Comments on: Jon Odell: “Rachel Knight: Slave, White Man’s Mistress and Mother to a Movement”

By: Mike Simons

Mike Simons — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 18:23:35 +0000

Thanks for sharing this it is a very interesting story about love, race, and politics.

By: renegadesouth

renegadesouth — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:41:13 +0000

Janet,

The stories that Jonathan has related, and the ones that you have added here, remind us of how much racial identity is a social rather than biological reality. When a society defines a person with “one drop” of African “blood” as “black,” it does so for political reasons, certainly not for reasons of biological accuracy. Historically, in the U.S. the very phrase “passing” is political in nature because it assumes that “one drop” defines a person’s “real” identity–that is, if that one drop is African.

You are right, it should not matter. But the legal, political, and cultural consequences that have been imposed on people according to their perceived racial heritage have made such labels matter very much.

For my own thoughts on the “one drop rule” see my post, http://renegadesouth.wordpress.com/2009/03/17/race-and-the-one-drop-rule-in-the-post-reconstruction-south/

Thanks so much for sharing your family story.

Vikki

By: renegadesouth

renegadesouth — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 12:24:10 +0000

Jon, I am delighted to borrow this essay from your wonderful blog on the importance of personal stories. Always engaging, insightful, and provocative, your essays are a treat to read.

Vikki

By: Jon Odell

Jon Odell — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:19:57 +0000

Thanks, Vikki. I’m proud to find myself on your blog!

By: janet carver

janet carver — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:19:20 +0000

How do you know that rachel was black or white and what does it matter. My Uncle Irving Knight told me that rachel was Indian and not black, i sometimes think that maybe he said that because he did not want to accept that GGGrandpa Newt Knight loved rachel.My mother was rose marie knight, my grandmother was Necia abigail anderson knight, and my grandfather was ezra leonard knight. How do I know if what my Uncle Irving Kinght is telling me the truth, I only wish my mother was still alive she would have told me the truth, she passed away Aug. 5 2010, she wanted me to do my research on the Knight side.