In this age of information, where we are continually bombarded by words and images of all intent and persuasion, it is extremely difficult to remain anchored in reality. Often we find ourselves adrift in a sea of confusion, as shrill sirens call, distorting our senses and forcing us to grasp the nearest thing that appears solid. Such is often the case for so-called mulattos in America.

With the above in mind, a few weeks ago I set out to discover if my multiracial memory was what I thought it to be. I recalled a controversial magazine article from the 1970s, entitled "Mulatto Pride." Though I could not remember details about its content, I imagined its drift might be in line with current multiracial thought. After some research, I was very fortunate to obtain a copy of the original article, which appeared in the June 26, 1978 issue of New York magazine.

The most striking thing about the article's 25-year-old words is how contemporary they sound. For instance, the daughter of a so-called black mother and so-called white father proudly proclaimed, "To choose my mother and deny my father, I refuse to do that. I'm just as comfortable among whites as among blacks. I want all the options. I want all the possibilities."

A multiracial male musician, attempting to promote his "mulatto music," had this to offer: "Don't you understand we are the color of the future? We are the third entity. We are the new race." Likewise, multiracial singer Vicki Sue Robinson ("Turn the Beat Around") is quoted as saying, "I am mixed and I am cool."

But the author of the piece, a black identifying man named Orde Coombs, seemed to be simultaneously repulsed and enamored by expressions of mulatto pride. He approached his subjects with skepticism, assuming a traditional, incredulous posture. At one point he even recounted past personal abuse from mulattos, in order to question the validity of their call for racial independence. But he finally acknowledged, "They may be the ultimate bridge in a country growing tired of its unending, turbulent racial waters."

Remember these words were written in 1978, long before the multiracial movement was set in motion. Yes, long before multiracial organizations, publications and individuals began publicly calling for a change in the federal government's racial classifications, there were multiracial voices calling out to anyone willing to listen. From the decades-old introspection of universalist Jean Toomer, to the 1970s rhetoric of "Mulatto Pride," to more recent multiracial writings and congressional testimony of the 90s and beyond; multiracial consciousness has been steadily awakening. That, alone, represents progress.

Whatever happens next, we should give credit to anyone who has the fortitude and unique sense of self to stand up for their own identity. And that goes for those not multiracial by heredity but by cultural choice, meaning they choose to blend various cultural idioms and behaviors into their self-expression.

As Interracial Voice editor Charles Byrd pointed out on Tony Brown's Journal in November, 1996: "The black culture in the United States is not really a black culture at all. It's a mulatto culture. We're a blended culture. There is no white culture or black culture." His words are clearly echoed in the same 1978 article: "Even if you're white, as long as you grow up in New York you become a mulatto. There are just too many minority influences, too many vibes on the consciousness."

Here's to the reality of New York and, hopefully, the future of America -- a true multiracial consciousness!

©2003 all rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without
the express written consent of Interracial Voice.