Joseph,

You have raised a good topic for discussion.

I think we should define "passing" for white. There are several different configurations:

1. Folks who "passed" on their job only bit can be found on other records as black or mulatto.

2. Record taker error - some black folks were listed as "white" because the person making the record entry - whether it is census, marriage, birth - assumed the person was white.

3. "Passing completely" - usually those folks who chose to leave being AA and become European left the area they were from - since "home folks" tend to know who is who.

In some cases - these folks did not disguise their birth state when recorded in later census years, and there are other clues as well. Many listed the real name of parents on marriage records - I am dea,ling with a case like this right now -where the marriage record shows the name of the parents (in another state) and the parents are listed as mulatto. The person in question is listed as white. They are found in records as a child as mulatto.

Would like to hear from more folks dealing with these issues.

Denise