The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

BLACK RACE SAYING

IF YOU'RE WHITE, THEN YOU'RE RIGHT.
IF YOU'RE BLACK, THEN GET BACK.

Submitter comment:

EVIDENTLY THIS IS A POPULAR SAYING IN CHILLICOTHE, OHIO,
WHERE THE INFORMANT IS FROM, AMONG BLACK PEOPLE. THE
BLACK PEOPLE THERE ARE EXTREMELY LIGHT COMPLECTED AND
MOST OF THEM PASS AS WHITE. SO THE "GETTING BACK" REFERRED
TO IN THE ABOVE SAYING ROUGHLY MEANS ACT WHITE, OR MARRY
SOMEONE WHO IS WHITE, ETC. SO THAT YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED
WHITE INSTEAD OF BLACK. INFORMANT SAID MOST PEOPLE IN
CHILLICOTHE ARE BLACK, BUT PASS AS WHITE (I.E., MOST
PEOPLE HAVE BLACK BLOOD IN THEM, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE
EXTREMELY LIGHT--SO THEY ALSO MUST HAVE WHITE BLOOD
IN THEM).

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Keyword(s): ETHNIC ; RACE ; RHYME

Date learned: 01-00-1971