Black 😂😂"

 **
22. @panamafelix8681
"Who cares.  He was born in Spain, raised in Spain, he plays for Spain.  He is Spanish."

**
23. @judithgrace9850
"❤️❤️"

**
Reply
24, @reppo2010
"Yeesss"

**
25. @jonatanestevezlopez966
"guinea ecuatorial was part of spain, and they speak spanish there even today"

**
26. @dianahahnacuna1227
"No será típico en la genética pero si en la forma de entender el fútbol, con deportividad, sacrificio y valores. Orgullosa de un joven excelente que pueda ser ejemplo para muchos otros jóvenes…❤️"
-snip-
Google translate from Spanish to English:
"It might not be typical in his genes, but it is in his understanding of football, with sportsmanship, sacrifice, and values. I'm so proud of such an excellent young man who can be an example for many other young people…❤️"

**
26. @eduzulu494
"What matters is that he is African, An Amazing Human Being and We are proud of him.🇨🇻🤲🏿💪🏿✊🏿"

**
27. @fejitedesloges9314
"Don't forget 800 years morse"
-snip-
"Morse" here probably means "Moors".

**
28. @ChidozieArinze-o4q6i
"Lol playing for country doesn't mean you must genetically come from there like the whole world has gone through series of migration and mixing especially the south America( Latin America) and The Americas itself self. More the half of their population always trace to Europe and west Africa with some minority local admixture of the indigenous people of that continent. Messi would most definitely trace his ancestry back to Europe specifically Spain or Italy. Donald trump himself Has Scottish and German parental lineages.

DNA uncovered

Mbappe: Cameroonian Father, Algeria mother born in France (Central/West African DNA with North African DNA

Michael Olise : Nigerian father, Algerian Mother, born in England but plays for France (West African DNA probably the Igbo tribe of Nigeria with North Africa DNA)

Jude Bellingham: English Father from England and Kenyan mother ( European DNA "don't know the specific category" and East African DNA)"

**
29. @equilibriumrebelado4893
"Is Mbappe a typical French? I need to know 😂"

**
Reply
30. @sydo171
"Depends on where you are in France. Have a look to French History, Guadeloupe,  Martinique etc. - They are French. Tiring this chromia  obsession"

**
31. @M0EMimouni
"The Entire Team Deserves Praise.

Football Is A Team Sport & Most Importantly Spain 🇪🇸 Won 🏆 & Everything Else is Just HOT AIR."

**
32. @teetanaji4114
"He is moroccan"

**
Reply
33. @Rrzu-u4h
"And what is his citizenship? Morrocan or Guinean?"

**
34. @antiquityqueen9702
"Properganda WAR, 😅Sorry One DROP, 😮YOU  LOOSE ha, ha,😅ha, ha,😂  He's 😅BLACKs!"

**
35. @Perspectivity-gy6yp
"WHO GIVES A TOSS. This is pathetic."

**
Reply
36. @Emmanuel-ws3qo
"People educated about genetics"

**
Reply
37. @kooshaghazisaeed-wn9vo
"if your not interested leave"

**
38. @reppo2010
"Why are you so obsessed with race? Why define people by it when it doesn't matter what human beings are the way they are?"

**
39. @AnthonyJefferies-qd5cb
"He did not mention that Arabs ruled part of Spain for 500 years"

**
Reply
40. @rashrick3109
"so what !!"

**
41. @MotoKang
"whats the point of this stupid video? Now do the same video about a super star in the NBA or Nfl in the United States...hear what that sounds like."

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Is The Children's Game Song "Brown Girl In The Ring" Racist? (Pancocojams Reprint Of A 2017 Post)

 

JAFS Project,  Dec 15, 2018

18,759 views • Dec 15, 2018

Traditional Jamaica ring game called Brown Girl In the Ring, performed in Westmoreland Jamaica. -snip- Video description- A small group of school age girls (and one boy) perform this game outdoors. Most of the girls wear school uniforms. One girl is in the center of the circle (the ring). The other players sing the song. On the words, "Show me your motion", the center girl makes a motion of her choice (such as putting both arms on her hips and swaying from side to side". The other players imitate that motion as soon as the center girl does it. On the words "Stand and choose your partner", the center girl arbitrarily stands in front of a person forming the circle. At the end of the repeat of that lyric, the game immediately begins from the beginning with the person who the former center girl stood in front of becoming the new center person.

****
Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post explores the question "Is the Jamaican originated children's recreational game  'Brown Girl In The Ring' racist?"

This post also includes an example of a 1904 version of this song and includes my editorial comments about whether "Brown Girl In The Ring" is racist.

This post also showcases several YouTube videos of the Jamaica originated children's game "Brown Girl In The Ring" with selected comments from some of these videos' discussion threads.

Most of this post is a reprint of a 2017 pancocojams post with this title and includes all of the comments that haver been published for that pot as of July 19, 2026 (the publication date of this 2026s post.). That post is still available on this blog.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composer/s of "Brown Girl In The Ring". Thanks to all those who are featured in these showcase videos and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to he publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/01/theres-brown-girl-in-ring-youtube.html."There's A Brown Girl In The Ring"  Most of the YouTube examples, lyrics, and comments in that post were included in the original 2017 post.

This post has been extensively revised since its initial publication on pancocojams in 2017.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/11/boney-m-brown-girl-in-ring-video-lyrics.html Boney M - Brown Girl In The Ring (Video, Lyrics, & Comments) for another pancocojams post about the song "Brown Girl In The Ring". That post showcases a different Boney M clip of this song than the clip that is shown in this post.

Also, click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2026/04/play-party-songs-general-information.html for the closely related April 2026 post "White Default, Color Blindness, & African American Influences On Play Party Songs".

**** 

IS THE CARIBBEAN GAME SONG "BROWN GIRL IN THE RING" RACIST?

My answer- No. maybe, and yes.

A number of people have asked online about whether the Jamaican children's song is racist, including a concerned White parent who wrote on July  7, 2008 on the now deleted blog [blog no longer available] asking whether the game song "Brown Girl In The Ring" is racist. Tami Winfrey Harris, the Black blogger who is/was the editor of that site, concluded that this song isn't racist.

I agree with Tami Winfrey Harris that "Brown Girl In The Ring" isn't intrinsically racist. However, "Brown Girl In The Ring is racial as it refers to the race (skin color) of children who are playing a game. And being racial isn't intrinsically bad or good. it depends on intent.

The earliest example of "Brown Girl In The Ring" game song that I've come across was a 1904 song entitled "There's A Black Boy In The Ring". My guess is that that game song was composed for a monoracial (one racial) population of Black children in Jamaica as a way of helping them boost and reinforce their self-esteem and group esteem in a world that constantly put them down.

Ironically, one of the problems (or potential problems) with "Brown Girl In The Ring" is that lots of people now live in multicultural societies where colorblindness is considered to be the ideal. In the United States and in many other Western nations nowadays it is considered to be ideal to pretend that racial differences such as skin color don't exist. 

However, at the same time, those societies have policies and practices that promote institutional (systemic) racism and societal practices in which "White" (i.e. the White race) is the default that is automatically considered now to be (and is inaccurately taught that in the past has always been) the most valued race. 

Based on this default belief, for example, when no race is mentioned for some historically or present day accomplishment or invention, most people in these nations automatically think the person who accomplished it or invented it was or is White. Also, the educational systems and the mass media of the United States and other Western nations continue to either ignore, mislabel, downgrade the accomplishments of People of Color (i.e. non-White people) while they actively vilify People of Color.

At the same time, populations in these multicultural societies also struggle with "colorism" (favoring one skin color in a racial population over other skin colors in that same population).
The skin color (and other characteristics such as nose shape and other facial features and hair texture) that are favored are those that are closer to the skin color and features of White people.

****
WHY DO SOME PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER THE"BROWN GIRL IN THE RING" SONG AND GAME IS RACIST?
I believe that the concerns about whether the "Brown Girl In The Ring" song and game are racist reflect the heightened awareness in some people (particularly White people) that favoring one race over another is wrong. The people who are questioning the racist or non-racist nature of this song and game are trying to eradicate elements of racism from the pay activities of their children and the children they teach or otherwise interact.

Since at least the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, "colorblindness" is largely considered the ideal value to have in the United States and in most other nations throughout the world, My guess is the reason why people have concerns about the "Brown Girl In The Ring" game song is that the lyrics of that song can be seen as promoting one race or one skin color over others. A very successfulr example of society cleansing a children's recreational rhyme of racist content is removing the "N word" from the "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo" rhyme and substituting another word. That change has worked so well that most people don't know that the N word was ever a part of that rhyme." 

The concern that "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" is racist could be true in the 2020s if the people playing that game chose to have racist viewpoints-meaning if they  sing that song  or play that game to call negative attention to players with that skin color. However, historically, "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" ( or it's earlier version "There's A Black Boy In The Ring" ) was sung to help Black children develop and reinforce positive self-esteem and group esteem.

****
THE COLOR REFERENT "BROWN" IN THIS GAME SONG REPLACED THE EARLIER REFERENT "BLACK
"There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" is a later version of the song that used the word "black" instead of "brown". 

The earliest example of "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" that I've come across was published in a 1904 collection Jamaican Song and Story: Annancy stories, digging sings, ring tunes, and dancing tunes by Walter Jekyll. The title of that game song was "There's A Black Boy In The Ring".

A digital version of this book can be found at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35410/35410-h/35410-h.htm#Page_207. [This singing game is actually on page 208] .

Here are the lyrics to that song along with the collector's notes.

There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, There's a black boy in a ring, tra la la la la, He like sugar an' I like plum. Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador! Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador! Wheel an' take you pardner, jump shamador! For he like sugar an' I like plum.

The boy inside the ring chooses his partner, whom he leaves there after the dance. She obtains release by choosing another partner, whom she leaves behind. So there is alternately a boy and a girl in the ring.

"Shamador" is possibly a corruption of "camerado."
-end of quote-
"Camerado" is probably a variant spelling of "comrade" (friend).

Presumably, as is the case for contemporary versions of this song, while playing this game, the gender referent "boy" was changed to "girl" when it was (is) a boy's turn to be in the middle of the circle. The use of "boy"  instead of "girl" in that 1904 example could reflect the early 20th century's preference for boys over girls. And, the use of "girl" instead of "boy" in later versions of that game song could reflect the fact that circle singing games came to be considered as recreational activities mostly for girls rather than as co-ed activities. (The recent de-emphasizing gender because of the LTBGQ movement didn't affect the historical use of gender terms in this song, but certainly could be a reason why some people nowadays frown upon this song.)

**
I don't know when or why the color referent in this game song changed from "Black" to "Brown"

Did people change the color referent in this song from "Black" to "Brown" because "black" was considered a pejorative racial and/or skin color referent that no one playing that game wanted to be associated with? Said differently, did a growing number of Jamaicans where this song was composed favor being brown skinned (lighter) than being darker skinned?

And/or was a version of this song that used the "brown girl" rather than the "black boy" words so popular that people sang those words and by force of repetition, that wording became the standard?
 

By 1946/1947 the eminent Trinidadian Calypsonian Lord Invader wrote his version of this game song with the and title "Brown Girl In A Ring". 

Here's Lord Invader's Calypso version of that game song:

"Yes sir

Very often i am left amazed

when i remember my childhood days

when me and my girlfriend used to play about together

and sing the song of hug and kiss your partner

There's a brown girl in the ring

Traala lala la

There's a brown girl in the ring

Trala lala lala

Brown girl in the ring

Trala lala la

And She looks like a sugar on a plum (plum, plum)

You'll show me your motion

Trala lala la

You'll show me your motion

Trala lala lala

Show me your motion

Traala lala la

And She looks like a sugar on a plum (plum, plum)

You'll hug and kiss your partner

Traala lala la

You'll hug and kiss your partner

Traala lala lala

hug and kiss your partner

Traala lala la

And She looks like a sugar on a plum (plum, plum)

But now that i reached to maturity

I know how happy my childhood days used to be

But now the kids haven't got no responsibility

They are taken care of by their families

Anything they need, they just have to say

And after school at home all day will go and play

There's a brown girl in the ring...

Now if i happen to be reincarnated

I like to do the same things i did as a kid

when I'm permitted to have my fun at times

With my playmates i'll sing some nursery rhymes

Whether in my backyard, or in the playground

We will join together and sing this song

There's a brown girl in the ring...

And Miss Lilly White looks so fresh and gay

With a bunch of roses by her side

Give her the kisses, one, two  three,

Wonder who shall be her bride.

Show me your motion ..."

- posted on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0lp40UnuBM Lord Invader - "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" by [commenter] SenhorBovinoGadoso, 2015

-end of quote-
Notice the "brown" and "White" color references in Lord Invader's version of "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring". Lord Invader's song could have helped standardize the "brown girl" rather than "black boy" words in that game song. However, it appears the "brown girl" words were used during Lord Invader's childhood.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
The next two sections of this pancocojams post provide some historical and current usages of the word "brown" in Jamaica when it is used to refer to certain populations.

19th CENTURY MEANINGS OF THE WORD "BROWN" IN JAMAICA
Judging by Jamaican sea chanties, since at least the 19th century in Jamaica, the word "brown" used as a skin color referent means "light skinned" and/or mixed race (i.e. Black mixed with White and/or another race. "Sally Brown" shanties are examples of the 19th century use of "brown" as skin color references in Jamaica and elsewhere.

Here's some information about Sally Brown shanties from my 2012 pancocojams post with that title:
" "Sally Brown" is a Jamaican sea shanty about a mixed race (mulatto; Creole) woman. Like all shanties, there are multiple versions of "Sally Brown". In addition to the song titled "Sally Brown", there are many other shanties that mention "Sally" and "Sally Brown".

The surname (last name) "Brown" may have referred to Sally's mixed race ancestry. Note that the word "shallow" (challow) in the song "Shallow Brown" means a person of mixed race."
-end of quote-
In the Jamaican sea shanty "Roll And Go", Sally Brown is referred to as a "bright mulatto". In those lyrics "bright" very light and "mulatto" is a person who has one Black birth parent and one White birth parent. (The term "mulatto" has been retired from formal usage in the United States since around the mid 1960s). "Bright mulatto" means the same thing as the United States term "high yellow". That term has also been retired from formal usage since at least the mid 20th century.

****
EARLY 20th CENTURY EXAMPLES OF THE WORD "BROWN" IN JAMAICAN SONGS
There are numerous other Jamaican examples of folk songs which feature a person whose last name is "Brown". One example that interested me was  

****
JAMAICAN PATOIS DEFINITIONS FOR "BROWN" AND "BROWNING"

Here's a Jamaican Patois definition for "brown" from https://jamaicanpatwah.com/term/Brown-man/1311#.Y8BszHbMK1s

"Brown man (Noun)

English Translation

Light skinned black male

Definition

Slang expression used to refer to a light skinned black male

Example Sentences

Patois: Who dah brown man deh ova deh suh?

English: Who’s that light skinned black man over there?"

 posted by anonymous on September 10, 2013

****

Here's a Jamaican Patois definition of the word "browning" from  https://jamaicanpatwah.com/term/Browning/928#.Y8BtGXbMK1s

"Browning

English Translation - Mixed race

Definition - a person who is mixed race with light skin

Example Sentences

Patois: Look pon dah browning deh!

English: Look at that light skin person"

posted by alicia.dean.7940 on March 22, 2017
-snip-
Dancehall star Buju Banton had a smash hit called "Love My Browning" in 1992. In that song he may have been referring to mixed race women or to light skin women whether they be mixed race or not. He later recorded a song about how he loves "all Black women". https://genius.com/Buju-banton-love-black-woman-lyric

****
WHY DO PEOPLE THINK THAT "BROWN GIRL IN THE RING" IS RACIST?
1. I believe that some people think that "Brown Girl In The Ring" is racist because they believe that any mention of race or skin color is racist. 

For what it's worth, I don't agree with that. 

Under some circumstances, I believe that it is appropriate and perhaps even necessary to use racial or skin color references- for instance for descriptive purposes that don't have or imply a positive or negative valuation.

I believe that the words "There's a brown girl in the ring" (with its earlier words "There's a Black boy in the ring" was written to describe who was playing that game. Given the oppression and prejudice that children of African descent or some African descent live/d under, my guess is that that skin color reference was purposely used to boost up the self-esteem and the group esteem of those children.

**
2. Some people think that "brown" in the song "Brown Girl In The Ring" means a light skinned Black person, some other light skinned person who isn't White, and/or a mixed race person.

Those people who think that might also believe that the song (or people who play that game)  encourages children to favor light skinned/mixed race people over other people.
Doing so would be an example of colorism. Colorism means the preference of one skin color over others, for instance favoring light skin Black people over dark skin Black people. 

Here's a comment exchange from the discussion thread for the  YouTube video of Jamaican school girls playing "Brown Girl In The Ring" that is embedded at the top of this pancocojams post. That comment exchange includes a comment that I wrote:

(Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.)
 

1. Phillip M. Ranglin, 2021
"Did someone stop a girl at the start, saying that she’s not brown?"

**
Reply
2. JAFSProject, 2021
"Yes. Right around 6 seconds. I never noticed it before. I can't say that I'm surprised. Unfortunately there is quite a bit of colorism in the schools, and in society here."

**
Reply
3. Lael Wildgoose, 2021
"I definitely didnt see or hear it...

**
Reply
4. Ms Sophia Ffrench, 2022
"Yes that's what I hear🤣🤣

**
Reply
Azizi Powell, 2023
"@JAFSProject ,I revisited this video because I read a comment in the Wikipedia page about colorism in Jamaica that states that "Colorism in Jamaica was perpetuated through social and cultural institutions such as music, social games, sports, and school [28] For example, in one particular school-yard game, Jamaican children have been heard chanting "Brown girl in the ring." According to Dr. Petra Robinson, in her dissertation, the game promotes a preference for 'brown skin girls' over dark-skinned ones,"

I assume that Dr. Robinson meant "lighter brown skinned girls over "darker" brown skinned girls.  I'd like to read her dissertation to see how she arrived at that conclusion instead of interpreting "brown" as a group referent for all Black people in Jamaica (as well as as a group referent for other non-White girls in that nation).

With regard to this video,  It appears to me that all but one of the girls in this video are the same Brown skin color. The girl who appears to be a little lighter  than the others isn't the one who is addressed (at .06 in this video). I believe that one girl told the other something like "You're not brown". I think this comment might have meant something innocuous like "You already had a turn being the brown girl in the ring" or "It's not your turn to be the brown girl in the ring".

As such, I don't think this video is an example of colorism."

****
SOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE "BROWN GIRL IN THE RING" COULD BE PROBLEMATIC 

The singing game "Brown Girl In The Ring" could be problematic if children sing this song in a majority White setting where there is only one or only a few children of color (meaning "children of some black African descent and/or other children whose skin complexion is brown). I've read comments about brown skinned girls who were given “the honor” or the responsibility of playing the role of the "brown girl in the ring". Even if other people thought/think that this is an honor, it may not be considered that way by those "brown skinned girls" or "brown skinned boys" (when the song is sung to reflect the gender of the child who happens to be in the middle).

Read the comments that are quoted in the Addendum below. 

The "Brown Girl In A Ring" game song can be problematic if the words are adapted to reflect the races/ethnicities of children playing that game. People usually use visual clues such as skin color, facial features, and hair texture to guess what race/ethnicity a person is part of. Those visual clues may be wrong, the person could be of ambiguous ethnicity, and/or the person may consider themselves to be a member of more than one racial/ethnic group. 

I cringe at the thought of children changing the words to "Brown Girl In The Ring" when a girl who looks "White" is in the middle of the ring or when a girl who is Asian in the middle of the ring: i. e, "There's a White girl in the ring tra la la la la" and "There's an Asian girl in the ring tra la la la la." And what of children who are first generation mixed race? Having other people decide which race/ethnicity a mixed racial person is a part of can exacerbate the issues many mixed race people have with the racial identity.

I also cringe at the thought of children changing the words to "Brown Girl In The Ring" using other skin color references such as "yellow" for Asians and "red" for Native Americans, etc..

****
MY RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE GAME SONG "THERE'S A BROWN GIRL IN THE RING"
Despite what I consider its pleasant, catchy tune, and its creative lyrics, and more positive attributes, given the racial (and sometimes racist) environment that children still have to navigate in the 2000s, my recommendation is to err on the side of caution and NOT include this song in children's music curriculum, unless it is for older children who are studying the history of folk songs.

****
ADDENDUM: SELECTED COMMENTS FROM A BONEY M VIDEO OF "BROWN GIRL IN THE RING"

Here are some comments from a Boney M video's discussion thread in which the commenters mention racism:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1So7q6IfJ4&feature=emb_logo

(Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.)   

1. mr y mysterious video, 2009

"true story....

when i was about 6, there was only one black girl in our whole school in wales.

they played this song at our xmas party, we all sat in a circle while she danced for our entertainment - it wasn't a racist thing though - we were being literal and she seemed to enjoy herself."

**

2. Becca Secret, 2009
"funny, my aunt thought this song was rascist xxx"

 11. mr y mysterious video

"i was 7, at school in ely, cardiff, wales.

it was christmas, the entire school gathered in a big circle while the sole black girl in school stood in the middle and danced with all her heart to this song - a true story.

and yet... it was all so innocent, nobody had any malice but they wouldn't try that these days!"

**
3. mr y mysterious video, 2012

"i was 7, at school in ely, cardiff, wales.

it was christmas, the entire school gathered in a big circle while the sole black girl in school stood in the middle and danced with all her heart to this song - a true story.

and yet... it was all so innocent, nobody had any malice but they wouldn't try that these days!"  

**
4. RichXboxOne, 2015
"This is an excellent song, but if it was released now, the PC Brigade and the Loony left would complain about it being racist. "

**
5. Francisco Castillo Mata,2017 
"Qué bonitas son las pieles morenas, y cuanto han sido maltratadas por el " hombre blanco" ( y lo siguen siendo, más sutilmente, tal vez ). En un tiempo lejano, todos fuimos negros, o de un color oscuro. Son los orígenes de toda la humanidad. En EEUU, por ejemplo, todavía hay muchísimo racismo, y a veces no se molestan ni en disimularlo ( también en España, por supuesto). Bueno, el vídeo es encantador, y la música muy contagiosa. Solo espero que no me fusilen por haber expresado ciertas ideas, y que la USA Air Forcé no me bombardee."

Google translate from Spanish to English:

"How beautiful are the brown skins, and how much they have been battered by the "white man" (and they are still, more subtly, perhaps). In a distant time, we were all black, or a dark color. They are the origins of all humanity. In the US, for example, there is still a lot of racism, and sometimes they do not bother or disguise it (also in Spain, of course). Well, the video is charming, and the music very contagious. I just hope they do not shoot me for expressing certain ideas, and that the USA Air Force did not bomb me."

**
6. Ravneet Bains, 2018
"My mum just told me thought this song was about Asian girls back in the 1980's and she felt very offended at the time because she thought they where being racist. Now she has got over once I told her that the song is light skin black women."

****
VISITOR COMMENTS AND MY REPLIES (from the 2017 pancoocjams post) 

1. UnknownApril 20, 2017 at 4:53 AM

   nice

   ReplyDelete
   Replies

   
   Azizi PowellApril 20, 2017 at 7:48 AM
   I appreciate your comment, Tommy Jhon.
   Delete
   Reply
2. 
   Luis Angel Cabrero BalanzarMay 31, 2020 at 2:06 AM

   Hi, I am mexican and I really love this song, I read all your post and it is very interesting. I don´t think this is a racist song at all but make me feel sad that currently new generations of kids could become to think this is racist.

   ReplyDelete
   Replies

   
   Azizi PowellMay 31, 2020 at 10:09 AM
   Thanks for your comment, Luis Angel Cabrero Blanzar.
   
   I agree with you that it is sad to think that people could consider "Brown Girl In The Ring" racist. Unfortunately, too many people think that it's racist to even mention race, even if it is mentioned as a way to build self-esteem and group esteem to help counteract racism.
   Delete
   Reply
3. 
   chawcheeApril 27, 2021 at 7:31 AM

   I am a cuban woman, 30 years old, I first heard this song by Boney M when I was about 15 when I discovered my love for reggae music and I just wanted to thank you for this article. I stumbled across it while showing this song to my daughter. Very good read, thanks again Azizi.

   ReplyDelete
   Replies

   
   Azizi PowellDecember 20, 2021 at 9:56 AM
   chawchee, my apologies for failing to return your comment in a timely fashion. I'm just reading it on Dec. 20, 2021.
   
   You're welcome and thanks for your comment.
   
   Best wishes to you and your daughter, and keep on keeping on!
   Delete
   Reply
4. 
   tweetycontrabajoFebruary 12, 2022 at 7:24 AM

   The Song origin es propably from Trinidad, not Jamaica, since Lord Invader was from Trinidad.

   ReplyDelete
   Replies

   
   Azizi PowellFebruary 12, 2022 at 3:32 PM
   tweetycontrabajo, Thanks for your comment.
   
   The singing game "Brown Girl In The Ring" predates Lord Invader [13 December 1914 – 15 October 1961].
   
   "There's A Black Boy In The Ring" singing game is included in a 1904 collection entitled "Jamaican Song and Story: Annancy stories, digging sings, ring tunes, and dancing tunes" by Walter Jekyll. A digital version of this book can be found at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35410/35410-h/35410-h.htm#Page_207. [This singing game is actually on page 208]
   
   Best wishes!
   Delete
   Reply
5. 
   AnonymousMarch 23, 2022 at 11:52 AM

   I grew up listening to the Raffi album that had this song. I always thought it was "Brown Girl in the Rain" and imagined it a descriptive song about a child playing in the rain "tra-la-la-la-la" (I imagined her splashing in the puddles). I have a daughter now and played the Raffi album and googled to see if the song was racist. It does seem to be told from the perspective of a viewer of the girl focusing to some degree on her appearance ("brown" and "she looks like a sugar in a plum") which is a little voyer-y, but the beat is so childlike and joyful. I was surprised to find it's actually "Brown Girl in the Ring." The historical/social context makes more sense. Definitely different from my original interpretation of a celebratory song about playing in the rain.

   ReplyDelete
   Replies

   
   Azizi PowellMarch 23, 2022 at 2:33 PM
   Thanks for your comment, Anonymous.
   
   In my opinion, "Brown Girl In A Ring" game song was originally performed only by brown people as a way of helping to instill self-esteem and group esteem. As such it is "racial" and not "racist" in that it doesn't promote one race over another.
   
   "Brown Girl In The Ring" becomes problematic when it is performed by integrated groups of children and the "Brown girls" are singled out for attention-either good or bad.
   Delete
   
   Azizi PowellJanuary 11, 2023 at 10:30 PM
   i Just came across this statement about the song "Brown Girl in the Ring" in this Wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorism_in_the_Caribbean#Jamaica
   "Colorism in Jamaica was perpetuated through social and cultural institutions such as music, social games, sports, and school [28] For example, in one particular school-yard game, Jamaican children have been heard chanting "Brown girl in the ring." According to Dr. Petra Robinson, in her dissertation, the game promotes a preference for 'brown skin girls' over dark-skinned ones.[28] ....
   -end of quote-
   "There's A Black Boy In The Ring" singing game is included in a 1904 collection entitled "Jamaican Song and Story: Annancy stories, digging sings, ring tunes, and dancing tunes" by Walter Jekyll. A digital version of this book can be found at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35410/35410-h/35410-h.htm#Page_207. [This singing game is actually on page 208]
   
   I don't know when or why the color referent in this song changed from "black" to "brown". However, I'm not sure that children singing this song consciously or unconsciously are promoting brown skin color over darker [black] skin color.
   Delete
   
   Azizi PowellJanuary 13, 2023 at 2:00 PM
   I want to acknowledge that my conclusion about whether the game song "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" is racist is vastly different in my 2023 post on this subject than it was in my original 2017 post on this subject.
   
   The content of that 2023 post is basically the same as the current 2017 post. Here's the link to that 2023 post https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/01/revisiting-questions-about-whether.html.
   
   I didn't save any of the old versions of this post because I want to make sure that the content of this post is read rather than what I've come to see is the incomplete and faulty post that I had written and revised between 2017 and now.
   
   I don't promise that there won't be other additions to this post. If so, I will date them in the post itself.
   
   Thanks again to all those that read these pancocojams posts.
   Delete
   Reply
6. 
   AnonymousApril 18, 2023 at 8:26 AM

   Simply the fact that anyone thinking of if its racist or not is a deep-idiotism!

   ReplyDelete
   Replies

   1. 
      Azizi PowellApril 18, 2023 at 11:38 AM

      If I understand your comment correctly, you are saying that a person is really an idiot to consider whether "Brown Girl In The Ring" is or isn't racist.
      
      I disagree with that statement. Given "Brown Girl In The Ring" 's color referent, I can understand why some people might wonder if this singing game is racist.
      
      I don't believe its lyrics in and of themselves are racist, but the singing game can be played with racist intent/s and/or racist result/s.

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.