It’s time to crack open last week’s mail and take a peak at what’s going on in the worlds of my fellow snobs! If you have questions I have answers. (Maybe. If I don’t I’ll be honest about it.) Also, don’t forget St. Louisans, I’ll be on KWMU 90.7 radio at 11 a.m. CST talkin’ bout race! For those who want to listen, here is a link to the live feed from KWMU’s Web site. I’ll be on the WHOLE HOUR … for some crazy reason. Check it out!

THE MAIL

First of all, I am so glad that I found your site. You are so talented and insightful. SCAN is hilarious and I love the piece on Zahara’s hair.

Second–Wentworth Miller. Is he really gay? Do you have proof to back this up (or is it just the fact that we NEVER see him with a woman). I am just asking because a friend of mine and I are always arguing over it and if there is proof I would LOVE to forward it to her.

Third–Why do the ladies on The View keep letting Sherrie speak?

Fourth–TJ Holmes IS so cute–and although there is a rumored daughter around I don’t see any rings. Does that mean he is single? Not sure. (some married men don’t wear them–I hate that)

OK that is it for now.

Keep up the great work.

T

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Dear T,

Thank you in regards to my blogs. They’re both a lot of fun for me (although The Snob blog takes up so much of my time I don’t do enough posts at SCAN).

Per your questions —

1) I have noooo idea what Wentworth’s sexual orientation is. He’s been photographed with a few women in the past as his date at events. But people also linked him to actor Luke McFarlane.

He’s intensely private. Despite being famous he’s not a fame whore. He could probably be much bigger and more popular than he is now if he were more extroverted, dated another celebrity and got his face out there more. But he doesn’t do that. That tells me that his sexual orientation is “Leave Me Alone.” Straight or gay. The man doesn’t want us in his business.

2) I don’t know what’s up with Sherrie. No clue.

3) TJ is not married … anymore. He left his wife for Rozonda “Chili” Thomas of TLC more than a year ago. Then he and Chili broke up a few months back. I’ve heard rumors he’s with his wife again, but as far as I know he’s single.

Keep hope alive!

Yours in blackness,

The Snob

Snob:

Thanks so very much for inviting questions. I am African American and I am in a precarious position as family historian. When I started researching the family roots we all naively assumed that we were 100% from Africa.

What I discovered from various documents is that during slavery and after, our bloodlines became mixed with European. My family has greeted this news with COMPLETE horror.

As it turns out my paternal grandfather was part Irish, my great grandmother was Scottish, French, Indian and African. This has caused a GREAT deal of stress to my family who was hoping my research would lead us “back to Africa.” Outside of dealing with my family’s reluctance to embrace our European as well as our African heritage, I have a very practical problem.

How do I map out the family tree? Should I include the documented European relatives or just leave them out and make everyone happy?

D.P.

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Dear D.P.,

First off, do not be alarmed. You are not the first black person to discover this fact. Truth be told, the vast majority of African Americans not matter how dark are not pure African. We’re all most commonly mixed with European and native ancestry.

That includes me. And just about everyone who reads this blog. And just about every black person in North and South America and even some white people who don’t realize they’ve got a few incognegroes running around in the bloodline.

Image how they feel when they find out Great Grandpa Millhouse was light, bright and passed for white.

That said, this is a reality you and your family will have to reluctantly accept. It’s simply part of our history, whether it happened out of love or rape. It happened. Not much you can do about it.

Per putting together your family tree, I would suggest that you not kick the white folks out, if only because their lineage might help you trace your relatives back to Africa. This is especially true if these white individuals once owned your family. I have a rare (but common sounding) English last name. Relying on the name, it was a lot easier to trace my father’s side of the family back to the original plantation where nearly every black person in America with the last name “Belton” originated from.

So for that reason alone, accepting the white heritage in order to use it to find the origins of your family is both practical and realistic. There’s a host of white and Indian blood running through both sides of my family. Even though some of that blood came from unspeakable situations, we can’t exactly pretend like it’s not there. For better or worse, it was that blood that created us and created you. Including your white forefathers and foremothers in the family tree isn’t an endorsement of the actions of your historical tormentors.

It’s just fact. Treat it only as su
ch.

Yours truly in blackness,

The Snob

Do you have questions? The Snob’s Inbox is always open to you! Just email me at blacksnob@gmail.com.