# Colin Powell is NOT black! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 19, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069 "2003-02-19T04:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/101 "2003-02-20T18:28:40Z")
[Navin R. Johnson](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0079367), now there’s a black man for ya. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/102 "2003-02-20T18:29:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Banger \* > \*\*I’m black > Irish. \*\* Me, too! Solidarity, brother! Power to the people! Did I say that right? Solidarity? Wait, which side are we on? Where’s the home team? I’m so confused. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/103 "2003-02-20T18:36:11Z")
What does “black Irish” actually mean? Do you mean like [her](http://www.musicgirl.net/pics/samantha_mumba_picture.jpg)? Mmmmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/104 "2003-02-20T18:36:50Z")
D’oh!! [Navin R. Johnson](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0079367) P.S. what’ s that ‘Preview Reply’ button for anyway? ---
**Author:** ![RexDart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@RexDart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RexDart)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/105 "2003-02-20T18:38:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pizzabrat \* > \*\*He’s the son of Jamaicans, who think they’re better than blacks, just like everyone else. Stop acting like he’s the black man everyone can agree on. \*\* There is an element in which this statement, despite being a puzzlingly odd subject for a Pit thread, is almost right. A friend of mine went to med school in the Dominican Republic, and according to him the people there stratify themselves by how dark their skin is. Darker the skin, lower on the social hierarchy. Lighter the skin, higher. Strangely then, there were people we would consider “black” who were vile racists regarding people who are “more black.” This of course was not everyone’s attitude, but it was pervasive enough that it was permeated alot of social interaction. I don’t _know_ if that’s true in Jamaica also, but I wouldn’t be entirely surprised. So there is at least the vague hint of something approaching a possible bit of truth there. This of course says nothing about whether Secretary Powell’s parents or he himself feel that way. Judging from his remarks at the GOP convention, I can’t imagine he’s racist. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/106 "2003-02-20T18:38:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*What does “black Irish” actually mean? Do you mean like [her](http://www.musicgirl.net/pics/samantha_mumba_picture.jpg)? > > Mmmmmmmm. \*\* Eh, Cecil did a column not too long ago stating that there really isn’t any such thing as Black Irish. There’s a lot of us that are dark-haired and blue-eyed rather than red and green, though. Same pale skin, same freckles. ---
**Author:** ![Nymysys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f6c823/32.png) [@Nymysys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nymysys)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/107 "2003-02-20T18:41:31Z")
Sorry, I could have thrown a link in there. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a930730.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a930730.html) ---
**Author:** ![Bubba\_Ray](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bubba\_Ray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bubba_Ray)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/108 "2003-02-20T18:58:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SC\_Wolf \* > \*\*Bullshit. My favorite potato salad recipie has no mayonase. > :wally \*\* And you seemed like an agreeable guy till now… but that it crosses the line.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Gretchen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Miss\_Gretchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Gretchen)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/109 "2003-02-20T19:28:41Z")
I dunno about the rest of you, but since the OP I’ve had that Dusty Springfield song in my head, but instead, it’s: _The only boy who could ever reach me,_ _Was the son of Jamaicans, mon_ ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/110 "2003-02-21T10:29:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nymysys \* > \*\*Eh, Cecil did a column not too long ago stating that there really isn’t any such thing as Black Irish. There’s a lot of us that are dark-haired and blue-eyed rather than red and green, though. Same pale skin, same freckles. \*\* Ah, OK. It’s just I’ve never heard the term before. Don’t think it’s acutally used in Ireland. Anyway, Samantha Mumba’s the new Black Irish, and I thank her for it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EasyPhil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e47c2d/32.png) [@EasyPhil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EasyPhil)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/111 "2003-02-21T17:13:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SC\_Wolf \* > \*\*Bullshit. My favorite potato salad recipie has no mayonase. > :wally \*\* Maybe it has **mayonnaise** instead? ---
**Author:** ![epolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@epolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epolo)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069/112 "2003-02-21T21:26:17Z")
I can’t believe noone posted the link to The Onion’s [Blackdar](http://www.randombiscuit.com/blog/archive/2000_10_15_index.html) article. [aside]The Onion seems not to be archiving stuff lately. Thank God for plagiarism or I’d never have found this.[/aside] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colin-powell-is-not-black/156069.md?page=5)