A white couple Dana and Hugh Clarke are shocked when Dana gives birth to a baby with African-American features. How do you explain this one? Is this even genetically possible for a white couple to have a black child naturally as Barbara Delinsky, author of ‘Family Tree’ puts it?
So what would you do if this happened to you? Send your spouse packing or try to explore the genetic side of the story? And how do you even begin to convince your family and friends?
Well you gotta admit that this is one thought provoking book.
[tags]race and family[/tags]
I get part of what your saying Lenny but…(using your words) **** the ultimate love is to allow your woman the freedom to be who she wants to be*****…
I understand that part but NOT be a who** in the process.
U kiddin me!?
The lady cheated, plain and simple.
Shotgun007
Like or Dislike:
1 
0 (+1)
This happened to me and my wife about 4 years ago, however she was having an affair with a black man. We have overcome it, however and have moved on. The only thing that makes it harder it being with a black man is the fact that everyone knows that my wife cheated because the child is obviously not mine. If you are mature you can overcome things like this.
Like or Dislike:
1 
1 (0)
Yeah, I strongly agree with you. It seems there are really talented writers who are willing to share a very good articles online.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
i am married to a medium complected black man and i myself am irish and russian fair complected green eyes and dark hair. We had a son together whos skin was as white as mine a blonde afro and green eyes, and he looked identical to his father feature wise. Genetics are amazing!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
ok i read all this comments nd some people do not agree.. well i have a daughter nd her dad is black, nd british nd im italian-irish nd filipino nd my baby is white like me with a flat nose like my ex..now i know i never cheated because i loved him to death nd still do even we not toghter no more nd his familly dont want to accept my daughter because she is white! so they need to get it st8
Czarina510melia
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
Yeah I dont think this would be as likely as a black couple having a white child but I wouldnt rule it out. Based on where I come from I have a particurelly intersting family race wise. I am the product of Black parents that have seen it all in just their children. My mother is a medium toned black women so not too light but she becomes red in the winter and tends to burn in the summer which is by all means uncommon amoung blacks my father who is a very very dark man was born to light skin blacks when put together they had an interesting color spectum of children starting with my older sister who is medium tone near the complextion of my mother with a nose that would appear to be white, my next sister is extremely light skined white green eyes a trate that only traces back to our mother side very distantly something of a Irish grandfather but is odd considering the looks of our parents her hair is light too she could pass for white if she didnt have coarse hair, then me medium complexion a little darker in color though then my mom and sister my face darker and the rest of my body much lighter in comparison, my bother who is the darkest almost my fathers color. All our feature are mildly black with caucation features scattered out all our hair is tinted red, it gone much much darker with age. then the next generation my nieces and nephews are black or mixed. the mixed raced children came out with blond hair blue eyes or light brown and green eyes and white skin but black features and the black children came out with lighter skin nomatter the color of their fathers red tinted hair and scattered white features. Theres just so many variations in my imidiate family that nothing suprises me about race because of how my mother and father look compared to their children.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
I read Ms.Delinsky’s book and I really enjoyed it. If this happened to me, I would question my partner’s background. I would make him take a DNA test just in case there was something he didn’t know.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0 (+1)
he is is a cuckold
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
@barbiebby,
I totally agree with you,it is the same in my family.
I am from Trinidad in the caribbean, my mom Carib Indian (copper skinned) and my dad is black (dark skinned). I am dark skinned with curly hair and my sisters are all light skinned with kinky hair.
So really nothing surprises me also where genetics and race concerned!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
I was speaking with my British boyfriend and he stated that although the British did not practice slavery, they did trade in slaves, making quite a profit at it. Some very wealthy families in Britain to this day received their wealth from the slave trade.
He stated, (he is a biological researcher), that sometimes there is a “throwback” where traits from several generations past show up in the babies of today. That is why you will see British babies born to Caucasian parents that have the black wavy hair and Negroid features. You also see this in Egyptians where the people will have very beautiful features and obviously mixed with the African American and Egyptian. I still can’t get used to an African American with a British accent. I guess it is my Southern upbringing. I love to hear it though. Just an aside, most of the overseers on plantations were black muslims. They had sold the other blacks to the slave traders and often got drug onto the ships too as slaves. Because they could read and write, they were made the plantation overseers.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
ok, i am white and pregnant by a black guy, what color will are child be? black, white, tan what?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
@csunshine
Does it really matter what color your baby will be?
It is your child and your ‘boyfriends’ that is all that matters.
May the blessings be!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
@ britishresponse:So all those ‘British’ slave owners in the ‘British’ colonies treated their slaves like family huh? Are you sure that pharmacology and not biology is your boyfriends specialist subject because he has got to be taking something to have sanitized British involvement in slavery AND the slave trade that much.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
well she might had as person behind her back or something cause that never happened before
maybe was God’s doing or the bad spirit.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
i will start by saying sorry if my English is not perfect i am French
Yes it is possible because i am a light skinned brown hair African but both my parents are dark skinned Africans my parents are confused about it but the then realized my light complexion comes from my great-grandfather who was French
some DNA could maybe kept hidden for generation and resurface in others
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
If the genes come together just right (meaning the genes have the right genetic changes) then two blue eyed people can have a brown eyed child. I was reading about eye color and genetics recently and it is fascinating. So why wouldn’t it be possible for two pale skinned people with the right genetic changes to have a dark skinned child? It may not be likely, but it is probable if the right genetic difference are there. By genetic differences or changes I mean what is called mutations. I just don’t care for that word.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
White Husband + White Wife = White Baby.
White Husband + White Wife = Black Baby = White Husband get’s his shot gun.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1 (-1)
Hey guyz, i understand everything, but i dont understand how come black couple withought white backgroung to have a white baby.
something is not on>>??????
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
the host looks like tori spelling!!!
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
If we weren’t so color struck we wouldn’t be worrying about how the children are going to react. The reaction seems to be more on the color struck parents. Yes, I would be suprised about it but if I know that my husband is the only man that could have fathered the child I wouldn’t be too concerned about its race. God works in mysterious ways. We need to be more concerned about how we treat each other as human beings and look beyond the color of ones skin. Life lessons are being taught and we need to take heed to them. God loves us all regardless of the color of our skin. Race is not that important people, how you live your life and treat and respect others is paramount.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
Try easterrn Nigeria, u’ll find a lot of blue eyed mixed-race looking people but u discover they are from black parents. By the way, check the bible, what color was Adam and Eve? The change started with Shem, Ham amd Japhet so we all come from the same extraction only we need to find out which one
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
White Husband + White Wife = Black Baby
&
Black Husband + Black Wife = White Baby(from BBC News)
So God is magic.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
A little lesson in genetics from a triple-major-graduate (simplified explanation):
B = Brown Eyes (dominant and over-expresses)
b = blue eyes (recessive and under-expresses)
We all carry 1 gene from each parent ( 2 genes )
So:
BB= Brown ; Bb = Brown; bb = blue
Notice, though, that if you have 2 brown eyed people that they could both be: Bb and Bb ~ they are both brown eyed but are carrying the recessive gene for blue eyes. So, through recombination:
BB + Bb = (possibilitites)
BB (Brown) or Bb (brown) or bb (blue)
Its a little more complicated than the above explanation, but it gives you insight. The above explanation does not account for mutations and the complexities of mult-gene-expressions required for a seemingly simple trait.
Class dismissed…
~W
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
what id like to know is why people give this so much thought is this subject really important come on! this is ridiculous race is a social construct invented by people. we are all the same the united states really brainwashed people into believing that were different races this is all political, trying to divide us as human beings we are children of are creator wether its god or evolution we are all struck from the same mold. we just changed through time plus chemicals like carbon an melanin cause skin complection to change color. we have differnt cultures but we are the same, look up the word race online in wikipedia the difference in genes is less than 1% I for one dont believe in this race i just wish we could stop acting like were from different palnets and notice the similarities that we have we have the smae organs breath the same air we can reproduce with each other so what the hell! WE ARE THE SAME HOMO SAPIENS i wish a modernised martin luther king would reincarnate and show the world that we are all brothers and sister Screw DNA i hope i get through to somebody at least one person please if u agree spread the word i hate all this racial crap i wish i live to see the day where we dont even remember race at least teach your kids so we have a better future.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
Yes the black couple does not know of any immediate family history of a white ancestor but this can be at anytime in their genetic history 3 generations or 20 generations, so how would they know unless someone kept a detailed records.
I think that everyone should have their DNA mapped in order to understand their body. One can prevent certain disease from developing by adapting their diet, life style and their environment for example with that information.
This planet is millions of years old, the human gene maybe even older so all is possible. Just remember that most of us have 2 eyes, 2 upper limbs, 2 lower limps, 1 heart… but at times someone is born with out something or with an extra something so lets get our head out of our asses and evolve by learning and keeping an open mind to possibilities…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
To Afro
White Husband + White Wife = White Baby (can still be someone else and not the husband’s kid — that is more likely to happen). Should the husband still get his shot gun out?
Recessive genes and dominant genes has nothing to do with black genes are dominant than white ones. Our DNA is very complex and the mechanics of how everything function and why is yet to be fully understood.
…two parents with brown eyes can have a child with blue eyes…
…and to all the others please take a class in genetics before opening your mouths.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
@ Maria
According to genetics black genes are dominate and white genes are recessive.
Dominate genes can produce recessive genes but recessive genes cant produce dominate genes.
It possible for a very dark skinned couple to produce a very light/almost white looking child or an albino.
When two white people have a child that child naturally comes out looking 100% white, if both parent’s bllodline is free of any non white ancestry.
When whites mate with any non white person that child comes out with some color regardless if one parent is an Asian, Native American, or Hispanic, you can see some color in the child, be it the darker hair or dark colored eyes.
Try reading any book by Gregor Mendel because he is the father of the modern study of genetics.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0 (+1)
I THINK SHE MADE LOVE WITH A BROTHER BUT HERE MAN DONT KNOW ,LOL
Like or Dislike:
0 
2 (-2)
You may call it reaching back, genetics, recessive genes, albino etc. The fact is we all came from one source. For those who are appreciative of biblical absolutes; Adam and Eve were our orgin, God formed Adam from the dust of the earth and breathe into his nostril the bread of life and man became a living soul. He took a rib from Adam and made Eve (Bible, KJV Genesis 1:26,27;2:7,21-25)The bible is not a science book; however, it validates some scientific discoveries within its pages. Mankind as the bible calls us has the propensity or the genetic predisposition to produce any of the groups, subgroups or races as science choose to categorise us (european, asian, african,native america). I am not surprised that this has happened. It is there in the blood. Because of the mixing of the groups, some may relegate it to the appearance of a recessive gene and that may be so in some small way. I choose to rest my case on the word of God that I consider the absolute authority for the creation of mankind and the ability within each gene pool the ability to produce any group. It may not be the active gene or dominant gene, nonetheless it is apart of the whole and perfectly normal for a white couple to have a black baby or a black couple to have a white baby without any kind of sexual promiscuity on the part of either party of the respective couples.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
Israel TODAY has Laws of Jewish Only Marriage!
‘The white women must cohabit with members of the dark races, white men with black women. Thus the white race will disappear, for mixing the dark with the white means the end of the white man, our most dangerous enemy will become a memory.
We shall embark upon an era of 10,000 years of peace & plenty, Pax Judaica, and our Race will Rule undisputed over the world.
Our superior intelligence will easily enable us to retain Mastery over a world of Dark peoples.’
-Rabbi Rabinovich Page 106, 1958
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
both my parents are white English, but I am Irish. This caused a great deal of distress for my family. Fortunately, by three I had lost the accent and appear English now. Genetics will throw many spanners in family machines as our communities become more mixed. If we all work together we can all mix and become a rainbow world.
Be good and Happy
B
Like or Dislike:
0 
0 (0)
“Racial Purity is REALLY rare!”
I laughed so hard at that.
I’m white, but these white people seem really really excited about this lol
The reason its funny is because I think there’s some over politically correct racist overtones going on here.
It bugs me when I watch videos like this, its almost like these women would look to their left and have a klan member sitting there nodding, “Yeah, racial purity is really rare indeed.”
It kinda is sad that there are in fact different races, the color of your skin doesn’t make you better or worse than someone else, but it is the CONCEPT of being different that is so dangerous. Being white, I used to be so scared of joking about any other race for fear of backlash, being with black friends and them saying something very stereotypical like, “Let’s go to KFC!” I wanted to laugh about it, but I was too scared to. Later on when I realized that it didn’t matter, they were joking with me as well, when I would talk about relationships they’d make crude jokes about penis size : P
Really, being TOO politically correct in my eyes is a sign of fear of people of other races, and is a tell for true racists.
Like or Dislike:
1 
0 (+1)
And the most simplelest QUESTION I have to ask to all the naysayers is this…..DO YOU THINK THE HUSBAND WAS THERE WHEN SHE GAVE BIRTH??? DONT YOU THINK HE WAS I MEAN ALL WHITE MEN STICK BY THEIR WIVES. SO dont you think he saw the baby come out of his wifes VAGINA??? COme on people.Use your heads..On a lighter note..Read more books..start with a book on CONFIRMATION BIAS.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1 (-1)
@Dude
Hmmm … your black ‘friends’ wanted to go to KFC??
Hmmmmm??? Where you from Vermont or Wyoming?
Like or Dislike:
2 
0 (+2)
For gods sake, cant you see this is a novel and it is made to have a selling point. This is pure marketing and people buying this book will only be doing so because of the controversy. There is no peer reviewed research supporting that two caucasian people can have a negroid child, sorry. The true fact is that the wife cheated on the father and cuckolded him with a black brother. Nothing wrong, the woman forgot to take the birth control pill and wanted to experience blackness, move on. Of course, baring in mind whether the story is actually real or just made up with the purpose of selling (which I am going to venture to say that is what it really is). Regards.
Like or Dislike:
0 
1 (-1)
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
0 
3 (-3)
this happened in the Uk too a nigerian couple had a blonde blue eyed baby, so it IS possible
Like or Dislike:
3 
0 (+3)