Just realized something about Prince
I'd never thought of him as "black," just as a creative genius. Black would be way down the list of descriptors if someone from another planet asked me to describe him. Same thing with Michael Jackson or Samuel L. Jackson.
But now I'm wondering if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
I'm a gay white guy, and sorry if my posting here is an invasion, I just thought I'd ask the folks who know more directly. I've dated guys of color and we've been intimate, but I can't know the realities of someone else's experiences and life. I can't know what it's like being a kid and hearing the n-word slung at you the first time and then the horror that comes from understanding what it means, or learning why you should rightfully be wary of the police while others of us were told we could always run to them and trust them.
Again,sorry if I tread in a place I shouldn't, but dammit, I'm so sick of the divide that's been created between people who should just be people and when I was a kid I used to get a tan every summer because I liked yours. Except you don't have tan lines (I know, I've checked.).
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and became mainstream due to the fact that his music was a mixture of Rock, Blues, R&B, Funk and pop....and likewise for his physical appeal, meaning that all races could find something in his music and appearance to like. He was also of a genre reminiscent of Jimmi Hendrix, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and James Brown all rolled up into one.
He was a Chameleon in terms of his appearance, and was light skinned enough that one might forget (a la Beonce) his Blackness (especially White folks).....considering his varying hairstyles, and may have had some work done over the years.
Evidently, to some degree he played into this criss-cross image he created, and tended to have the "girl" in most of his videos and movies appear of a somewhat neutral race.....a la Apollonia, Vanity, his wife Mayte (star dancer and his Girl in many of his videos)....and to a degree, Sheila E....but appears to have mentored the career of many Black and White acts as well.
He portrayed himself as bi-racial in Purple Rain, which further confused some....
Even in terms of his sexuality, he was even moreso androgynous than David Bowie or Michael Jackson, and certainly encouraged the notion of ambiguity without specifity. Most men most likely chose to believe him to be most likely Gay, while many more women than not believed him to be straight.....and to the end, one can only speculate, which is most likely what he preferred. as a Jehovah Witness and due to his multiple girlfriends and wives, one could more believe that he was a straight man who didn't mind playing into his femininity...or perhaps he was both?
Prince's Father
Prince's Mother on the right
Family Photo
Prince's Wives - He had a son by his first wife (on the left), who died 7 days after birth due to Pfeiffer syndrome
Prince as a young teen before he was famous....
with a black person, we often "stop seeing color". Most of us live in a predominantly white world so we are aware of skin tone when it differs from what we are accustomed to. But when we know someone, we notice it less or not at all. They just become themselves, an individual. And that is great. But what I have noticed, many of us (meaning white) still see negative stereotype (consciously or unconsciously) when we see or meet new black people, but credit the black people we know and respect to the general culture column that is by default white. So it can become a subtle form of appropriation. If we like it, we "don't see color" so we can hold onto negative stereotypes. To see Prince as a black man is harder because it makes us (whites) challenge our stereotypes about what a blackness IS.
My senile, racist FIL demonstrated this very well the other day.... We were talking about his neighbors before he went to assisted living. According to him, They were really nice, not like most Mexicans. Pretty sure they are the *only* Mexicans he knows 
But for him, their good qualities are now in the white default column and he can maintain his racist attitudes toward other Mexicans.
Not saying you are like that at all, or that you stereotype anyone, just why it is important to acknowledge his race.
And as Frenchie points out, he was also light skinned. Much of his music is ABOUT oneness, love and not being divided. He was a spiritual guy.
Music and musicians are one of the BEST ways to forget about race. I just found out that Aretha Franklin's backup band on her breakout album were a bunch of white teenagers and it was recorded in segregated Alabama. Whatever. Those guys were funky. And, of course, Stax Records in Memphis was integrated before segregation was outlawed. Musical genius D'Angelo's regular bass player is a white guy from Scotland named Pino Palladino. D'Angelo says he understands complex R&B rhythm better than nearly anyone on the planet. Look at videos of early James Brown concerts. there are always a few white people in the predominantly black audiences. They are loving the music, but it is also in your face black art and performance. White people can be there and appreciate but there is no getting around the blackness. So historically, there has always been mixing. But it is also important to see the race, who the real geniuses and leaders are, otherwise, it becomes appropriation where we erase the blackness and just make the achievement part of the default culture. Like what happened to rock and roll when they erased all the black artists and made it a white art form.
I dunno if I am saying this right. It's complicated.
You have really brought up some excellent examples of not only recognizing Blackness (or "whatever-ness"
in art, but why there is nothing wrong with that recognition.
IMO, there was nothing at all wrong with the OP and I appreciate that they brought their question to this forum.
I look French and Black enough, but more than French or Black...I look like a cat.
Thank you for this! 
