Charles W. Chesnutt
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Charles Waddell Chesnutt was an African-American author, essayist, political activist, and lawyer, best known for his novels and short stories exploring complex issues of racial and social identity in
Chesnutt at age 40
Chesnutt's library at his Cleveland home
Title page for The Conjure Woman (1899)
First edition cover of The House Behind the Cedars (1900)
One-drop rule
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The one-drop rule was a legal principle of racial classification that was prominent in the 20th-century United States. It asserted that any person with even one ancestor of Black African ancestry is c
Charles W. Chesnutt
…background, Chesnutt could "pass" as a white man, and could have been legally permitted to claim said status, but never chose to do so. By the 1920s, the one drop rule was formally codified into law in many Southern states, officially classifying him as a "Negro" on account of his known ancestry. After the end of the…
Rice and Powell (on the left) are considered black in the US. Bush and Rumsfeld (on the right) are considered white.
Lena Horne was reportedly descended from the John C. Calhoun family, and both sides of her family were a mixture of African-American, Native American, and European American descent.
The Brazilian footballer Ronaldo declares himself white, but 64% of Brazilians consider him pardo, according to Datafolha survey.
The Brazilian actress Camila Pitanga declares herself black, but only 27% of Brazilians consider her as such, according to Datafolha survey.