Melanated Excellence: A Historical Analysis of Black Identity and Racial Reclassification in the United States

Melanated Excellence: A Historical Analysis of Black Identity and Racial Reclassification in the United States

By Light Productions LLC

Abstract

The history of Black identity in the United States has been shaped by racial classification policies that sought to redefine and control populations of African and Indigenous descent. This paper explores the erasure of Native identity through racial reclassification, highlighting figures like Walter Plecker and systemic practices across various states. Framed within the concept of Melanated Excellence, a term championed by Light Productions LLC, this research emphasizes the resilience and achievements of Black and Indigenous communities despite oppressive classification efforts.

Introduction

Throughout American history, racial classification has been used as a tool of oppression, shaping the identities of people of African and Indigenous descent. The concept of Melanated Excellence celebrates the achievements, resilience, and cultural contributions of Black people, despite systemic efforts to diminish and erase their histories. This paper examines the reclassification of Native Americans as “Negro” in official records, the role of government officials in enforcing these policies, and how Black communities have resisted and thrived despite these injustices.

Racial Reclassification and Erasure of Identity

Walter Plecker and the Racial Integrity Act

Walter Plecker, Virginia’s registrar of vital statistics from 1912 to 1946, was notorious for enforcing the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which sought to classify all individuals as either “White” or “Colored.” Plecker specifically targeted Indigenous groups, arguing that many were actually Black and should be recorded as such to prevent “racial passing.” His actions led to the legal erasure of Native identity in Virginia, disproportionately affecting the Monacan, Pamunkey, and other tribes (Painter, 2010).

Racial Reclassification Across the U.S.

1. North Carolina – The Lumbee People and the “Lost Colony” Theory

In North Carolina, Hamilton McMillan, a legislator, played a role in recognizing the Lumbee people as Native American rather than Black. However, state officials continued to impose racial labels that suited segregationist policies (Blu, 2001).

2. Louisiana – Jim Crow-Era Vital Records Officials

Louisiana’s complex racial history saw the forced reclassification of Creoles and mixed-ancestry individuals. Creole identity, which had long been distinct from Black and White, was erased in many official records, reinforcing the binary racial system of the Jim Crow South (Domínguez, 1986).

3. Tennessee – Cherokee Freedmen and Racial Erasure

The Cherokee Freedmen, formerly enslaved people integrated into the Cherokee Nation, were later denied tribal citizenship. Tennessee state officials often recorded them as “Negro,” severing their legal ties to Cherokee heritage (Miles, 2005).

The Cherokee Freedmen, descendants of enslaved individuals owned by members of the Cherokee Nation, have faced complex challenges regarding their identity and citizenship. Over time, many of these individuals were reclassified as “Negro” in official records, leading to the erosion of their recognized Native American heritage. This paper delves into the historical and geographical origins of the Cherokee Freedmen, with a focus on their presence in Alabama and Mississippi, and examines the documentation that contributed to their reclassification.

The Cherokee Nation, one of the Five Civilized Tribes, practiced chattel slavery, owning African-descended individuals prior to the American Civil War. Following the war, the Treaty of 1866 between the U.S. government and the Cherokee Nation granted these freed individuals, known as Freedmen, full citizenship within the tribe. However, in the early 20th century, the Cherokee Nation amended its citizenship rules, requiring direct descent from an ancestor listed on the “Cherokee by blood” section of the Dawes Rolls, thereby excluding many Freedmen descendants from tribal membership.Â

Historically, the Cherokee Nation’s territory encompassed regions that are now part of Alabama and Mississippi. The first recorded contact between the Cherokees and Europeans occurred in 1540 during Hernando de Soto’s expedition through the southeastern United States, which included present-day Alabama and Mississippi. Over time, European colonization and subsequent U.S. policies led to the displacement of the Cherokee people from these areas.Â

The forced relocation, known as the Trail of Tears, primarily moved the Cherokee population to Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma). However, some Cherokee and their enslaved individuals remained in the southeastern U.S., including Alabama and Mississippi. Descendants of these communities can still be found in these states today.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, various rolls and censuses were conducted to document members of Native American tribes. The Wallace Rolls of 1890, for instance, aimed to list Cherokee Freedmen and included categories such as “Authenticated Freedmen” and “Free Negroes (before the Civil War).” These classifications often failed to acknowledge the complex identities of individuals with both African and Native American heritage, leading to oversimplified racial labels.Â

In Alabama and Mississippi, state officials frequently categorized individuals of mixed African and Native American descent as “Negro” in vital records. This practice was influenced by the prevailing binary racial views of the time, which did not accommodate the nuanced identities of mixed-heritage individuals. Consequently, many Cherokee Freedmen and their descendants were administratively stripped of their Native American identity.

The reclassification of Cherokee Freedmen as “Negro” in official records has obscured their rich cultural heritage and complicated their claims to Native American identity and rights. In regions like Alabama and Mississippi, where the Cherokee once held significant territories, the legacy of these practices continues to affect descendants seeking to reclaim their ancestral identities.

4. South Carolina – The Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown

Members of the Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians were frequently labeled as Black in census records, stripping them of Native recognition and federal benefits (Perdue, 2003).

5. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Federal Policies

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) played a role in racial reclassification by enforcing blood quantum laws, which restricted Native recognition based on ancestry percentages. This policy disproportionately affected communities of African-Native descent, further erasing their identity (Hoxie, 2008).

Melanated Excellence: Resilience Amid Erasure

Despite these efforts, Black and Afro-Indigenous communities have continued to thrive, resisting attempts to erase their histories. Melanated Excellence, as promoted by Light Productions LLC, reframes the narrative by focusing on Black achievements in academia, entrepreneurship, activism, and cultural arts. Notable examples include:

• Black Wall Street (Tulsa, Oklahoma) – A thriving Black business district destroyed in the 1921 race massacre.

• The Harlem Renaissance – A period of immense cultural production by Black artists, writers, and musicians.

• The Civil Rights Movement – Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X fought against racial injustice.

• Afro-Indigenous Activism – Groups like the Black Seminoles resisted racial erasure through armed resistance and legal battles.

Conclusion

The history of racial reclassification in America reveals an insidious attempt to control and erase communities of color. Yet, through resilience, activism, and cultural preservation, these communities have continued to redefine their identities and celebrate their heritage. The philosophy of Melanated Excellence emphasizes not only the survival but the triumph of Black and Afro-Indigenous people, ensuring their stories are told with dignity and pride.

Bibliography

• Blu, Karen I. The Lumbee Problem: The Making of an American Indian People. University of Nebraska Press, 2001.

• Domínguez, Virginia R. White by Definition: Social Classification in Creole Louisiana. Rutgers University Press, 1986.

• Hoxie, Frederick E. A Final Promise: The Campaign to Assimilate the Indians, 1880-1920. University of Nebraska Press, 2008.

• Miles, Tiya. Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom. University of California Press, 2005.

• Painter, Nell Irvin. The History of White People. W.W. Norton & Company, 2010.

• Perdue, Theda. Mixed Blood Indians: Racial Construction in the Early South. University of Georgia Press, 2003.

This research paper connects historical injustices to modern discussions of Melanated Excellence, highlighting the strength and achievements of Black communities despite systematic attempts at racial erasure. Would you like additional details or specific revisions?