For those who are not aware of the intricacies of African American culture, you might be confused when you hear Black Americans talking about “revoking someone’s black card.” The “black card” is not to be confused with the “race card,” but instead represents a set of behaviors that are (often stereotypically) that can cement a person’s identity as being “authentically black.” Being unable to execute the dance steps of the Electric Slide or the Cupid Shuffle, bringing unseasoned food to a barbecue, not knowing at least the first verse of Lift Every Voice and Sing, voting Republican, or hating on hip-hop music, MLK, Jr., or either of the Obamas are just a few of the missteps that might lead to a downgrade in black card status. This downgrade can only be performed on Black and bi-racial people by other Black or biracial people, as former President Joe Biden unfortunately discovered during the 2020 campaign when he said, “If you support Donald Trump, you ain’t really black!” (Sotomayor and Memoli). (You can still come to the barbecue, Joe!)
Even the most authentic among us have to tread lightly, however. I can recall a time when I very nearly had my black card revoked. During my college days in the 1980s, my university had a requirement of six physical education credits for graduation. I had been an avid bowler as a kid, bowling in a Saturday morning church league so beginning and intermediate bowling was a no-brainer for earning the first two credits. The only downside was that my intermediate bowling class was at 8:00 AM and it was also the class in which I met my now ex-husband !
The 80’s also marked the era of Jane Fonda in all of her striped leotard, Farrah Fawcett hairdo, and leg warmer glory, so aerobics was another natural choice, although once again at 8:00 AM. (Why university schedulers thought that college students, with their late-night studying and partying would want to wake up early to exercise is still beyond me!)
Next, I enrolled in beginning badminton, but it proved to be much harder than the badminton I was used to playing at backyard barbeques and church picnics growing up, so I decided not to pursue the intermediate and advanced courses in that sport. So, I was left with a dilemma; how could I earn my last two PE credits on the road to graduation? I recalled having a lot of fun doing square dancing in PE in middle school so, beginning and intermediate square dancing – that was the ticket!
Needless to say, square dancing was not a big thing in the “hood” where I grew up. I think the first time I ever saw it was on an episode of Hee Haw, a 1970’s country-western variety show that my dad used to watch. My dad was Black, but he had also been raised as a country boy in Tennessee until he was 13, so there was a bit more leeway in the black card rules for country folks. At any rate, I always found something hella cool about the fast-talking callers and the precision of the squares. The thinking involved in square dancing appealed to me. Plus, the constant movement was actually great exercise and guaranteed that you were never stuck with an uncool or handsy partner as was often the case in other dance forms.
So, I happily enrolled in beginning and intermediate square dancing where I first learned basic square-dancing etiquette. At the caller’s direction, one generally “bows” to both their partner and their corner (the nearest person in the couple next to you, and your “temporary partner” for some moves). The moves start off deceptively simple, “All join hands and circle to the left,” “forward and back,” and “swing your partner.” Then comes the Do-si-do (a classic square-dance step, not a Girl Scout cookie variety), half sashay, promenade, pass through, half sashay, grand square and allemande left (or right at the caller’s discretion.) In the intermediate class we learned more complex patterns like ladies’ chain, spin chain through, weave the ring, and wrong way grand. The caller was also fairly entertaining and always reminded me of the fast-talking auctioneers as he would weave filler phrases and sometimes a full story line between the dance calls.
As the only Black student in either of my square-dancing courses, I successfully completed my quest for my two remaining PE credits “on the down low.” It was only until the on-campus square dancing club came to my dorm to do a square dance demo that I was “outed” to my Black friends. As I was standing in the cafeteria line the following morning, a black acquaintance remarked to me, with the most barely concealed side eye, “Was that you square dancing in the lounge last night?”
Now, I suppose I could have pulled a Shaggy and insisted, It Wasn’t Me, but being my quietly radical self, even back then, I simply decided, “Why not just own it!” So, I boldly replied, “Yeah, I took square dancing last quarter for my PE credits, and it was really fun! You should try it!” Apparently, my bold, “F*** this, nonsense,” attitude, overrode my precarious black card status and started me on a lifelong path of not letting accusations of “Black people don’t do that” or “that’s a white thing” prevent me from enjoying life.
Now, I don’t watch NASCAR, but I wouldn’t shame any Black person who does, and it is pretty cool that Bubba Wallace is out there to represent. (I also wouldn’t shame a Black mom for naming her son “Bubba” but the subject of “black names” is a story for another day!) There was also a time when golf and tennis were considered “white sports,” but Calvin Peete, Tiger Woods, Arthur Ashe, and Venus and Serena Williams shut down those objections completely down. Thanks to Charlie Pride, Darius Rucker, and Lil Nas X of Old Town Road fame, country and western music is no longer off-limits to us “non-palm colored” individuals.
Maybe it is time to retire the imaginary “black card” and simply say to all of our melanin-rich kin, “You do you, Boo!” Life is too short to let the fears of not being able to meet some arbitrary criteria in order to be deemed “black enough” hold you back. So, go skiing and kayaking, climb mountains, enjoy the opera, do anything that makes you happy. Leading a happy, successful, and fulfilled life is the most important measure of human authenticity, no matter was color you are.
Works Cited
Sotomayor, Marianna and Mike Memoli. “Biden Apologizes for Saying African Americans “Ain’t Black” If They Back Trump Re-election.” NBC News Decision 2020. 20 May 2020. 28 January 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/biden-tells-african-americans-you-ain-t-black-if-they-n1212911.
quietlyradical 