Charles Byrd

Charles Byrd is the author of "The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization -- Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker"

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@joerogan Racial Hybridity and the Curse of Ham in Trump 2.0

Against the backdrop of never ending wars and rumors of wars, not surprisingly there has been zero public discourse on racial hybridity during Trump 2.0. I knew that whether Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump would become President on Inauguration Day in January 2025, neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society -- using that as a springboard to bringing the country together.

The late writer and literary critic Albert Murray maintained that the United States is not a nation of black people and white people, rather a nation of multi-colored people. He boldly declared that American culture was “incontestably mulatto.”

Harris, however, once told radio talk show host Charlamagne Tha God: “I'm black, and I'm proud of being black. I was born black. I will die black.” Her mother was born in what is now the city of Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Her father is Jamaican.

The multiracial perspective is rarely welcomed in public discussion, though more Americans are racially mixed than know or willingly acknowledge. Multiracials represent the fastest-growing population group in the U.S.

Interestingly the group virulently opposed to any form of multiracial representation on the 2000 census was the NAACP, whose leadership prefers the government count mixed-race Americans according to the racist Jim Crow era one-drop rule. I.e., one drop or any degree of African ancestry makes one all black. Higher group numbers are essential to maintaining accrued political power.

America’s first mixed-race president had a golden opportunity to address the issue as someone who grew up with one foot in each community, yet opted for a monoracial black identity. Barack Obama insisted that since society ostensibly sees him as black, he must so identify.

In fact, though, many civil rights leaders regarded the half-white Obama as not authentically black prior to his White House bid. Despite membership in fiercely racialist Jeremiah Wright’s south Chicago congregation, Obama had zero ties to the southern black church which spawned the civil rights movement and most of its notables.

Similar to 2016, working class whites who viewed Democrats as concerned only with racial identity politics and the LGBTQ community were accompanied in 2024 by those fed up with President Biden’s failed immigration policy and helped usher in Trump 2.0.

The President has done nothing to shepherd the country beyond rigidly defined racial categories, however. If one didn’t know better one might believe he is sympathetic to the centuries old white supremacist notion that Europeans are divinely endowed to lord it over the material realm and that blacks are under a biblical curse, no better than frolicking jungle apes.

Consider if you will the Curse of Ham, a biblical story in Genesis where Noah curses his grandson Canaan (Ham’s son) to be a “servant of servants” along with all his descendants. Ham sees a drunken Noah naked and tells his brothers, who respectfully cover their father. After waking from his intoxicated stupor and discovering that Ham had seen and exposed his nakedness, Noah pronounced the curse.

While the curse originally targeted the Canaanites, subsequent misinterpretation and misuse for centuries came to justify the enslavement and oppression of blacks, linking their supposed descent from Ham to servitude, despite modern scholarship explaining the curse’s historical context as a justification for Israelite conquest – not a racial decree.

Consider as well a controversial Christian Nationalist pastor who has argued that Christian slave owners in the South “were on firm scriptural ground” leading a February 17 worship service at the Pentagon at the invitation of the Defense Secretary. And reporting in early March indicated that the Military Religious Freedom Foundation has received over 200 complaints from U.S. service members across all military branches alleging that commanders are framing the war with Iran as a “righteous” or biblically sanctioned mission.

Decades ago white power ideology espoused by the Ku Klux Klan, White Aryan Resistance and the National Alliance was in your face and pulled no punches about who they hated and their desire for a whites-only homeland. The Stormfront website declared: “Our mission is to provide information not available in the controlled news media and to build a community of White activists working for the survival of our people.” “White Pride Worldwide.”

Nowadays while declaring not a bigoted bone in their bodies many on the right heap praise on hardline rulers such as Viktor Orban who has unequivocally stated that Hungary should not become a “mixed-race” society, promoting the idea of maintaining a culturally and ethnically homogeneous, largely white country.

Consider lastly Trump’s nominee for a senior State Department role who was challenged over his remarks on “white erasure” during his February 12 Senate confirmation hearing. He defended the idea that “white culture” is in danger of being erased in the U.S., that white people face more racial discrimination than any other group.

Nation-states will forever deploy their warrior castes to engage perceived demonic entities, but no more dangerous an enemy to individual freedom and self-realization exists than race-consciousness imposed by identity politics entwined with religious denominationalism and triumphalism.

Charles Michael Byrd is author of: https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

Racial Hybridity and the Curse of Ham in Trump 2.0

(Against the backdrop of never ending wars and rumors of wars…)

Not surprisingly there has been zero public discourse on racial hybridity during Trump 2.0. I knew that whether Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump would become President on Inauguration Day in January 2025, neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society -- using that as a springboard to bringing the country together.

The late writer and literary critic Albert Murray maintained that the United States is not a nation of black people and white people, rather a nation of multi-colored people. He further declared that American culture was “incontestably mulatto.” Yes, he dared use the word some love to hate.

Harris, however, once told radio talk show host Charlamagne Tha God: “I'm black, and I'm proud of being black. I was born black. I will die black.” Her mother was born in what is now the city of Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Her father is Jamaican.

The multiracial perspective is rarely welcomed in public discussion, though more Americans are racially mixed than know or willingly acknowledge. A 2014 Washington Post analysis of genetic data found that approximately 10% of self-identified white Southerners have at least 1% African ancestry, a hidden legacy of slavery. In states like Louisiana and South Carolina, that figure reaches as high as 12%.

Multiracial Americans represent the fastest-growing population group in the U.S.

Interestingly the group virulently opposed to any form of proposed multiracial representation on the 2000 census was the NAACP, whose leadership prefers the government count mixed-race Americans according to the racist Jim Crow era one-drop rule. I.e., one drop or any degree of African ancestry makes one all black. Higher group numbers are essential to maintaining accrued political power.

America’s first mixed-race president had a golden opportunity to address the issue as someone who grew up with one foot in each community, yet opted for a monoracial black identity. Barack Obama insisted that since society ostensibly sees him as black, he must so self-identify. That runs counter to the growing worldview among multiracial Americans that how one sees oneself is more important than how society classifies you.

Similar to 2016, working class whites who viewed Democrats as concerned only with racial identity politics and the LGBTQ community were accompanied in 2024 by those fed up with President Biden’s failed immigration policy and helped usher in Trump 2.0.

The President has done nothing to shepherd the country beyond rigidly defined mutually exclusive racial categories, however. If one didn’t know any better one might believe he is sympathetic to the notion proclaimed by white supremacists for centuries that Europeans are divinely endowed to lord it over the material realm and that blacks are under a biblical curse, no better than frolicking jungle apes.

Consider if you will the Curse of Ham, a biblical story in Genesis where Noah curses his grandson Canaan (Ham’s son) to be a “servant of servants” along with all his descendants. Ham sees a drunken Noah naked and tells his brothers, who respectfully cover their father. After waking from his intoxicated stupor and discovering that Ham had seen and exposed his nakedness, Noah pronounced the curse.

While the curse originally targeted the Canaanites, subsequent misinterpretation and misuse for centuries came to justify the enslavement and oppression of blacks, linking their supposed descent from Ham to servitude, despite modern scholarship explaining the curse’s historical context as a justification for Israelite conquest – not a racial decree.

Consider as well a controversial Christian Nationalist pastor who has argued that Christians who owned slaves in the South “were on firm scriptural ground” leading a February 17 worship service at the Pentagon at the invitation of the Defense Secretary.

Decades ago white power ideology espoused by the Ku Klux Klan, White Aryan Resistance and the National Alliance was in your face and pulled no punches about who they hated and their desire for a whites-only homeland. The Stormfront website declared: “Our mission is to provide information not available in the controlled news media and to build a community of White activists working for the survival of our people.” “White Pride Worldwide.”

Nowadays while declaring not a bigoted bone in their bodies many on the right heap praise on hardline rulers such as Viktor Orban who has unambiguously stated that Hungary should not become a “mixed-race” society, promoting the idea of maintaining a culturally and ethnically homogeneous, largely white country.

Consider lastly Trump’s nominee for a senior State Department role who was challenged over his remarks on “white erasure” during his February 12 Senate confirmation hearing. He defended the idea that “white culture” is in danger of being erased in the U.S. and that white people face more racial discrimination than any other group in America.

Hmm. It gets curiouser and curiouser.

Charles Michael Byrd is author of: https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

#multiracial, #mulatto, #biracial, #interracial, #mixed, #mixedrace, #curseofham, #onedroprule, #jimcrow, #racial identity politics, #racialhybridity, #bicultural, #multicultural, #quadroon, #miscegenation, #diversity, #multiethnic, #ofay

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@RedPandaKoala He means the aliens are in the Oval Office.

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

Bishop Charles Norris Jr., friend and coworker, invited me to talk about One-Drop ideology (i.e., any degree of African ancestry makes one totally black) as it pertains to the overarching topic of The History Miseducation and the African American Church at his Grace Saving Ministry here in Queens, NY. It’s about 90 minutes.
https://t.co/99VMvxc3Tg

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@RachelAbramsNY So, what are our thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast topic)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker

https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@joerogan So, Mr. Rogan, what are your thoughts on the current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon and a great topic and guest for your podcast.

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker

https://t.co/iMWs1YEmkE

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@IAmAmnaNawaz So, what are our thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon.

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker

https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@Mishi_2210 52

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@piersmorgan So, what are our thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse in the U.S.? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker
https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization - Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker https://t.co/RXu6Npk9WZ

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@mcmoynihan So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker

https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@moynihanreport So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker

https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@mirandadevine So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker

https://t.co/iMWs1YEmkE

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@MakingSenseHQ So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker

https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@ChrisWillx So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker

https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker

https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@renzingram So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great material for FiringLine)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker
https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@lexfridman So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker
https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@rosscoulthart So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker
https://t.co/iMWs1YDOv6

[Charles Byrd @ChasbyrdM]

@majorityfm So, what are your thoughts on current mixed-race or multiracial discourse? Someone recently asked me if the new Pope's background has opened American's eyes to some new possibilities. It would be nice if the Pope Leo commented on his mixed background, but I think he wants little to do with American racial identity politics.

To date during Trump 2.0 there has been no discourse on racial hybridity at all, and that is no surprise. As I wrote in the book: “And as this manuscript heads toward final production and publication, Americans expect either Kamala Devi Harris or Donald John Trump will be sworn in as President come Inauguration Day on January 20th. That neither individual’s consciousness is sufficiently elevated to articulate and embrace the racially blended composition of our society, using that as a springboard to bringing the country together, is sad.”

It’s available on Amazon. (Great podcast material)

The Philosophy of Multiracial Identity and Self Realization: Thoughts from an Ofay-Mulatto, Essayist, and Spiritual Seeker
https://t.co/iMWs1YEmkE