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Tiffany Rose is a brownbaby. What does that mean exactly? It's a term Rose uses to describe a person of mixed race heritage. Coincidentally, it's also the name of her website: brownbaby.org.
"I recently created brownbaby.org largely to facilitate and drive questions about race. I have the unique opportunity to view the world through multiple eyes," says Rose. "In my view, who better to begin conversations about how we view race than those of us who are racially undefined?"
With the election of Barack Obama, the Oscar win by Halle Berry, the golf prowess of Tiger Woods and the chart topping success of Mariah Carey, biracial and multiracial people are rising in prominence in society and becoming more widely accepted. It's the rapidly changing attitude of Americans toward people with varied cultural backgrounds that inspires Rose's vision. While Rose takes special pride in her mixed heritage, she concedes that being a "brownbaby" has not always been easy.
Rose says the term brownbaby comes from a painful episode from her childhood. She was about six years old, in front of her first grade class, when the moniker first reared its head. "I was trying to explain what I was, so I pulled out crayons to show kids what I was. I mixed black and white and got gray," said Rose. She knew that wasn't right so asked her mother for help.
"My mom showed me brown and called me her brown baby girl. That was a way for me to identify my race and when I used it with the other kids they got it.
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Rose, like many other biracial children, feels she's always gone between the worlds, almost being forced to embrace a life where she didn't quite fit in anywhere. She was once left out of a classmate's birthday party in fifth grade because she was black. If that wasn't bad enough, she says her mom used to select both white and black for her ethnicity until the school made her choose just one race.
Rose admits that when she was younger it was a strange existence; going back and forth between two worlds. It was a life where she felt she was always being made to think one race was worse or better than the other; never quite knowing where she belonged.
She says she wondered "Who should I be loyal to? I was always afraid of being too white or too black. Some of my black family members were constantly pointing out my "strange" behavior or what they thought were white characteristics, making my mother seem inferior somehow."
Despite the push and pull between the two drastically different cultures, Rose claims she learned how to adapt; to become whoever she needed to be to make her life easier. She taught herself to walk a fine line between both races and ultimately finding peace with her diverse background.
Still, her lifelong struggle with her identity fueled brownbaby.org and her desire to educate people about biracial individuals.
"Brownbaby.org is about awareness. It's also about empowering people to know who they are and not necessarily letting their race define them. In the end, it's all about the conversation. No change can happen without dialogue," said Rose.
By Branden Cobb, Special to BlackVoices.com
For more information, log on to brownbaby.org
Comments: (130)
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By: kcn9971 on 4/14/2009 5:42PM
What's so insane about this article is that this woman thinks that mixed race people just popped up overnight. I don't think there is a black person in the United States thats not mixed. We lost our African roots years ago; we don't even look like genuine African people(Have you seen those Somalli pirates....Now thats African) This lady is just someone else trying to ride the Barack Obama wave on one hand, but yet, cry that she is a victom of racism on the other. Give us a break "brown baby"
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By: J.Jones on 4/15/2009 9:08AM
I think you need to go deeper in your views of what this young lady is trying to do. Why knock her for creating a voice for people who, for so long, were afraid to speak. No one is saying that mixed folks haven't been around for decades, all she is doing is help those who are struggling where their identity, as she once did...I'm not one to judge but if I had to make an assumption based on your comments, I'd say that you are black, and there is no doubt about that due to your skin color...but what about Mariah, who looks white, but is black...there are millions of folks out there like that who don't know what side to gravitate to...as black people, we should always support each other in "out of the box" ideas...BrownBaby.org is a great thing...celebrate it don't hate on it...
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By: Ogechi on 4/16/2009 3:46PM
I think you definitely missed the objective of brownbaby, she is simply trying to get a dialogue going and conversation is indeed the first positive step to change and eventually common ground. God made people and people made 'race' then America made race an inescapable issue. In this country, sadly, there is a box that everyone must fit neatly into and when you don't the American collective gets agitated and jumpy, as you seem to be. Your views and myopic attitude are the walls brownbaby is trying to tear down so please, try and step outside of your narrow way of thinking for a minute.
And to reply to your African comment, I'm a first generation Nigerian American and I don't look Somali by a mile. Why? Because Africa is not a country, it is a continent and vast one at that. The Somali pirates you are referring to have Arab blood since north eastern African countries are in close proximity to the Middle East. And guess what, you have Africans who range anywhere from Alicia Keys to Mugabe and none of our physical features makes us more or less African, it doesn't make one person white, or another black, it just makes us African. The beauty and the richness of Africa is its diversity and oftentimes, it has no suitable adjective.
If ever you get a chance, travel. It would do you a world of good to see that the construct of race is a trait that is as American as apple pie. It DOES NOT translate to other countries.
Have a blessed day.
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By: Andrea Webb on 4/16/2009 5:10PM
It sound to me as though even though people are subject to there own opinons. After reading what you wrote belive that you have the answer to everything about the racial dvide. American's have the most Hate over the color of someone's skin more so than most other countries. if you truly rsearch the family tree of most everyone that resides in the USA then you will quickly see that we are all in some way from an interracial mixing pot. some more so than others. we as people need to take a good look to our selves and less at the skin color of our neighbor we will soon realize the integriity of a person's mind or heart. we can be respectful of others opinion even those we may not share with out being judgemental.
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By: fola on 4/28/2009 3:23PM
I agree with this lady to some extent because i have had to mentor some young people of mixed heritage and difficulties they experience in terms of identity. What i disagree with is, the idea of tagging mixed race children as "brown babies" , what for? its outrageous to call people that . what has "brown" got to do with your skin and who you are? You re a unique person like everyone else. what you become is the real you not your skin colour. If Obama, tiger wood or halleberry were american most wanted , i am sure you would not want to relate your identity with them. Get real, be yourself and find people who love you for who you are and not the colour of your skin.
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By: Imani on 4/30/2009 9:33PM
I totally agree, I am an African Creole from New Orleans, know what Brown is all about, how bout, mulatto? What is she talking about? It doesn't start here, sistah need help!
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By: Karol on 5/08/2009 10:47AM
Why are you so negative about something so positive, and beautiful I might add. Give yourself a break....please. It's ok for her to express HERSELF and share her experiences that so many others can identify with. Since YOU don't, do it moving.
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By: alicia on 4/14/2009 6:30PM
We as Black Americans are a mixed lot but some of us are more mixed than others. I see her as searching for identity.
alicia
http://fashionasmusings.blogspot.com/2009/04/fashiona-interviews-archives-from.html
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By: MaG on 4/15/2009 10:35AM
This young woman has created a support netowork for those struggling to find identitiy, for parents who dont understand how to talk to their children who are of mixed race, and those who are friends of mixed race people who don't know what questions to ask or afraid to do do. We should celebrate this website and celebrate her for creating a forum for people to speak their minds. Its about loving your culture, and we should respect that at least. We shouldn't be so quick to pass judgement if you haven't walked in another's shoes. The website is wonderful and I'm glad there is a voice out there for those who have yet to learn how to speak for themselves. I agree with j. jones man. Lets support each other as HUMAN BEINGS, not just as as tones and skin colors.
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By: Sharon on 4/15/2009 10:47AM
As a mother of mixed race children, I applaud this young woman for giving people a place to go for support and understanding and assistance. It is a tough world out there anyway you look at it. Kids have a hard time period. I wish something like this had been around when I was raising my children. I know I would have found it helpful and my children would have too.
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