Mulatto, quadroon, octoroon.

These were terms used centuries ago to describe persons with mixed African ancestry. During American slavery and segregation, "one drop of blood" was the rule: Anyone with "one drop" of African blood -- usually interpreted as any African descendant in one's ancestry going back three generations -- was considered a Negro and ineligible for white privileges.

Those old rules have been obliterated. Miscegenation laws that prohibited black-white marriage were long ago declared unconstitutional. State and local segregation laws were overturned by civil rights laws 40 years ago. Entire generations have grown up attending racially mixed schools.

But the "one drop of blood" rule still applies in an odd way. Celebrities who are of mixed racial ancestry are almost invariably considered African-American. Usually, they select this designation for themselves.

Consider Halle Berry. When she won an Oscar in 2002, she broke down in tears during her acceptance speech proclaiming the righteousness of her recognition on behalf of black women everywhere. But her mother is white.

Alicia Keyes, the talented singer and actress, is considered African-American with hair, facial features and skin tone similar to any number of African-Americans. But her mother is white.

Some researchers have suggested that a majority of African-Americans have some Caucasian ancestry. But until 2000, the U.S. Census did not allow Americans to check multiple racial classifications. Given this opportunity, varying percentages of Americans chose to classify themselves as mixed ancestry.

When celebrities thought of as African-American try to claim mixed ancestry, they find themselves being criticized for failing to be "black and proud." Golfer/millionaire Tiger Woods coined a word to describe his mixed Caucasian, American Indian, black and Asian ancestry -- Caublinasian. But many African-Americans preferred for him to be black -- a new application of the "one drop of blood" rule.

Americans this year might elect the first African-American president, except Barack Obama, despite his African name, is not African-American in the traditional sense. Rather, he is African-American in the literal sense. He is the son of an African man (from Kenya) and an American woman (from Kansas).

Obama has not emphasized his racial ancestry in his campaign, but it has sometimes been thrust upon him by adversaries hoping to put him on the defensive. Obama has been called the first post-racial candidate, someone who can put behind us the violence, oppression and resentment of generations of racial conflict and exploitation.

But a candidate whose mother was white and whose father had no legacy of American slavery is not quite the same as someone who can trace his roots back to slave markets.

Perhaps a presidential candidate with admittedly mixed racial heritage can convince America that almond-skinned actresses, singers and athletes don't have to be thought of as black. Perhaps then America can rid itself of racial labels and drops of blood.

tarleton@wilsontimes.com | 265-7812