Genealogy

» blckirish - african american black irish

I'm always noticing extremely dark African American football players with the most Irish of Irish names. It's a known fact that Irish used to fear and dislike blacks because they competed for the same lowest level jobs and irish feared free blacks would undercut the wages. I think black Americans chose Irish names similarly to how Native Americans called themselves "black Irish " - they chose names from the lowest and most numerous of white classes,the Irish, to blend in - the native americans could pass in person and the African Americans could pass on paper for "just poor Irish". I know some black families have Irish blood - I met a black man with sea green eyes - but the majority especially the very dark I think arbitrarily chose Irish names.
The Carribean is a different story - there are islands where mullatoes still speak gaelic - but on the mainland of North America I theorize this is the reason.
We all deserve to know our ancestry's truth no matter what someone else in the past thought was "appropriate".

-- posted by blckirish