Hello Meltingpot Readers,
In today’s episode of The Colorism Chronicles, you’ll meet Sidney Gantt, a stand-up comedian with a very “colorful” family. Sidney is Black, his wife is white and their three children fall somewhere in between. I actually convinced Sidney to participate in my Same Family, Different Colors video series after stalking him in a Whole Foods. I saw him with his three children – his son presents as white, his twin daughters are brown – and I just knew I needed to speak with him. Thankfully, he didn’t think I was a total nut case and invited me to his home for the interview.
In this video, you’ll hear how Sidney thinks about race and identity for both him and his children. You’ll learn what it’s like being a Black man raising a son who could pass as white. We often hear stories about white parents raising children of color and those particular challenges, so that’s why I think Sidney’s story is so important to highlight because it’s the other side of the proverbial coin. Plus, there’s so much societal anxiety around Black men and white children, Black men and fatherhood, and Black boyhood in general, I thought Sidney’s unique parenting perspective was important to include to expand the narrative around race, identity and parenting. I hope you agree.
I’d love to hear what you think of this episode so feel free to leave a comment. And if you live in the Philadelphia area and/or have access to the Internet, check out Sidney’s work as a comic. And of course, if you want to read about more families like Sidney’s, where people are the same race but different colors, please check out my book, Same Family, Different Colors:Confronting Colorism in America’s Diverse Families.
Peace!
