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Is Clementine from The Walking Dead black?

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Rhazer Fusion

Rhazer Fusion

Member
Honestly, I don't think most people in thread necessarily mean any harm, but when they(myself included) first encountered Clementine, they probably assumed she was bi-racial or even something else entirely based on her appearance. For example, Mariah Carey or Alicia Keys are black, but you can tell by looking at them, they are most likely mixed with something else. I'm thinking people got a similar impression when they first encountered Clementine.
 
B

bishoptl

Banstick Emeritus
Valhelm said:
Culturally, she's Black. But ethnically or genetically, she's obviously mixed. Her mother is probably around 50% African and 50% European. She's still a Black person! But she's lighter-skinned than her husband because of European admixture over the course of 400 years. It's possible that her mother could be half Black and half Asian, too. Most African Americans have something like 20% European heritage, so her father probably has some distant European ancestry as well.

Clementine is definitely a Black person, but she's certainly not 100% Sub-Saharan African.
Click to expand...
It wouldn't be a proper Black History Month without some good old fashioned doubling down on ignorance. Finally! It feels like February has properly kicked off!

*plays the NFL on Fox theme*
 
L

LEGGZZZZ

Member
Agent Icebeezy said:
This thread summed up in one letter.

ibl28kH6TRy8NB.gif
Click to expand...

Judging by the responses in this thread, this will go over most people's heads.
 
R

Retro_

Unconfirmed Member
Rhazer Fusion said:
Honestly, I don't think most people in thread necessarily mean any harm, but when they(myself included) first encountered Clementine, they probably assumed she was bi-racial or even something else entirely based on her appearance. For example, Mariah Carey or Alicia Keys are black, but you can tell by looking at them, they are most likely mixed with something else. I'm thinking people got a similar impression when they first encountered Clementine.
Click to expand...

Not all racism or ignorance is malicious.

In fact most of the racism I encounter isn't

but it is problematic thinking to assume that a character or person who is light skinned must be bi-racial or mixed.(Doesn't matter if she is or isn't. You shouldn't assume because of skin tone)

All we ask is that you do a teeny tiny bit of introspection and acknowledge that fact, then move on and do better in the future having had this experience.

Problem with this thread is that most people refuse to do any of that. Just gonna double down on their ignorance and pass the blame onto something else. (Nice job making her look black Tell Tale. JeeZ)
 
T

Tygamr

Member
This thread saddens me.

Technically she's biracial, because her mom is obviously mixed, but by society's standards she's black. If you're mixed race, but you look more like one thing than the other, you get called that one thing with the other part mostly ignored (unless you're very vocal about it), though people of that one thing may not ignore that other part, and say that you're different from them, despite the majority lumping you with them.

Honestly, race is completely irrelevant though (and it doesn't really exist).
 
breakfuss

breakfuss

Member
Kageshinzo said:
I'm Asian and even I know Clem's black the first time I saw her.
Click to expand...

LOL, isn't saying this just as problematic as someone refusing to believe she's Black? You're Asian and "even you knew"... what does that even mean?

And the Carmelita thing was a jest. Yeah, as a kid, I always wanted to believe certain characters were Black (like Skeeter from Doug). Guess you guys missed the Wendy Koopa part of that. But, please, let's smoke out the ignoramuses assigning race to anthropomorphic cartoons.
 
M

Madness

Member
I thought she was mixed. I saw the photo, but it wasn't necessarily clear. That being said, I never really paid it much attention which goes to show what kind of storytelling Telltale was able to do. Was more into the story, how I could protect Clem, etc. Didn't give much thought to guys like Omid.

Haven't played the new episode yet, will wait till they're all released and so I can play through all at once.
 
A

akidnamededdy

Banned
Camp Lo said:
I guess that explains why there's some confusion there. LOL
Click to expand...

NO it doesn't ok, everyone who was ever confused about this is some kind of mouth breathing hick who refuses to see black people as human or some shit, I dunno I got tired of this topic halfway through this post.
 
K

Kageshinzo

Member
breakfuss said:
LOL, isn't saying this just as problematic as someone refusing to believe she's Black? You're Asian and "even you knew"... what does that even mean?
Click to expand...

Naw man, just taking a tongue-in-cheek potshot at all the "she's Asian" posts early in the thread because of her eyes and skin color or some such.
 
M

Mr.Marston

Member
Valhelm said:
Culturally, she's Black. But ethnically or genetically, she's obviously mixed. Her mother is probably around 50% African and 50% European. She's still a Black person! But she's lighter-skinned than her husband because of European admixture over the course of 400 years. It's possible that her mother could be half Black and half Asian, too. Most African Americans have something like 20% European heritage, so her father probably has some distant European ancestry as well.

Clementine is definitely a Black person, but she's certainly not 100% Sub-Saharan African.
Click to expand...
jbzcH0F5U6uMjI.png
jbzcH0F5U6uMjI.png
jbzcH0F5U6uMjI.png


Coolbgdog12 said:
Ctrl+F "Carmelita fox"
*word found*

Wtf? LOL
Click to expand...

LMAO
 
L

lordchompy

Member
breakfuss said:
LOL, isn't saying this just as problematic as someone refusing to believe she's Black? You're Asian and "even you knew"... what does that even mean?

And the Carmelita thing was a jest. Yeah, as a kid, I always wanted to believe certain characters were Black (like Skeeter from Doug). Guess you guys missed the Wendy Koopa part of that. But, please, let's smoke out the ignoramuses assigning race to anthropomorphic cartoons.
Click to expand...

Man, Doug and race is a whole different discussion. In fact the topic of race and cartoon characters, anthropomorphic or otherwise, sounds like it could lead to some fascinating discourse. I'm not even being sarcastic.

But can we leave Clem alone now?
 
M

Montresor

Member
Black-Eyed Peas Racial Breakdown:

Will.I.Am: 100% Sub Saharan Black
Other Dark Skinned Male: 100% Sub Saharan Black
Light Skinned Male: 50% European and 50% Sub Saharan Black
Fergie: 75% European and 25% Sub Saharan Black
 
NoPiece

NoPiece

Member
bdizzle said:
It's not just Asian people who have eyes like that you know. Here's a young Nelson Mandela
Click to expand...

I don't know if this will make you laugh or cry, but check out this Q&A on answers.com. :(

Is nelson Mandela mother Asian?

Answer:
Yes, his mother was born in Changchun, on Febuary 24, 1889. Her name was Jìng Lì.


Is Nelson Mandela half Asian?

Answer:
no, he is entirely south american. But yes, he does appear to be asian


History, Politics And Society Supervisor: Peterc14
Trust: 3120
Click to expand...

It must be true if trust is 3120... But of course his mother wasn't Chinese, she was clearly Korean.
Just kidding, her name was Noqaphi Nosekeni, and he couldn't attend her funeral, or his son's, because he was a political prisoner...
 
C

Camp Lo

Banned
Montresor said:
Black-Eyed Peas Racial Breakdown:

Will.I.Am: 100% Sub Saharan Black
Other Dark Skinned Male: 100% Sub Saharan Black
Light Skinned Male: 50% European and 50% Sub Saharan Black
Light Skinned Female: 75% European and 25% Sub Saharan Black
Click to expand...

See, I knew Fergie was black.
 
L

lordchompy

Member
Montresor said:
Black-Eyed Peas Racial Breakdown:

Will.I.Am: 100% Sub Saharan Black
Other Dark Skinned Male: 100% Sub Saharan Black
Light Skinned Male: 50% European and 50% Sub Saharan Black
Fergie: 75% European and 25% Sub Saharan Black
Click to expand...

Wait, what?


Will.I.Am is black?
 
B

bobbychalkers

Member
RedSwirl said:
Is it too much to hope some Gafferes have taken this thread as a learning experience?
Click to expand...
Nah....I thought the same when there was a thread in OT questioning Rihanna's blackness. I'm sure we'll be right back on square one pretty soon. Sheva from RE5 is a bit overdue for her own thread.
 
breakfuss

breakfuss

Member
lordchompy said:
Man, Doug and race is a whole different discussion. In fact the topic of race and cartoon characters, anthropomorphic or otherwise, sounds like it could lead to some fascinating discourse. I'm not even being sarcastic.

But can we leave Clem alone now?
Click to expand...

I wish I could freely say how I feel about the Clementine thing without being stamped as ignorant. I sincerely had no clue she was Black and wouldn't have given it any thought prior to this thread. I'm usually keenly aware of these things. It's hard to explain but I just didn't get that vibe. The markers just were not there. Not suggesting that certain behaviors or vernaculars are ...exclusive to any race, but, come on. It's almost as if the designers intended for her to be this culturally ambiguous, blank slate of a character. Really wish I could better articulate this. Her voice...the way she interacted with Lee and the world. This all compounded by her appearance. She can definitely go a few ways, yet some people in here would have us believe she's unmistakably Black. I don't know who exactly the "I hope ya'll learned something" posts are targeted at, but, again, I think it's unfair to suggest people should have known.
 
S

SmokyDave

Member
Is the black kid with the black parents black?

I dunno, man. I figured she was part Danish / part Hindu or something.

Montresor said:
Black-Eyed Peas Racial Breakdown:

Will.I.Am: 100% Sub Saharan Black
Other Dark Skinned Male: 100% Sub Saharan Black
Light Skinned Male: 50% European and 50% Sub Saharan Black
Fergie: 75% European and 25% Sub Saharan Black
Click to expand...
Nice one, I'll print this and carry it in my wallet.
 
L

lordchompy

Member
breakfuss said:
I wish I could freely say how I feel about the Clementine thing without being stamped as ignorant. I sincerely had no clue she was Black and wouldn't have given it any thought prior to this thread. I'm usually keenly aware of these things. It's hard to explain but I just didn't get that vibe. The markers just were not there. Not suggesting that certain behaviors or vernaculars are ...exclusive to any race, but, come on. It's almost as if the designers intended for her to be this culturally ambiguous, blank slate of a character. Really wish I could better articulate this. Her voice...the way she interacted with Lee and the world. This all compounded by her appearance. She can definitely go a few ways, yet some people in here would have us believe she's unmistakably Black. I don't know who exactly the "I hope ya'll learned something" posts are targeted at, but, again, I think it's unfair to suggest people should have known.
Click to expand...

I'd like to think this is precisely what the developers intended. People see what they want to see, and that's exactly what the entire Walking Dead series is about: people using their heuristics and experiences to interpret a crumbling world around them. It's why some folks in the game assumed Clem was Lee's daughter and others did not.

There are some great moments touching upon race in the game, I just feel Clem is not central to them.
 
Blackace

Blackace

if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
toastyToast said:
Why? Show me a movie or game or whatever with a really dark skinned child being portrayed as endearing. There's a sentiment that dark skinned people are unpalatable after a point.
Click to expand...

Cosby Show

Any UPN show

Family Matters

Different Strokes

Webster

I would say the media was more scared of actors who were mixed or looked mixed until recently
 
Blackace

Blackace

if you see me in a fight with a bear, don't help me fool, help the bear!
bishoptl said:
It wouldn't be a proper Black History Month without some good old fashioned doubling down on ignorance. Finally! It feels like February has properly kicked off!

*plays the NFL on Fox theme*
Click to expand...
lol
 
C

Capella

Member
breakfuss said:
I wish I could freely say how I feel about the Clementine thing without being stamped as ignorant.
Click to expand...
Don't get so hung up on being called ignorant and just learn from it and move on. Looking at your past posts, you don't seem to fully understand what the word means. It means to be unaware, inexperienced, uninformed, etc. which would describe you and many other posters in this thread. What would be worse is if you where to be willfully ignorant even after being presented with some of the evidence in this thread (ex. post #2).
 
V

Violet_0

Banned
I thought she was hispanic, didn't know the family pictures. Still looks hispanic to me. People in here think she's black, white, asian, hispanic, Indian ... truly the most multi-ethnical character in a videogame
 
I

ISOM

Member
Black-Wind said:
1- She is black. That's a factual statement. The game- game characters shows this and the game creators made it clear.

2- Well I'm black ... grew up in Chicago (famous for our population ... as well as some shitty things). Trust me when I say that "black" is a rainbow.

It's interesting ... I make jokes about having "Black-dar" to my friends but it's strange seeing just how differently I see "black people" compared to other people. I have grown up around tons of Clementines ... slanted eyes are by far not a Asian exclusive feature. Native Americans/ Inuits/ Hawaiians and yeah, certain African ethnic groups along with parts of Europe also have this feature. Sooo she can have her canon black parents and we can leave it at that IMO cause the range of "black" runs far deeper than SLJ.
Click to expand...

Kobe bryant is a prime example of a guy who's eyes are slanty but is obviously black.
 
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