I'm half African American (other half Caucasian). Most of my African-American heritage expresses itself in my thick, dark brown hair (blonde mom had curly hair, so did my Af-Am dad). The avatar shows me in a favorite wig--ignore it
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Thanks for your comprehensive response. I think the character will be going for twists; more details above.
Regarding demographics: the metropolitan area centered around Boston is 6.4% black non-Hispanic; for the “primary cities” within that area, the proportion is 19.8%. The comparable statistics for the Seattle-Tacoma area are 5.3% and 7.1%, respectively. So a natural look might be more acceptable in the People’s Republic of Cambridge than in your old neighborhood.
Regarding the character’s background, otherwise: middle-class, black parents, grew up in a black neighborhood... I guess.
(I lived for three years in Hyde Park and went to a high school there that was something like 80% black, so I think my best hope for writing a black character and not thoroughly embarrassing myself is to think of my high-school classmates as a sort of baseline.)
(I lived for three years in Hyde Park and went to a high school there that was something like 80% black, so I think my best hope for writing a black character and not thoroughly embarrassing myself is to think of my high-school classmates as a sort of baseline.)
Interesting! I did wonder where your confidence came from. :) Although I don't imagine it would be a problem. Being mixed-racial (and more importantly, observant) gives me the confidence to write either side . . . in part, because they are not so different, but I'm also conscious of where they are--& have a sense of where to begin when I do not know something.
Thanks for the good wishes. “Confidence” may not be the right word (I had the social skills of a turnip in high school, so I’m not sure how much I really picked up), but... I don’t want to be That Guy, if you know what I mean.
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Regarding demographics: the metropolitan area centered around Boston is 6.4% black non-Hispanic; for the “primary cities” within that area, the proportion is 19.8%. The comparable statistics for the Seattle-Tacoma area are 5.3% and 7.1%, respectively. So a natural look might be more acceptable in the People’s Republic of Cambridge than in your old neighborhood.
Regarding the character’s background, otherwise: middle-class, black parents, grew up in a black neighborhood... I guess.
(I lived for three years in Hyde Park and went to a high school there that was something like 80% black, so I think my best hope for writing a black character and not thoroughly embarrassing myself is to think of my high-school classmates as a sort of baseline.)
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Interesting! I did wonder where your confidence came from. :) Although I don't imagine it would be a problem. Being mixed-racial (and more importantly, observant) gives me the confidence to write either side . . . in part, because they are not so different, but I'm also conscious of where they are--& have a sense of where to begin when I do not know something.
Hope your story turns out wonderfully . . .
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