Why did my black father have blue eyes?

Question:We really didn't have any white people in our family except in the 1800's where we had a general who was white and fought for the south.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: We really didn't have any white people in our family except in the 1800's where we had a general who was white and fought for the south.

The average African American is about 80-83% African, and the rest white or sometimes mixed in with Native American. So it could easily be a stray white gene that just happened to surface in your father. I don't think it's anything mysterious or strange at all. Besides, plenty of blue-eyed white people came from parents who both had brown eyes. Several of my cousins are like this.

???? maybe he was mix

how do you know? do you have a family tree with every relative on every side of your family? probably not. there was someone somewhere who had blue eyes. plus blue eyes are cool on dark skin.

he could have inherited it from a relative, or distant ancestor.

Because genes will show up,one way or the other sooner or later.I've known quite a few people of color with eye colors that ranged anywher from ice-blue to green to hazel.It's all genetic,just like skin color or whether or not you have flat feet
TL

In order to have blue eyes you must carry the gene for blues eyes you tend to see blue eyes in those who are mixed or the sterotypical blond hair blue eyes person.
Some times blue eye traits can skip a generation like me for example my grandma has blue eyes, but my mom has brown. My dad also had brown eyes but I was born with blue eyes thanks to my grandmothers gene

All of the other answers could be true, but your idea makes sense, too. If this Southern general's family were slave-holders, it is VERY possible that either he or someone else in his family had an affair with or married one of the slaves.

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