From my comrade-in-arms, Charles Michael Byrd, founder, editor and publisher of Interracial Voice:
“Beyond Race: I Am Not This Body!”
(Preview)
by Charles Michael Byrd
Dear Interracial Voice readers:On October 16, 2003, Interracial Voice completed an eight year and one month run as the premier independent, information-oriented, networking newsjournal, serving the mixed-race/interracial community in cyberspace. (The September-October 2003 editorials are still posted on IV’s frontpage as they appeared then.) Yes, we took pride in being what Nathan Douglas refers to as a “loose band of racial iconoclasts” in his insightful, thought-provoking essay entitled “The Multiracial Movement: An Uncomfortable Political Fit“.
We resisted the notion posited by the socialist wing of what became known as the multiracial movement that “mixed” individuals are nothing more than the property of their “parent groups” with each minority community still being able to soak up the numbers of its own mixed subset. As God gave us all a modicum of free-will, surely that free-will applies towards not wanting our “racial data” tabulated according to the whims of those who seek to maintain accrued political power by doing so. Additionally, that free-will surely applies to working toward the day when no one should be obliged by any governmental agency to check race and ethnicity boxes.
Interracial Voice will remain in its current archived state for, perhaps, another eight years. There is no doubt that IV is the richest repository of philosophical thought and interaction regarding the race notion and mixedness extant on this planet. That said, James Landrith ably picks up the slack with his Multiracial Activist, “A Mixed Blog” and “Taking The Gloves Off” web offerings.
As the Census 2000 check-all-that-apply scheme allows government agencies to, essentially, one-drop individuals back to the minority parent’s so-called race, Frank W. Sweet’s OneDropRule Yahoo! Group is definitely worth checking out. Much of the discussion centers around the continuance of one-drop racism in America, and many of IV’s past Guest Editorialists — including Frank, James, William Javier Nelson, Susanne M. J. Heine and George Winkel — hang out there.
Additionally, please take a look at The Unhyphenated American, Mario Delgado’s web site for citizens of the United States that view themselves in non-racial terms. This site is dedicated towards having all Americans being treated and viewed by their government as simply Americans and urges all Americans to simply respond human in the “some other race” section of the 2010 U.S. Census questionnaire.
If you’re a member of the media you’ll be particularly interested in Mario’s survey regarding how you guys and gals determine just who is a hyphenated American. E.g., do media outlets allow the individuals being described to offer their own self-descriptions? Are there editorial guidelines/policies involved, or is it simply the subjective assessment of the reporter? Responses can be forwarded to Mario’s email address.
Last but not least, be sure to stay in touch by subscribing to the upcoming “Beyond Race: I Am Not This Body!” newsletter that will deal with transcending the bodily concept of identity and moving toward higher states of consciousness. “Beyond Race: I Am Not This Body!” will be emailed directly to your Inbox — if you subscribe. To sign up for Vol. I, Issue I, which should be available on or about October 15, 2004, simply click on the following link and hit the Send button (comments are optional). SUBSCRIBE
Census 2010: Refuse to Choose.
It is said that true intelligence entails knowing the difference between what is temporary and what is eternal. Our bodies and the racial, ethnic and cultural identifiers we attach to them are, at very best, temporary. What is eternal is what survives the body.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.
May God bless you all, as He, not man, deserves praise.
I, and many others in this “multiracial” community owe Charles a debt of gratitude for all he’s done on our behalf. I look forward to receiving his new email commentaries. Until he returns full force, I will do my best to fill the large shoes he’s left behind.
This entry also posted at A Mixed Blog.