re: #313 marjoriemoon

I’ve heard the term “high yellow” among my Jamaican friends. Of course, my Caribbean friends sort of sort each other by coffee… Espresso, latte or cafe con leche. It would probably be racist coming from me. I think they’re just poking fun at each other.

In New Orleans, it was the grocery bag test. There have always been three distinct ethnic groups in the town;

Whites, Creole mixed race (quadroons, octaroons, &c, primarily Catholic), and black protestants (slave descendants).

The mixed race creoles were traditionally the middle class until after the Civil War. The black protestants have always been the underclass.
but the Creoles could always pass the grocery bag test (at least as light as a Schwegman’s bag), and gave them a leg up in NO society. All of the “black” mayors of NO have been Creoles.

Very small subset of America.