One Drop Rule Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is One Drop Rule?

The One Drop Rule is an outdated and offensive racial classification that has been used in the United States and other countries to impose legal discrimination against individuals deemed to have any trace of African ancestry. The rule assumes that a single drop of black blood is enough to render a person black, even if the individual is otherwise white-passing. As a result, those who may appear white but have African heritage are denied access to rights or recognition afforded to those with no such heritage. The origin of this oppressive policy dates back to slavery in the antebellum South during which time enslaved persons were identified by their owners as either mulatto or black depending on how much African ancestry they had. These classifications were then codified into law with the one-drop rule becoming established as part of state laws across the country. These laws prohibited interracial marriage and other rights associated with whiteness while also providing financial benefits for slave owners who sought to increase their wealth through reproduction among enslaved people. Due to its racist underpinnings, many states have since repealed their one-drop legislation while others still maintain this classification system in some form today.