America's Most Powerful Black Families

[bx.lion]

Can you explain this further.

Is it because theyre mostly light skin? Have degrees? Rich?

Im asking, because as a brown skin black woman i have no problem seeing them as black excellence (Minus the Tuskegee doctor). I have people in my own family of a light complexion and i dont think they should be excluded from the concept of black excellence because of their skin tone or if they went to college.

My bae #1 is very light skin with green eyes. But hes black. Has 2 sets of black parents and grandparents. (One Portuguese great grandparent on momz side). He has a masters and his family owns quite a bit of farmland in the south. They aint broke. Most of his siblings have degrees. They donate to some causes and are big supporters of breast cancer research. - would they also not be considered to have black excellence since they didnt have a really hard upbringing?

Serious question.

No not at all, I doubt anyone would say obama or robert smith isn't black excellence and they're both highly educated. The point I'm making is that old money tends to create groups to restrict access to those who "don't fit" which can be for any number of arbitrary reasons. Success in itself is completely fine but when you go out of your way to isolate yourselves from the rest of the black community are you really black excellence?

 

[UberEatsDriver]

There’s an entire book highlighting the most powerful families, especially regarding old-guard families, and this is an interesting thread.

If you look at the families that have a strong HBCU legacy, are more than two generations deep in the Divine 9, Boule, Links, Girlfriends, etc. or the descendants of a lot of the “pioneers” in different academic fields, you find them.

Whats the the title of the book?

 

[Self_Born7]

It’ll be interesting to see how many of our current athletes and entertainers will have generational wealth years from now.

please these kneegrows, so brainwashed, they think that to make it finally over the top is to get them a becky... I bet if I look at the next NFL draft coming up, 75% of them will have a white girl on their arm

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

I have nothing against their success which is what we all strive for but these people are elitist which is what I have a problem with. The moment inclusion into those circles factors in things you can't control such as lineage, background etc that's where I draw the line. Take a look at this article The Obamas Are NOT Elite – And, That Is Fine With Me - Jack & Jill Politics. Now this was during the primaries before he became president but if this the sentiment in these circles I don't see why they should be praised considering that most AAs are poor/working class.

On the flip side, other blacks can look at what they did, mimick it, break into elite circles, skip the elitism and bring others into the fold. Because one family operates one way doesn’t mean that’s how everyone has to.

And I also want to know why you feel they’re elitist? Because they socialize with and marry other “elite”? That’s kinda the status quo across all socioeconomic lines

 

[Dzali OG]

Op I see what you were trying to do and appreciate the drop but, those mulattos have not represented black America probably since the 19th century.

They all look to be the descendants of negro bedwenches who benefited from zaddy opening doors for them denied other black people.











Try and fist bump one if them and get the GET OUT treatment of dude shaking your fist...

 

[invalid]

I have nothing against their success which is what we all strive for but these people are elitist which is what I have a problem with. The moment inclusion into those circles factors in things you can't control such as lineage, background etc that's where I draw the line. Take a look at this article
The Obamas Are NOT Elite – And, That Is Fine With Me - Jack & Jill Politics. Now this was during the primaries before he became president but if this the sentiment in these circles I don't see why they should be praised considering that most AAs are poor/working class.

You're making sweeping generalizations.

And the premise of this article is flawed, because if the Obama's did not have any sort of status or association with these so-called "elitist" families, why did all the black people in top positions in his administration come directly from these families?

Desire Rogers
Valerie Jarrett
Eric Holder
Susan Rice
Lorretta Lynch

He kept John Rogers on many of his advisory committees and John Rogers is a descendant of Black Wall Street that was down in Tulsa Oklahoma. John Rogers played ball at Princeton where Michelle's brother was coach. Damn near all the Dibble family have positions in his administration. The black folks that got Ambassadorships, who do you think received them? Members of many of these families. So the Obama's not being "elite" is funny, because those are exactly who he associated with.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

Also, thread title is about powerful black families, not just “black excellence”. Power implies a certain level of elitism, selectivity, academic and economic achievement, and participation in and socialization with select circles. If you hate that concept, there are plenty other general “black excellence” threads for you to participate in.

 

[Indiglow Meta (R$G)]

He didn't have the luxury or the access these families did. He did the real nikka route. Self made. He's kids is gonna be one of them. Big facts.

His kids won't ever be one of them unless one of his peoples were already one of them. It's kinda like a clan thing.

 

[dora_da_destroyer]

Op I see what you were trying to do and appreciate the drop but, those mulattos have not represented black America probably since the 19th century.

They all look to be the descendants of negro bedwenches who benefited from zaddy opening doors for them denied other black people.











Try and fist bump one if them and get the GET OUT treatment of dude shaking your fist...

That’s highly disrespectful to the actual suffering and humiliation of the black women (and to a lesser extent some black men) who were fetishized and raped at the beginning of these lineages. Benefitting from white zaddy during the days of slavery, sharecropping, and Jim Crow breh, really

 

[Problematic Pat]

Props for the thread, I stumbled across a documentary on PBS way back in high school called “people like us” (I can’t find a free link to this anywhere, if you can, pass the mustard ) and one demo they covered were old money black families, I always found bourgeoisie, old money, educated black families to be interesting.

They act like old money whites. Old money whites refuse to associate with new money whites. So people like Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jeff Bezzos would get looked down upon because even though they are retardedly wealthy, their ancestors didn't move in the same circles as the old money so they look down on them.
The Jack and Jill types don't rock with Oprah. They are the same ones who called Michelle Obama a ghetto girl even though she was the 1st Black lady in US history. They see people who don't come from a long line of money the same way they look at hood nikkaz.

 

[invalid]

Op I see what you were trying to do and appreciate the drop but, those mulattos have not represented black America probably since the 19th century.

They all look to be the descendants of negro bedwenches who benefited from zaddy opening doors for them denied other black people.











Try and fist bump one if them and get the GET OUT treatment of dude shaking your fist...

I didn't make the rules breh...
These folks went down and are going down in history books as being black.

First black MIT grad. First black professor to receive tenure. Black designer of Tuskeegee an HBCU.

Race is problematic. But I think if we want to start changing definitions we need to be thorough about it.

Howard, Hampton, Morehouse, Spelman, Fisk, Xavier are not Historically Black Colleges and Universities if your really want to go there. They were Historically Mulatto Colleges and Universities. Or Colleges and Universities for the "Buffer" class. Alpha and AKA are not Black Greek Letter Organizations. They were historically mulatto greek organizations. If we change the rules now, we got to go back and change a whole lot of shyt.

 

[bx.lion]

On the flip side, other blacks can look at what they did, mimick it, break into elite circles, skip the elitism and bring others into the fold. Because ie family operates one way doesn’t mean that’s how everyone has to.

And I also want to know why you feel they’re elitist? Because they socialize with and marry other “elite”? That’s kinda the status quo across all socioeconomic lines

By elite I don't mean success via a meritocratic process i mean restriction based on family lineage, background, etc. what can't be controlled. But when it's all said and done people can do as they wish

 

[Geode]

A few points though-
1) Want to keep this thread positive.
2) Yes, many of these families are members of the Boule.
3) Let's refrain from opinions about skin tone and whether one would consider these families "black".

Well, 2 of these things immediately went out the window...

 

[invalid]

If you want to see powerful black folks of dark skin it looks like we are going to have to take a internet plane ride to Nigeria

This may be some real shyt.

But I've wondered if their success, for instance like that of Aliko Dangote, could it be replicated in an extremely regulated economic environment like the US?

These folks succeeded, in spite of, obstacles factors not in their favor.

And people like Aliko are from generational money as well, right? They practice the same type of favoritism and nepotism, only their skin color is a few shades darker.

 

[invalid]

The point I'm making is that old money tends to create groups to restrict access to those who "don't fit"

Not restricted to old money. Look at the type of people ballers or rappers go after. Other ballers or rappers.

Look at the type of people the Kardashians go after. Every group is the same really.