Dear Raven Symone, About You Being “Colorless”… NOPE.
Because Raven Symone has earned a sternly-worded letter with the interview she did with Oprah on OWN this weekend.
Dear Raven Symone,
Hey girl, hey. Let’s talk about this interview you did with Mother Oprah and those things you said about not liking to be labeled. GWIRL STAHP!
First, lemme say that I don’t have much of an issue about you not wanting to be identified as “African American.” A lot of people feel no love towards the phrase for political and personal reasons. I get it. However, a lot of those people will also acknowledge that they’re Black. Or Black American. Not you, though. You told Goddess Winfrey that you just don’t want to be any parts of a color.
“I mean, I don’t know where my roots go to. I don’t know how far back they go… I don’t know what country in Africa I’m from, but I do know that my roots are in Louisiana. “
You do know Ancestry.com and 23andme exist, right? Fine. Don’t claim Africa, even though those features you share with many of us born and raised on the continent claim you. Like that nose. Hey sis.
It wasn’t even that you lacked the ability to articulate what you wanted to say. NOPE. Because Oprah tried many times to save you from yourself but you weren’t having none of it. You were standing wrong and strong. O was like “aw hell.” She saw that disaster train coming and you laid on the tracks and slicked it with oil.
“I’m American and that is colorless.” Ma’am, just because your hair is purple and blue doesn’t mean you are too. You’re Black. You also grew up in front of our eyes and got famous on the premier Black sitcom of our generation. You might not know exactly where you came from on the Motherland but the blood that runs through your veins is the legacy of slavery and the struggle of those that got you where you are. And I feel like it’s being disrespected when you deny your African-ness, your Blackness, your color.
But again, my issue is not mostly in your denial of Africanness. It is in the rejection of your color and your need to other yourself from the rest of us. Pointing out that you have “a nice, interesting grade of hair.” RAVEN. GWIRL. Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but our wig snatch can free your mind. Heathcliff Huxtable ain’t go to Hillman for you to be outchea talking nonsense.
You were talmbout you’re “American and that is colorless.” Lemme find out you’re water, Raven. ARE YOU WATER? Did Jesus walk on you?? Were you asked to turn into wine one day? Are you odorless, too? NO, RAYVEEN SEEMOAN! NAWL.
And then you also don’t want to be labeled as “gay” even though you have a partner who you’re proudly with. You’re a “human who loves other humans.” Girl.
You’re 28 years old, so you’re too grown for all these immature ass, tone deaf ass, fake kumbaya ass statements. I swear you’re all of us in high school before we got to college and took an Afro Studies class. Actually, many of us couldn’t afford the bubble of not knowing we were Black so… congrats. You know nothing (Jon Snow)!
Raven, I just want you to have a sit down with Toni Morrison so she can give you some perspective. I feel like her wisdom will have you seeing the light and she’s a grandmotherly type so she’ll probably bake you some bomb cookies as she lets you HAVE IT (with love). I don’t think Iyanla is right for this because her peak of Blackness is so Black that she reached back to Nigeria to get a name that no one goes by (because it’s a title). So…. not her. Toni will be just right. I need Oprah to make that happen next.
People who eschew ANY AND ALL classifications confuse me. Classifications and segments aren’t bad in and of themselves. What’s bad are the stereotypes and degradation that come with some of the segments we’re a part of. The acknowledgement of the boxes that we fit in isn’t wrong and neither is the recognition of our differences.
What matters is that we aren’t ostracized and villainized for the spaces we inhabit. You have a right to not want to be defined by any one of your identities. However, you can’t sit up there and deny the skin you’re in and reject any and all labels just because you think you’re so different that you fit into nothing and nowhere. You might think you’re Chairman of the board of “You’re So Different” Enterprises but there’s a box for everyone to check.
“I AM NOT GAY. I AM NOT BLACK. I AM HUMAN.” Oh ok. O_o
We are not all the same. Refusing to acknowledge that with some crap on colorblindness helps to perpetuate this crappy system of oppression because forced politeness and the fear of the “race card” trump actual work and progress. Plus, this is the kind of thing that white folks be talmbout, saying they don’t see color. Chile, I don’t have time.
In the words of my beloved cousin Kerry Washington, “I’m not interested in living in a world where my race is not a part of who I am. I am interested in living in a world where our races, no matter what they are, don’t define our trajectory in life.”
PREACH.
And what the world has far too many of are people who aren’t proudly and unapologetically Black. Raven, find a box you like and have a seat in it. Think some of this criticism through (and visit Ferguson like Keke Palmer did after she made similar “we’re all just humans” claims) and you might walk away knowing what crayon to pick out of the box to paint your skin with is not the one labeled “colorless.”
Yours in disappoints,
LuvBug
Chile, I hope this New Black that’s going around making people apologize/reject their skin color ain’t contagious.
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362 Comments
Yes, Luvvie, Yes! This was my issue with Raven too. To deny your blackness is to deny the people that died so she could live. Slavery, civil rights movement, voting rights, women’s rights weren’t that long ago.
Raven mentioned she’s in college. Maybe see can take an African American Studies course or would that insult her ignorance. Like, really girl! She might as well say she’s just cells and molecules.
Someone get her a starring role on Blackish! #newblack
This is ignorant. She was saying she doesnt know where her ancestors came from. HELLO “BLACK PEOPLE” ARE IN the dominican republic, WHITES in south africa. Ignorance. Idk where im technically from either but everybody on here would call me racist if named england the motherland for caucasians. Effin idiots. The 1st people to get mad at what she felt and voiced het opinion about are the racist morons & should be ashamed. I guess anyone but african americans can claim raven. This angers me. When u can explain where color came from & why besides ignorance & hate divide us then ill admit im racist. Im not. i hate everybody
Everyone defending Raven reminds me of those English teachers who always tell you to “read between the lines” and find some hidden and deeper meaning in books where there are none. Dont defend her, she as deep as a freaking kiddie pool!! If she had “meant” to say something different she couldve said it and gone further into detail, simple as that. Oprah wasn’t rushing her. She had plenty opportunity but…. she didnt. And uhhh, white people are not originally from South Africa they colonized themselves there. There are black people in central and south america (I would know, I’m one of them) because of slavery. BECAUSE SLAVERY WAS WORLD WIDE. ALL BLACK PEOPLE DO ORIGINATE FROM AFRICA! Duhhh. People migrated/or got moved(sold). There are hundreds of races and ethnicities in all countries, but we all know (or at least we should know) where we come from. We don’t go around saying Japanese, Chinese, Philippino people arent Asian, like…?? Come one now, pick up a history book yeah? Lmfao “I can’t say Europe is the mother land for all white people” Where in the WORLD do you think they came from??? I’m astounded. Everyone’s got an opinion but not everyone has an education. And what are non people of color doing commenting on BLACK topics for BLACK people anyways. Find your designated lane and please stay there.
Des, You literally took the words out of my mouth but I couldn’t have said it better. Clap clap and thank you!!!
ashybeck3@hotmail.com I know that you feel you need to label yourself as black, where as Raven can’t claim what she wants.But don’t judge her while you sit there with your weaves, blonde hair and relaxers. If you are proud of who you are then why is YOUR hair not natural. Why do you spend THOUSANDS of dollars on all that? Before you jump all over me that white women color or perm. There’ sa difference between coloring and obliterating the hair you were born with.
You using the word Black is sorta ignorant in itself. Black and White are legal status. There are no black people in the world nor is there a black nation.
What makes you think ethnicity is a legal status? And since this is about ethnicity, and not nationality, what does a black or white country have to do with anything? Your entire statement is invalid.
YESSSSSS. That’s what I have been telling people. You are of African descent and not nationality!.. You are not colourless if you have a colour.
“And what are non people of color doing commenting on BLACK topics for BLACK people anyways. Find your designated lane and please stay there.”
Yeah and I was at the supermarket and I noticed that black people were using the white toilets and I even saw a little african child sipping on the white man’s water fountain… what’s all that about?
I didn’t realize Black people weren’t part of paying the taxes in this country that paid for the “white” man’s toilets and the “white” man’s water fountain, so it could as easily be a “white” child drinking from a “black” man’s water fountain and using a “black” man’s toilet, especially in light of the fact that there are MORE whites on welfare than blacks and that the majority of AAs are not below the poverty line, though this still wouldn’t stop them from experiencing discrimination and not getting what their hard work and effort paid for in our society, which is an injustice that affirmative action is a measure to correct….However, the mentality that was at the root of your comment is why so many black people have issues with other people who are not black commenting on black topics. We do not need people who think like this stirring the pot and adding even more credibility to WHY it is an issue that Raven doesn’t want to identify herself as an AA as if America is actually past racism i.e. supremacist mentality. However, when she is being discriminated against for her nicely textured hair and darker skin, she should remember that she is “colorless”, and therefore cannot lay claim to being discriminated against as a minority, since she is American, and Americans cannot discriminate against Americans for being American, can they?
Obviously I am pointing out the contradictory nature of your post. Are you Implying segregation should exist online? Are Caucasian readers’ viewpoints invalid because of the color of their skin? Are Mexicans aloud around these parts? PLEASE, if you’re going to type a long-winded post about ignorance and racism, don’t make yourself look like an ignorant racist in the last sentence….
Allowed***
Actually we all came from Africa thousands of years ago if you really want to use History as an example (I have a masters in History). So in a sense we are all African- American if you want to use that kind of definition to describe where people came from. So since I have now pulled out my African card, I can now go into the designated “African” lane.
Also do you know the navigation of ALL THE BLACKS? Some of their ancestors could have gone from the Sub-African to Asia, then had children in Europe and constantly carried the darker skin gene. So are they called Sub-African-Chinese-Italian-Russian-English-American by your explanation. Do we need to track all of our heritages in order for you to feel satisfied that we should all know where we came from? As well as own up to each and everyone culture our ancestors have come lived in?
When was it a concern for you and the author to force Raven to acknowledge a heritage that She FEELS She does not connected with by having to add AFRICAN before the American? If you are then I better see you knowing an African language, some of the old religions, and completely tracing your ancestry to prove all of your ancestors stayed in Africa for the whole 10,000 years of human existence. So that we can all get a sense of what an African American is besides the color of their skin.
Actually, History Major, I know my maternal grandfather’s, grand- father came from Birkina Faso and my paternal grandfather’s father was Haitian and French Creole. That being said, I KNOW I AM BLACK.
What Raven, Pharrell and all the other “New Black” celebs are suffering from is an identity crisis. I’m willing to bet these kids were raised by parents who were not well educated in Black history and never took an Afro Studies course. Maybe their parents sheltered their children from racial realities the majority of Black people in America experience. In hoping to spare their children the pain the parents may have experienced, they inadvertently robbed them of the warm, safe, loving feeling you get from being a part of a phenomenal race.
Du Bois wrote this about the American Negro in 1903 and it still rings true today:
He would not Africanize America, for America has too much to teach the world and Africa. He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of White Americanism, for he knows that negro blod has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an American, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having the doors of Opportunity closed roughly in his face.
It’s really very sad these people have no “True North”.
Humans migrated out of Africa tens of thousands of years ago; somewhere closer to 100,000 years ago, not “thousands of years ago.” I overlooked this because I figured you just typed “thousands of years ago” for the sake of simplicity. However, you then go on to say “in Africa for the whole 10,000 years of human existence.” You are off on both mentions of the human timeline by very large amounts. I’m only pointing this out because you also claim to have a master’s degree in history. How could someone with a master’s degree in history be spreading such inaccurate information concerning history? Modern human (our specific species) have been around for about 200,000 years and migrated out of Africa somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 years ago. Show some respect to your degree and don’t spread false information.
Dang, and here I was with you until “And what are non people of color doing commenting on BLACK topics for BLACK people anyways. Find your designated lane and please stay there.”
I guess next time my non-Italian gf insists on helping me cook dinner for my folks this weekend I’ll be sure to decline her offer.
Everyone originated from Africa, even the whites.
exactly…
Des,
Your comments are one of the most ignorant things I have read today. If you were not smart enough to find the meaning outside of the written words of the books you were reading, then you really need some special help.
How about you find your designated lane and stay there, because you definitely should not be commenting on posts which require some intelligence.
It is morons like you that perpetuate ignorance. Please stop.
Wow this comment is so ignorant that I had to LOL. You’re ripping on people saying they “lack an education” while being the epitome of the definition! We ALL come from Africa you dumb@ss! That is where mitochondrial Eve originated from, and where the human race diversified and mutated from due to migration. That is why we are all related and considered distant cousins. For Godsake, any other creature on this planet has more genetic diversity and are (ironically) less related in their DNA with their full siblings than we do between Caucasians and Negros of no apparent relation (fyi that is the correct term to designate towards 2 out of the 3 main races…might want to read up on that one too). Btw she never said she wasnt black, she said she didnt identify with the term “African-American” because she didnt immigrate from Africa to the States. She IS simply stating her nationality which is American, and not incorrectly labeling herself like the majority of the US! How hard is that for you to understand??
Yeah, that’s right! How DARE Raven Simone declare herself an ‘I’ instead of a ‘we’! And how DARE anyone not a person of color have an opinion of what Raven Simone says because she is BLACK! OMG!
Get yourself out of the dark ages. 1. No one is telling you not to celebrate your culture as you see it. Not Raven Simone, not me. 2. Raven Simone clearly is not ashamed of having dark skin. If you think she is, you’re not paying attention. 3. People don’t have to be part of these well-defined, monolithic groups that, in truth, barely exist for most people. You think there’s a well-defined, single ‘white culture’ that all white people have to act like to be considered ‘white’? You could replace ‘white’ with any skin color or culture. I call it ridiculous. People are free to be who they are here. Slavery ended over 100 years ago (still pretty recent) and here you are trying to slap chains of a different kind on people. To quote George Clinton ‘Free your mind. Your a$$ will follow.’
For every 100 “atta girls” you compile, it takes only one “aw shit” to wipe them all out. That “colorless American” statement wiped out at least 1 million atta girls for Ms. Symone. She lives in a world that does not exist, aka fantasy. The solution is not to ignore the facts, but to educate based on the facts and teach tolerance and acceptance. If she thinks color is the biggest problem she has, boy, is she deluded.
Yea you’re right. White people shouldnt be included in black topics. Oh wait who’s the racist one? Raven is simply saying if you continue to classify yourself as African American or black or lesbian or anything other than human, you are continuing the Damn segregation yourself…
uh…it is my understanding in fact, that ALL people come from Africa. This whole conversation is pointless. Who cares how she sees herself? It is no one’s business but her own. I can recommend a good history book if you are interested. (well, more anthropology actually)
I wrote down my response so I could copy it exactly as I wanted to say it and then I read your comment. EXACTLY what I wanted to say! I absolutely applaud you. I think some white people conveniently forget that they are not from here. They got tired of the oppression where they are from, sailed over here to, subsequently, oppress. No white person I have EVER met, friend or otherwise, even if they are “color blind”, would refer to themselves as colorless. EVERYBODY is human. That is not to say that individual humans don’t have specific and defining characteristics. Once again, thank you for your comment. It is RIGHT on!
Explain to me, who was born in California in 1971, am not from America. Explain to me how your long gone heritage makes you less American. Ask yourself where you were born…where your parents were born. Now label yourself. Better yet, don’t label yourself as that is a big part of the problem….Labels, and that’s what she doesn’t want. Who are you to tell her otherwise what she wants or needs?
You are a racist….. racism only continues to exist because Americans who are “black” feel that your owed something because of slavery….. black people weren’t the only slaves and white people weren’t the only ones who had slaves idiot…”YOU” are not AFRICAN AMERICAN you are not physically from Africa so you are an AMERICAN…. “African Americans” keep racism alive
No, we are simply stating what she said, facts. The people trying to lynch her are the ones reading between the lines. She clearly said she doesn’t know where her roots are from and she doesn’t want to be labeled. She could easily have roots from many places….
HUMANITY originates in Africa. Take a damn anthropology class before you start spouting off ignorance like that! The concept of race isn’t even based in genetics! It’s based solely on money. Humans with more pigment in their skin were decreed to be of less value than humans without purely for the profit provided by free labor. Not that that’s anything to be “proud” of – it isn’t – but that’s the truth of it. Regardless of hair type, nose shape, build, skin color, or anything else, all homo sapiens are derived from Africa. Where various bands relocated to is what dictated many of the present day physical aspects of humans. For example, people with barrel chests have ancestors whose tribes moved to high altitude regions such as the Andes. The larger chest is an evolutionary change that allowed these mountain dwellers to breathe easier at higher altitudes where the air is thinner. That all being said. ONLY IN AMERICA do people want to associate with foreign countries. We tend to forget that we’re ALL American. We get so caught up in labels and heritage that we deny our own country it’s solidarity. I’m an American. But if it’ll make you happy, I’m African American, Native American, Irish, Scottish, German, French, Italian, Israeli, British, and Swedish. Hope you feel better than you can now put me into organized cubbyholes. The big box over there labeled “American” would be easier.
Very well-put.
Very well said Des!
Des – you are passionately keeping the hate alive, especially when you question why white people are on a black website and then implore us all to remain in our own lanes and stay in our designated boxes. When I see Raven, my first thoughts are, “adorable kid on the Cosby show, not a fan of That’s So Raven, and my she’s grown up.” You want me to see her for her color. And you want me to be racist, because that’s the “lane” or “box” I supposedly belong in. The only criteria I can use to judge you is not based on your skin color, but that you are the one perpetuating the dividing lines. Black people are beautiful. Black history in America is painful and tragic. As a white person, I don’t think you want me to hold those opinions. Therefore, while my thought processes have evolved drastically from those of my grandparents, you wish I had stayed the same so I could remain in the bigoted white lane that you’ve already mentally placed me. I just hope that your thinking is becoming the vast minority as the rest of America evolves into a society that doesn’t judge based on skin color.
So…white people can’t comment on an article about a “black subject”? Umm…segregation? Didn’t we get rid of that, I don’t know, decades ago?
Or we can go even further back with freedom of speech. I feel like these racial issues are on the opposite end of the spectrum than what people want to believe.
You know that genetically speaking everyone is from afrca, right? Even the asians you speak of.
LOL. that is what is wrong with this country. everyone is all “everything is racist” but then in the same breath, they be yelling “and what are non people of color doing commenting on BLACK topics for BLACK people anyways.” true equality would mean all are welcome, so your “black people topics” bs is racist in its self…
Not only Africans died in the slave trade in America. Irish white slaves were bought and sold at a fraction of the cost, prior to African slaves being brought to America. And let us not forget, African slaves were prisoners of war, SOLD BY OTHER AFRICANS. Seriously. We can all agree that slavery was a horrible part of history, but it STILL EXISTS in the World. Just not in America. If you don’t know your ancestry past 3 generations, you’re a fucking American. Accept it, and be part of progress, not part of the problem.
*sigh with eyeroll* Here we go with THIS sh*t again! Damn you 2520’s love justifying slavery (YES, that’s EXACTLY what you’re doing), while at the same time trying to admonish Af.Am.s and in so many words, tell us to “get over it”.
“Damn you 2520’s love justifying slavery”
I’ve always found it curious how POC’s lack of privilege seems to make some of them feel compelled or justified in using prejudiced speech & racial epithets, ironically in the name of combating inequality and prejudice.
Anywho, https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/strawman
I love that you’re trying to show the lack of logic in such an irrational comment. It wont do any good because people who think like this, regardless of race, will never see or acknowledge the fallacy of their statements. Logic has no place in these forums, only emotion and invalid arguments mostly based on ad hominem and cherry picking behavior.
I think what she’s trying to say is that she’s evolved past the color of her skin. She was born and raised in American so she’s American not “African American”. Africa has nothing to do with it. What’s the point of declaring the color of your skin anyways if not to just further segregate yourself? I mean… do you pay taxes to Africa? Do any countries in Africa allow you to vote? Were you born in Africa? What allegience to Africa is she so bound to that it becomes offensive to say she’s “American”? Maybe it’s time to drop the labels and remove the self segregation so we can finally move forward with just being a good human.
Thank you.thismis exactly how I took her commentary to mean and you are the first person who put it in the terms that I understood it. I dot think she meant it to be offensive and rejecting “blackness” persay I think that she was just stating the fact that the more we put ourselves into categories the more we ARE segregated. The more we try to make ourselves SO different from each other and point out the fact that I’m back and you’re white or I’m Mexican and you’re Asian the less we will see that we are all just humans because we are so focused on our skin/ethnic differences when we really all have much more in common than that. It’s like how I keep getting frustrated at how our society doesn’t understand why there still seems to be racism or such segregation in some areas and yet they are still coming out with tv shows like “blackish” that seek to do just that …separate a group of people from everyone else and point out how different we all are. Not that we should all be robots are anything, the beauty of America is diversity but there comes a point in pop culture where we need to draw a line at what is offensive to point out differences? I think raven only meant to unify herself to more people other than just black people. Which is not a bad thing because right now we very much have come to live in a time of “it’s our people” especially after the ferguson events and it’s refreshing to see someone who says everyone is her people.
I’m not expected to identify myself as a European-American, or even Caucasian-American. I’m confused as to why she is expected to designate herself more specifically than I am? It’s like saying that “American” = “white” unless otherwise specified. I don’t happen to buy into that. Apparently, neither does Raven. And…so?
Exactly. Raven meant that she does not want to be known or labeled because of her skin color, but because of who she is. She never said she is ashamed of being dark skinned!
Many people were enslaved, none of which were you personally, but never give up the victim narrative. You are a victim no matter what! People who have different skin colors than you who have never met you and live anywhere in the world all owe you something, because you are a victim.
Losing faith in humanity one comment at a time…People need to stop freaking out about her wanting to be referred to as an american instead of an african american. I’m an american, and I hate when blacks, whites, asians, or any other race try and say that I “need” to refer to myself as a color.
Also hundreds of thousands of AMERICANS, black and white, died to end slavery. And There were White individuals that helped in the civil rights movement such as Ralph McGill or Virginia Durr or Joel Spingarn. You should know that womens rights deals with gender and not race…so im not sure what that has to deal with. Please try and grasp the fact that a lot of the people that as you put it “died so she could live” went to war to end slavery (Civil war) went to war to stop mass genocide of jews and minorities (WW2). There are other conflicts that still go on today that AMERICANS die in that allow YOU, her, myself, and others to live freely.
I really wish I could understand why the statement of being American rather than African American is so offensive to so many people. She’s right. We’re all Americans. I’m not black, but I don’t refer to myself as being German-Irish-Dutch-American. I’m simply an American. I was born in America, so were my parents, and so were the majority of my grandparents. I know that I have distant roots in other countries and connect with other cultures, but as far as me and where I’m from….I’m an American who has never even been to any of those other countries I have roots in let alone know observe any of their traditions or culture. Raven wasn’t trying to imply that she’s not black, or that she doesn’t have history, but simply that we’re all equal as we should be. I think what she said was beautiful, meaningful, and maybe if everybody had the same mind set, the world would be a much better and more peaceful place.
All we ever hear in this day and age is that we all need to be seen and treated as equal, no matter what skin color. Then Raven makes a statement about wanting to keep herself away from the labels and people get upset. She may have a color but that color is not who she is. She may have ancestors in Africa, but she originates from Louisiana. That makes her an American. If you chose to so freely label yourself as an African-American, or as gay as well as bisexual, then you have the freedom to do so. JUST LIKE SHE DOES. She doesn’t deserve the black community jumping down her throat because she has chosen to seperate herself from the labels thrown at her.
I’m sorry but didn’t those people die for this EXACT reason? MLK preached about being judged by the character of a person and not their skin, which is what Raven is basically saying. Raven is saying she’s an individual, not belonging to a certain group and certain stereotypes, isn’t that what we all want? To be our own man/woman and be judged as a single entity rather than a larger collective? Let go of the ego, stop being black and proud and just be proud, it’s almost like you’re self-segregating yourself by not allowing yourself to let go of your color and just live as a colorless human, exactly what MLK wanted for everyone.
She has every right to say what she did, because NO ONE in this country especially should be labeled by their appearance, or HAVE to identify with everyone else who looks or acts similarly. Technically, we are ALL from Africa/Middle East, but you bet your ass if some white person came up to you and said they were African, you’d flip out! There will be no equality unless people stop separating themselves. Your motherland is America, if you were born here, and families have been here for generations.
I have Italian roots, but born and raised in America. I don’t say I’m Italian American. I’m American. If you were born and raised here you are American. Yes love your roots and be proud, but I don’t see nothing wrong with her being proud if where she came from, America. Italians were treated bad too. Ever heard of a WOP. It means with out passport. A name give to discriminate against them. I am proud of my ancestors, and they deserve to call themselves Italian American because they came from there to here for a better life. I did not have that struggle. I was lucky to be born here, and be an american. And one more question. Do you have duel citizenship to Africa. Huh I wonder!
Raven is the type of person me and so many others are fighting for. As a person in the armed forces, the moment you decided to for for EVERYONE in you country is the moment you stop being Black or White or Asian. You become American. I am proud of what she said and she’s right. I am in an AMERICAN Airman is the first line in my creed. Google it and show me where it says [insert ethnicity].
I would gladly defend this woman and any true American like her.
People like you are the reason racism exists. How dare she want to be recongnized by more than just the color of her skin! We are all human beings and people like you, who take it back to a skin tone, slam the forward progress into park and sit there in your own age old stupidity. How dare she see us as a species and not a nationality, an ethnicity, a fucking color. Race only matters because people like you make it matter. She took a huge step forward in human progression and people are mad at her for it? Stop dragging your knuckles on the ground and help the human race gain solidarity. Only then can racism die, only then can there be peace. The HUMAN RACE… Read those words and think about what that means before you go roll around in your piss water mud pit of ignorant obliviousness. Move forward.
I sat there just dumbfounded. She sounded like all these new little “millennials” who feel like “We’ve moved beyond race” SO Disappointing. Point out differences doesn’t iterate racism. It simply embraces differences. Duh! LOL. They should be celebrated.
My husband, on the other hand, watched the interview with me..and after all of that he was like “She was up there talking to Oprah like that was her homegirl! Show some deference!”. He didn’t appreciate her tone. LOL. It irked his soul.
Omg . so glad I wasn’t making something up . I took offense to her smart ass tone with Oprah . She hasn’t lived long enough to speak with her as if she’s her peer . Get some life experience Raven ! Then come back and have a grown woman conversation !
OMG – Luvvie I died when you said, “Emancipate yourself from mental slavery. None but our wig snatch can free your mind. Heathcliff Huxtable ain’t go to Hillman for you to be outchea talking nonsense.”
Sorry…that’s all I have to say about that! LOL
The fact that my toddler climbed across me while the blue-haire Raven gif was on the screen and yelled BUBBLE GUPPIES just gave me the endless cackles. So maybe that who Ms. R-Symone identifies with. She’s a Bubble Guppy. Who knew?
Yes! My grandson said the same thing LOL.
BAWHHWHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAA
as a mom of a toddler.. i appreciate this comment oh so much.
LMAOOOOOO!!! OMG!!! Your toddler is so shady and I AM HERE FOR THEM!!! B/c that is a very accurate comparison. LMAO!!
I just died. Bubble Guppies!!!!!! Hehehehehehe
Your toddler is fantastic
Now that’s perfection. Yes, she’s a Bubble Guppie. I kept waiting for her to save herself as Oprah kept throwing her a lifeline. She just left it out there hanging like she didn’t need saving. Le sigh…
After the Bubble Guppies comment, there is no need for me to read anything else. THAT says anything else Luvvie didn’t put in the post. LOL Too Dern Funny!
Preach Girl! I really thought that I was the only one!……I wanted to reach into my tv and bitch slap that smug look right off of her face!!!! No words!!!!
I am on the fence….. I feel her. I’m not a crayon in the Crayola Big Box…. This ain’t 50 Shades of Brown. I’m in the 99¢ pack. The one with the 8 chubby crayons. Just 1 brown. I don’t need to fit into a slot on the color wheel of life. But I don’t deny my blackness…. even though I’m brown but whatever…. we accepted THAT title, which is honestly more offensive or bothersome than African American.. How come Heather doesn’t have to check a box that says European American? Is Caucasian all encompassing of all European races? What about Australians….. and Aboriginal ppl are from Australia but they aren’t white OR black OR native American…. or Hispanic. See how this gets confusing? I’ll be the brown crayon with a black label though. If it makes it easier to fill out a job application.
If you feel boxed in pick the “other” box it’s your right and an option. You’re not forced to be Black.
Everything about this made me chuckle! I will never deny my blackness, but you can kiss my entire behind with that African American fooleywang. I’m the entire box of 64 crayons. I lack the ability to care with how others identify themselves. If you think you’re periwinkle, thank you be periwinkle baby and be the best shade of periwinkle you can be.
THANK YOU FOR BEING EVERY CRAYON!
And THAT says it all! Yay for you Ret2go!
this is the best statement on this entire page. be
One the plus side, her face was BEAT!
This is a symptom of fame & buying into the light skinned color block myth. I felt GrandMother Maya Angelou roll over in her place of eternal rest, shake her head and try to give Lady O the strength & wisdom she needs to handle this moment. And we saw Oprah try, we did… But bless that chile’s heart, she ain’t have the sense to listen to her. Poor delusional soul. She needs to be blatantly discriminated against & called out of her name to feel the real. Not that I would wish that on anyone, but… Yeah.
*On* the plus side.
Exactly! She was trying her best to come off like she had wisdom beyond her years (much like Sweet Little Olivia)….but ended up looking like a Damb Fool! Besides…..what “have” you done lately? And at the end of the day she will be labeled “a Black Lesbian!” Get over it Bae!
Raven’s point was not being labeled. She doesn’t have to rep a set or pick a side. We’re forced to do that every day and if she doesn’t want to subscribe to that nonsense that’s her business. What she eats don’t make us shit so why be so bothered by her choice of words or feelings?
Some little black girl is looking at Raven as a role model. And it sends a negative message to deny who you are. What is wrong with being called black or African American? But she has no problem recognizing that she connects to Asian American, White Americans, ect. Because those are acceptable labels.
She doesn’t say American at the end of each of those, all she says is “I connect with caucasian. I connect with Asian. I connect with black. I connect with Indian.”.
TiffanyG, I was thinking the same thing! She doesn’t want to be labeled but had no problem referring to people as Asian, White, etc. I would have an easier time buying her premise if she said she connected to ALL people instead of calling them out by race (labeling them).
It is not Raven’s responsibility to be a role model for black girls or anyone else. Parents need to reinforce the fact that celebrities are people with their own personalities and issues. She has a right to identify herself as she chooses and not be placed in some sub-category or hyphenated racial identification. The whole term African American is ridiculous. Black people are a combination of many races and to put one before the other as a form of identification is disrespectful to the other races that are a part of us. How many African Amerians know the first thing about Africa. Most aren’t even aware it is an entire continent and thnk it is a country. Some still think lions and elephants roam the streets of Africa. That is if they are aware there are steets there. I am a black American and proud to identify myself that way.
Who genuinely thinks lions and elephants roam the streets of Africa?
Be real.
Not knowing the ins and outs of Africa (not all African Americans are ignorant about the continent) doesn’t change that our ancestors were African and brought to America.
rolling
If every single one of your ancestors came from Africa, you are truly a rare breed. Black people are mixed with many races. There’s no getting around that. I f you choose to deny the other races that made you and define your race as a single culture and use a hyphenated description to describe your heritage, that’s your business. Guess that means you can trace your heritage back several generations on all sides.
So true Tiffany
4625 Fredericksburg Ave.
You hit the nail on the head.
That’s how I feel, I totes understood what she was saying, I just think that she didn’t articulate herself well. Therefore a lot of people misunderstood her. Also isn’t she bi-racial so technically that would make her colouress or not black or not white. In regards to her saying that she is not a lesbian but a human that loves humans, Last time I checked pan-sexuality is thing so she’s not wrong. besides when Shailene Woodly said the same thing, no one came for her.
I have a bi-racial daughter and her 6 year old ass has enough sense to know she’s not colourless. She’s Black AND White. When people ask her “what” (bastards by the way) she is, she says “I”m English AND South African”. Labels are only as bad as the connotations/implications/permutations/haterations assigned to them.
All day…boo boo all day. The haterations placed upon distinctions are one of evil’s many roots! Colorless! Bah! Bah I say on such fooloshment. Why can’t we be all proud of what sets us apart individually and in social, cultural, ethnic and racial groups? Instead of trying to claim none of them and pretend we are (as Luvvie said) water. None of us are just like water.
Oprah was all, your name in kunta! While Raven was all, just call me Toby.
I died. Only to rise and die again. BHHHAAAHHHAA!!!
This just took me allllll the way out of here!
I done gone on. Somebody tell my mama to bury me in my blue dress. #slain
THIS JUST GAVE ME MY ENTIRE LIFE!!! LMAO!
This comment gave..me….LIFE. LOL!!
I CANNOT, why ” Just call me Toby.”?!?!?! I feel the log off the internet spirit in my bones!!!!!!!
Exits the service with my pointer finger held high.
You my dear have won the Internet. I’m leaving now. *DEAD*
iDIED only to rise in cackles
This! The most perfect summation of this entire situation. Glory!
Reminds me of the white people who say “NO YOU’RE THE RACIST BECAUSE YOU KEEP BRINGING UP RACE” as if not talking about something makes it go away. Then they say that they don’t care if someone is green or purple. (IT’S ALWAYS GREEN OR PURPLE. Why do they have to pick on green or purple?) Here’s my idea: if you’re sick of talking about race, that’s fine. Shut up and listen for 10 or 20 years. That won’t hurt anyone, and it might help you get a clue that we have some racial issues, and they sure as hell aren’t because we have green or purple people.
Sounds like you don’t listen to white people when you should. White people have been trying to stop the racism for decades. Time for Black people to try and stop the racism too. Raven is just brave and you are jealous.
“White people have been trying to stop the racism for decades.”
Lies, fantasies and fallacies.
Troll
“White people have been trying to stop the racism for decades”
Yeah, by telling us to STOP talking about issues that happen because of our race or to just ‘ignore them’. Because totally ignoring an issue whether than confronting and resolving it will “help” it go away better.
Yep. We have racial issues. Expecting someone to behave a certain way because of the color of their skin is one form of racism. That applies even if the skin tone of the person you’re critiquing happens to match your own.
That said, I don’t think Raven is denying that racism still exists, and if you pay attention she does not deny or act ashamed that she’s black in the video. Not. One. Bit. She just refuses to apply a label that someone else told her she has to, and I applaud her for it. Yet she dares to step outside of what many people consider to be some kind of cultural norm and people matching her skin tone lose their damn minds over it.
I don’t understand what it is to go through my day as a black person. I’ve had a tiny taste of the injustice that I know many blacks face on a daily basis when I had a cop make up charges on the spot in retaliation for me merely criticizing him, and he threatened to take me to jail when I refused to sign his fictional ticket. He went for his gun and his cuffs. I was outraged, because I had literally done nothing wrong. I thought “just for a second, this feeling is probably a bit similar to getting pulled for a ‘Driving While Black'”.
The answer to racism is not more racism or ‘See?!?! YOU’RE the one who’s racist!’. The answer to racism is don’t be racist. That goes for how you treat people who match your skin tone as well as those who don’t. Anything else is primitive, small-minded, and counter-productive.
Azmorghiel you said it best. Yep. We have racial issues. Expecting someone to behave a certain way because of the color of their skin is one form of racism. That applies even if the skin tone of the person you’re critiquing happens to match your own.
I think Raven is awesome for saying she’s “AMERICAN” > We are a melting pot so lets all melt together and stop the segregation.
How can Raven be so bold to deny her race and claim to be colorless like her hair is not all the colors that didn’t make the rainbow?
I find it interesting when people don’t want to be labeled, they choose to opt out of the marginalized and oppressed ones like black and gay.
I’m so over this tomfoolery that I can’t even gin up the proper amount of outrage. Don’t mind me, I’ll be sitting in the corner with Kermit sipping tea waiting for the inevitable negro wake-up call.
“Ms. Symone, please pick up line 1.”
” tomfoolery” #word
And to think, she was named after a black bird… Oh the irony. O_o
haha or a stripper perhaps…
It’s always sad when I hear people say things like “I don’t see color” and “I can’t be labeled”. Not acknowledging you’re black, white or whatever is like not acknowledging you’re a man or woman. It is who you are. It’s great that Raven has been able to experience privilege in her life but now it’s time for a reality check. She’s a black woman. This “I don’t see color” nonsense is just the 21st century version of “passing”. It doesn’t change who you are.
Why is it only light skinned people have these feelings?
It is a type of privilege that they think exists. Beyoncé plays up her Creole card. The reality is that very few black are all African. There is some mixture somewhere. But we have to claim the label because it give us power when it comes to voting blocs, consumerism. Raven Symone’s privilege exists in that she has been insulated from real world black people problems.
I’m light skinned, technically biracial, but identify as Black because that’s how the world sees me. I think light skinned people have these feelings because every now and then someone asks “what race are you?” which gives us a feeling of ambiguity. It makes us all “I’m just a human.” Chile, please. Raven needs to just shut up. Oprah tried to help her but she was all “nope I’m gonna just keep putting my foot in my mouth.”
Being called black is more offensive than being called African American?? Ok, I’m done.
Classifications and segments aren’t bad in and of themselves. What’s bad is the stereotypes and degradation that come with some of the segments we’re a part of. <-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*runs out of exclamation marks. i'll be back later when i pick up my blackness from the dry cleaners.
You didn’t mind being labeled a millionaire when little girls labeled African American were buying your labeled “That’s So Raven” & “Cheetah Girls” items. So, yeah, just stop talking.
YASSS!!!!
Exactly!
Truth!!!
Wiserhood clap
I blogged about this too. I can understand that not wanting to be labeled, but she tried it with the color less thing. Oprah was like No Raven, your drunk go home.
“Classifications and segments aren’t bad in and of themselves. What’s bad is the stereotypes and degradation that come with some of the segments we’re a part of.” Thank you for this Luvvie!
I can’t speak for Raven, but what I’m guessing her point was that she just wants to be considered a human. I’ve felt that way at times, even recently, and not because I am ashamed of who I am but because I was tired of being treated differently because of who I am (which is a reflection on the person doing the discrimination and not on myself). That being said, I would never twist my mouth to call myself something as ridiculous as “colorless”. That is not what I aspire to be. And why should I? There is absolutely nothing wrong with being brown/black and just because that label describes an aspect of who you are doesn’t mean that is ALL you are. But she is fine the label of American? Chile, peas. You can’t have it both ways.
I know I have heard the colourless/raceless thing from a lot of Bi-racial folks I know, so that’s the way I took it. Is she bi-racial or just light skinned?
i really wish ppl would shut up about all this race stuff. Do you know we are the only country in the world that is so sensitive about race? In almost all country’s you have a lighter skinned group and a darker skinned group. Take India you have darker shin tones that look almost African and lighter that look Caucasian!! But you know what?? They all just consider themselves selves INDIAN!!!! Not African Indian or European indian. Just Indian. As American’s none of us are actually natives to this land. Remember we stollen it from the natives. Even though whites are not natives you don’t here them saying things like “I’m not American I’m European American” do you? Of course not. So why shouldn’t black be considered Americans too? I mean unless you were born in Africa why not??? I think that we hate ourselves as blacks so much that we don’t even feel we deserve to be called American.
Indians, Chinese, and Japanese are homogenous groups. Not a lot of other folk going to their countries to start new lives. Now, you’ll find Indians/Chinese/Japanese who have immigrated all over the world, and identify to the country (for example Chinese Canadian, Chinese Caribbean, Chinese American) to economically better their and their families lives.
Not sure race (color) sensitivity is necessarily an exclusively American hangup. I spent a decent amount of time in Hong Kong/China years ago and the colorism there was deep. The “normal” Chinese look down on their fellow citizens who are a bit darker (by way of branches of the family tree from other parts of Asia), and it goes past social stigma with those with “dark” skin being relegated to menial jobs. And you couldn’t escape the many TV/billboard/print ads pushing skin lightening creams.
Just a personal observation but YMMV.
Plus lets not forget the huge beef between Japanese and Chinese, for whatever reason. or that Japan doesn’t like to identify as being part of asia or whatever.
The whole Japan vs China thingie? Could be because they are two separate countries. Oh, and there was the whole “Japan invading China and enslaving them” thing too. Just a very long war. IJS
“Do you know we are the only country in the world that is so sensitive about race?” You haven’t traveled, I see. There’s race issues EVERYWHERE. England, South Africa… Girl get on a plane and see the world so you won’t think what happens here is some sort of abnormality.
Now see I tried to be tactful and everything, but I forgot this is the place where nobody has nary a damb to give.
*waves church fan as sways back and forth*
This. so many times, THIS. Raven is that girl in the bubble. Clearly, she is not well read or well traveled. She certainly is not “well blacked”. Sadly, I see it with teens and twenty-ish folks all of the time. #shewontbeattheprotest
Umm for one I’m not a girl and you know nothing about me clearly. I come from a military family so moving around to different countries is the only thing I knew growing up. For two now that I’m an adult… I run my own international business where I have customers, suppliers, employees and friends from around the world. I’m always traveling. So maybe you are the one that should get out more. It’s nothing wrong with Raven for not wanting to be labeled any particular race. We are the only country that dose this. Even in Central and South America they have a lighter group and a darker group. I have some distant family in the DR. Ask a Dominican their nationality and they will tell you Dominica no matter what their shade is. There are no African Dominican or White Dominican people!!! There is only Dominicans!!! We should adapt to this same manner of living.
Oh so you’ve been exposed to seeing the world but you look past the complexities and choose to have this overly simplistic (and inaccurate) viewpoint. SMH. How unfortunate.
Why, Lawd, why? Why have You gifted “Tiffany” with the gift of exposure to international travel but denied her (him?) the ability to discern that racism is not a uniquely American phenomenon? I have a dark skinned friend from Mumbai who would be thrilled to know that the blatant discrimination she has faced her whole life has been a misinterpretation. Skin lightening in west Africa has nothing at all to do with ascribing to European standards of beauty. And skin color discrimination in the Dominican Republic is just a figment of our collective imagination. Oh. Ok. #ByeTifisha
Thank you Luvvie…#deNile is cleary not just a river in Africa.
Yes, Luvvie, she is blind to all the things that make us different because she is that evolved. *insert sarcasm HERE
This chick has either got to be lying through every tooth in her head, or she stayed on base the whole time she was sipped around the globe as a military brat. I have a Puerto Rican friend who married a Dominican, and it was almost like the Hatfields and McCoys. Tiffany, GIRL, have several seats. Just because you’ve been somewhere does not mean you know their struggle. that just means you had a passport.
I read these comments and then read them again to make sure I am actually understanding them. Now Tiffany can correct me if Im mistaken here (she is the only one qualified to correct me on this), but its my understanding that her comment was not about racial discrimination and bigotry in other countries, but the issue of racial LABELS not being used in other countries. Ive never heard of anyone from European countries tacking a precursor onto their identity, nor have I ever heard of anyone from any other nation in the world doing so.
That being said, I am not black, and would never presume to even begin to understand what being black in America is like. I am white with ancestry that goes back to all things Celtic and western European. Guess that makes me about as white as they come. If anyone in this country wishes to label themselves that’s their prerogative. If anyone wants to call me a White-American, a European-American, etc, then that’s up to them, but do not expect me to label myself as such. I will also not call someone with black or brown skin color an African-American. That’s just another label that is used to separate and divide the people in this country. I have never asked anyone to deny their “blackness” as some on here are calling it, nor their heritage. I celebrate mine and I want everyone else to celebrate theirs.
I know someone, possible many someones, will say that Im ignorant and I don’t know what Im talking about because Im not black. For those that do so, YOU are the problem with this country and all the animosity that lives here. I don’t know what you look like. I don’t know where you live. I don’t know what your life is like on a daily basis. I don’t know what color your skin is. The truth of the matter is that it doesn’t matter to me. I honestly don’t care if your skin is black or white. The ONLY thing that matters to me is how people treat one another. That’s really all that should matter period. Just my opinion.
Whaaat???? So we’re also going to ignore the blatant racism in the D.R.? The history between the D.R. and Haiti?
I am so confused
I sure wish I could upvote this comment. For when was there no color/race issues in the DR?
Ok I thought the same thing. I have friends from DR and Haiti and the racism is real (not to mention the differences that exist if you are from certain South American countries) . Go to Italy and you will see the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) racism amongst Southern/Northern Italians. And do not get me started on what is going on in Australia (and yes I have been and worked there for years). I could go on and on about other countries (Brazil anyone?). Let’s be real it is not as simple as lighter skinned people & darker skinned people. Every country has their own unique issues about race that are complex and not simple. If you need to simplify it do you boo boo (as Raven said) but not everyone needs race issues simplified to understand and speak about them.
Right! We just gone straight up ignore Hispaniola’s(DR/Haiti) history then?
to say this this country is the only one with self-prescribed “color” issues is wholly incorrect. Michele was correct in what she mentioned about Hong Kong/China. And unfortunately the same is true for India. Many of the darker hued Indians have been relegated for centuries to a lower caste = more menial jobs/less respected. This is fact. And also fact: many, many natives of the DR, living in the DR, are quick to tell folks they are “white”. Honest to God true experience. And let’s not even get started on how disgracefully they have treated the (black) Haitian refugees in their country. So this is not a U.S. homegrown problem. Speak the truth or stick to just jokes.
Right! I was about to hot that point. The DR and Haiti basically share an island or space or whatever and their is so much tension, a lot of it racial and class based etc… It’s like this chick has never taken world history or something.
LOL chile please what DR do your folks come from. cuz it’s not the one I know. Now they all call themselves Dominican but best believe there is nothing but decades of racism between lighter skinned and dark skinned folks in DR.
Ummm have you seen the skin whitening ads in India and other South Asian countries? Please read a book or at least Wikipedia.
Woah, Nellie! I cannot let this ignorance stand. The Dominican Republic has an extremely ugly history of colorism. Citizens of the Dominican Republic carry ID cards that note their skin tone from white (blanco), light indigenous (indio claro), dark indigenous (indio oscuro), almost black (moreno) or black (negro).
In 1937, the president of the DR Raphael Trujillo ordered the massacres of Haitians living on the border between the two countries. 20,000 people died because they were dark skinned and did not fit into Trujillo’s idea of a “superior mulatto country”. This year the country rescinded the citizenship DR born individuals with Haitian ancestry. I don’t know if you are lying about being well traveled or just woefully ignorant. Either way….STAAAAP IT!!!
Lol i do identify myself as Afro Dominican or afro-hispanic because although i was born in the Dominican Republic, my race is black. There’s a difference. People always tell me that they think that I’m black and not Hispanic but I tell them that I am black but also hispanic. People seem to get race and ethnicity confused.
LIES + IGNORANCE —> ” I have some distant family in the DR. Ask a Dominican their nationality and they will tell you Dominica no matter what their shade is. There are no African Dominican or White Dominican people!!! There is only Dominicans!!! We should adapt to this same manner of living.”
You have “distant family in the DR” Tiffany? Ask them about the September 2013 ruling where the DR’s constitutional court ruled that people born in the DR to illegal migrants do not have the right to citizenship, even if the DR is the only country they have lived in or know. Ask them about the pressure the court came under after that bullshit came to light and how the DR really feels about black people.
We here in these here United States of America don’t need to adopt shit from the Dominican Republic or any other country that hates black people at their core. We’ve got enough at that here – including people like YOU.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/23/world/americas/dominican-republic-passes-law-for-migrants-children.html
Hallelujah!! If you don’t see colour, you don’t see me. This was the fight that turned my friendship with my white BFF from “meh”, into a”ride-or-die, Ebony and Ivory Thelma and Louise” type of love. She said she doesn’t see colour and I got so pissed off, I made her cry. I do love her lilly white ass though:)))
Seriously though…I’m not saying I can dictate how an individual deals with their identity…It’s just so disappointing when it turns out like this.
I have to somewhat agree with Tiffany. Of course racism exists everywhere. You can find any element of just about everything in the darkest corners of the world. But some places are worse than others and I’d argue that America has the worst documented history of racism. That of course leads to many of the skewed perceptions that continue to exist
I came here as an immigrant from the Caribbean. I was amazed, and disturbed at how segregated this country is. I was immediately put into the “black” box. Everything was separated as “black” neighborhood, “white” neighborhood, “black” music, “white” music, “black” food, “white” food. Talking “white”, talking “black”. I can go on. If you think this is normal, or the way the rest of the world separates everything on purpose, you’re way off base. By nationality perhaps, but certainly not to this normalized extreme. Granted white supremacism is at fault, but reason needs to prevail here
And I’d also add that if you are as well versed on this topic as you say, you’d be aware that even a number of non-American blacks have disagreements on race with American blacks. As a Caribbean person of Afro descent myself, I’ve seen and read plenty of debates and back and forth between Africans/Caribbeans etc. vs American blacks on the topic of race. I won’t go as far as to say it’s widespread or widely divisive but enough of it is there. So yes, Americans, even American blacks have a skewed perception of race compared to the rest of the world. Again, there’s an explanation considering the ugly history of this country, but perspective matters? Add the America centric way of our culture and Tiffany’s argument is slightly more bolstered.
you and uninformed Tiffany are NOT standing on the same platform.
Tiffany is right in America’s race obsession. Many non-Americans say this and the 1st response some like you all have is to google or provide what you “know” despite never living there
Like I said, you can find an example of almost anything in the world, and few people abroad who feel as such. But America takes the cake when it comes to race
I really think you need to study up on this. Skin-lightening creams, many with dangerous, toxic chemicals, are common in many places, including India, because people know light skin is valued above dark skin almost everywhere.
In Indian there is a caste system which is just as bad as racism and other countries have their own form or racism and classism which brings about similar levels of discrimination. You might want to read up on the history of these countries to see the racial animus and segregation that exists. It’s everywhere not just in America. The issue I have with America is the post racial nonsense that some are pushing.
????? 😕
So we’re just going to ignore the caste system today?
Of course. It’s not like it exists or anything like that.
Tiffany what are you talking about? Those dark skinned Indian people are Indian! They aren’t descendants of African slaves and they aren’t black. They’re Indian! African Americans on the other hand are black and descendants of African slaves. We have a connection to Africa. Also Indian has many many many problems with race. lastly white people always say their country of origin. I never met a white person who didn’t know where they came from and wasn’t proud of it.
The only point I want to make is that America is not the only country that is sensitive when it comes to race or ethnicites. It’s just more apparent in America.
“They all just consider themselves selves INDIAN!!!! Not African Indian or European indian. Just Indian.”
Which India are you talking about? Are you talking about that country that had a rigid caste system based on color & profession for thousands of years? That India? Or are you talking about some fairy tale land you made up? I’m descended from African slaves and Indian indentured servants. India is so ashamed of the decades of indentured servitude that it doesn’t even make the history books. If you don’t want to talk about race then by all means stop. We will struggle on without your “insight.”
#JesusBeABookOfSouthAsianHistory.
Clearly you don’t read much. American certainly is not the only country with a “race”issue. Smh…
*America
The only people who really deny labels are people who have issues with those labels. Most often it is the men and women who sleep with men and women but aren’t comfortable claiming the gay or bisexual label that do this for fear they will be marginalized. No other ethnicity does this. I have never heard of latino saying I am not latino. I am so proud of Carlos Santana who recognizes the Africanness in his blood. Raven makes me sad because whether she means to or not she emotes shame in her denial.
Yes, Oprah gave her so many life-lines. I just thought all of Maya Angelou was about to rise up out of Mother Oprah. Praying her strength because I know that was a tough one. To sit and watch a child with a smug look on her face have no problem with the labels American, woman, student, entertainer, wealthy, able-bodied, employed, etc…just made me cringe. Hopefully, Oprah chatted with her after the cameras stopped rolling. If not – hopefully, she’ll see your blog.
Oprah was apologizing in advance for the stupidity that she KNEW was going to come out of the Black community. It’s sad! It’s just sad to watch. Oprah is a leader in the community, but she’s afraid to say what she really wants to say.
No, Oprah didn’t have a talk with Raven after. She congratulated her for being brave and doing what ever she can to stop the racism.
So, so many thoughts.
1. When she was introduced to America on The Cosby Show, she was in afrocentric childrens’ attire. So,that meant nothing to you.
2. SHE PLAYED QUEEN AS A CHILD ON THE TV ADAPTATION OF “QUEEN”. So, you didn’t retain anything in that part. Ok.
3. This country, as messed up as the way it was “founded”, is a country of immigrants. Those individuals who came from countries that were not England were discriminated against so strongly they took refuge in their shared customs and ancestry and decided to embrace their “other” ness. This is why the cadence of “historical family ancestral country – american” works here, but not in other countries. They’re four to five generations removed from mother countries, but they are still *insert home country here*, not just American.
4. The luxury of rejecting your (yes, Raven honey, you’re rejecting) black-ness and your other labels and trying to be in this “I am color/sexual blind” state only works if you literally have a medical condition and cannot see color. It is a practice that is wrought in historical pain. We as a community react very strongly against because only a small number of us can actually practice due to physical circumstance i.e. my skin is too dark to pass/nose is too wide/lips too broad. And as far as being straight/gay/bi, do you boo. Just don’t insult the collective’s intelligence with “I don’t see sexuality” nonsense. You like both. Have at it.
5. Creole – please. Might as well say mulatto. That’s the only thing Raven did retain from doing “Queen”. You are black. African American. The massa is in the blood line. We get it.
6. Raven is a rainbow. I’m a unicorn. Next.
Yesssssss to all points made!
What she doesn’t say is just as important as what she did say. I think it’s telling to consider which labels she doesn’t reject. She doesn’t reject a label of able-bodied, upper middle-class, famous, or American. She claims those as part of her humanity (“I’m just a human”) and does not see these as detractions from her humanity. If labels are so problematic, then why are those ok? These are labels associated with positions of privilege. She lays claim to her privilege- those don’t catch her attention as illegitimate or irrelevant. Instead, she’s rejecting categories and identities associated with disadvantage in hopes of opting out of the struggle. It’s not identities she has a problem with, but the identities of disadvantage. This isn’t some progressive assertion of humanity over oppression, but rather a sad declaration of internalized oppression. My takeaway from her comments is that she very deeply identifies as black and gay, but is just as deeply ashamed but them both.
We’ll damn…you went there…and we can all go home now!
well you have just gon’head and gotten miss raven ALL THE WAY TOGETHER!!!! this is the truth in it’s gotdamn entirety. you have schooled the masses.
Yes. Just yes and more yes!
The mic shattered after you dropped it. This comment is the most complete reading of Raven (and other “don’t label me” individuals) I’ve seen in a while.
If you don’t go ‘head and PREACH ON IT!
There it is. Fine by me for folks to be or not be whatever they want. But when it’s clearly a “pick what’s easy and drop the rest” kind of thing, I have less respect. Drop ALL labels if you’re really against ALL labels. Or admit that you’ve selected certain ones because you’re really not against ALL labels, only the ones that make life a little more colorful and sticky for you. Just have some consistency so your argument seems based in something vaguely resembling intelligence.
To quote the inimmitable Busta Rhymes “the microphone is bleedin’/take it from me”
Thank YOU Socgrad. Just when I think I wanna quit the humans and go work with Bernie Madoff and his friends…someone like you comes along and I live to fight another day.
This actually doesn’t make sense. All those “labels” you referenced are accomplishments, things she chose. Nor was that the topic. You cannot however, choose what you’re born. And whatever you’re born is what people will label you as and project every pre-conceived notion or ideology onto said individual. In this case, she’s getting demonized for being born “black” and having the nerve to break away from the “race” mindset and not falling in line as some of you see fit
since when is it an accomplishment to be able-bodied or American? Please. *NEXT CUSTOMER!!!*
It is an accomplishment to be a great child actor, grow from that success and reap the rewards from it. How a bunch of grown adults can’t tell the difference between that and being labeled by race ideology because of what you were born is beyond me
Paging Henry Louis Gates, Jr. *plays Whitney singing Help Is On The Way*
“Heathcliff Huxtable ain’t go to Hillman for you to be outchea talking nonsense.” The doors of the church are now open. Will there will be one? Awesomely Luvvie, that quote wrapped everything up in the prettiest lil bow for me. Heathcliff most definitely pulled his Hillman sweatshirt over his face and hid in shame with that interview. I too am fine with her not wanting be labeled African-American, but you’re colorless? O_o ….Uhhhmmm, no ma’am? “I have an interesting grade of hair…..” Somebody please cue Spike Lee, the Jigaboos, and the Wannabees, and please sing Good or Bad Hair in unison. Mother Oprah tried her best to throw her a life line, but Raven wasn’t having it. Smdh…. At the end of the day you must love the skin you are in, and unless you are transparent, colorless you are NOT.
i can guarantee that Raven wouldn’t have pulled this mess on Ellen and on LOGO. Colorblindness will only get you so far, until she has a black moment(and we all do) then she wants to call on the community for support. Chile boo
WHo Cares what Raven Symone Says, that is her feeling ad beliefs…GET OVER IT!!!!!She FEELS HOW SHE FEELS AND IT IN”T NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS WHAT SHE FEELS…STOP WORRYING ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE AND FOCUS ON YOURSELF!!!! RAVEN Symone is not going to make your life better or worse so why worry about how she feel. If Raven was oaying you and your money was going to be affected by what she say then be concerned. But that is none of my business.
Good day butthurt individual,
When did the notion arise that one can only have an opinion on celebrities IF their bank account is affected ?
Do you see how this sounds ridiculous ?
Lemme go sit somewhere and wait for Raven to mention my money so then I can have some feels on this issue..
Too many of us need a sit down with Toni Morrison. In the meantime, we need to READ her work.
“Luvbug”, just like many other “Black Christian” Americans, lack the sufficient level of scientific literacy needed to understand things like this. How can you, in a condescending tone, try to demean her beliefs when you obviously know NOTHING about biology or anthropology? It’s true that humankind began in Africa but that doesn’t make Africans special. That says more about evolution than it does your Afrocentrism.
African Americans are extremely confused and it’s obvious why. I don’t associate with color either. I am a human being first. I know that we share 99.9% of our DNA with every other human being on the planet. The only difference that .1% makes would be our superficial features that differentiates ourselves from one another.
When you only know the good parts of the bible and are scientifically illiterate, how do you expect to raise a generation of children that can build a productive society? The answer is you can’t until you give one up. Until then we will continue to disrespect intelligent successful human beings like Ms. Symone without knowing that us “African Americans” are making ourselves look stupid in the process. Good job Luvvie.
How can you, in a condescending tone, try to demean her beliefs when you obviously know NOTHING about Luvvie’s beliefs, character, religion or ethnic background is beyound me.
To attack her in such a manner, to bring religion into this discussion when it was not a point of order, represents logic so fallacious that even Fox News would reject it.
People are capable of understanding where Raven is coming from, they simply do not agree. Disagreements happen in life mmmkay?
So in conclusion:
“Bish whet?”
I was so done after *Jon Snow* BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Hilarious and well thought as always!! For the people arguing what’s better Afr. Amer or black- stay on point. The point is she’s choosing to divorce herself from our culture…however you want it packages/framed! This is causing a stink because WE are a united ppl and what unites us is our shared history of oppression and deliverance from it! For her to disassociate herself from the tightness that other races WISH they had is foolishness. Yes, Raven woulda passed that “brown paper bag” test and graduated to house-negro status…but she still woulda been “a negro” in treatment and identity. But when she offends those other colorless/H20 wannabe folk who will remind her of who she REALLY is, she’ll be back…chilling on the bench with Tiger. And we ain’t havin it!! Or…we might. I mean, we ARE a forgiving people. But my 4yr old bet not open her mouth to say a “That’s so Cheetah Bridesmaids from Hell” nothin’!!
Funny how so many black people wanna diss Raven for WHAT she said, but disregard the reason she said it.
“To deny your blackness” seems to be the majority issue with what was stated and it’s a poor interpretation of the context. It’s quite typical though because black people more than anyone else on the planet seem to keep dwelling on the fact that their are differences.
You probably don’t want to accept this, but she is NOT the only person who feels this way. She’s just the one who openly stated it: She doesn’t want to be associated with black people any more. Now, whether you LIKE that or not is irrelevant. Understand the REASON she said it. The reaction she got from that statement is part of it. You would like to think you grasp the nature of this, but you don’t. Get educated.
Yes’m boss.
Bye Felicia.
What is wrong with being different? Differences in and of themselves are not the problem. Refusal to understand those differences are. The push towards this homogeneity feels like a step back somehow. As if all individualism in perception, experiences and culture must be crushed for the sake of some false sense of peace.
It’s odd that you say that “black people” are the ones who dwell on this the most when racism was created and perpetuated by whites through a long history of slavery and colonialism. It is through this racism and colonialism that colorism persists all over the world in “people of color”
I don’t think you grasp the nature of this. I would hope you would at least respect that this matter is not as simple as espoused by raven, yourself and others.
oh this new black nonsense is all over my comments of this shared post.
In the infamous words of my tour guide in the Philippines. “We are ALL mix-mix” I am so very proud of the potpourri of genes that’s makes me, ME.
Luvvie thanks for the morning entertainment.”ARE YOU WATER?” Nearly caused cardiac arrest. I lubb to hate you! So to this I say Dear Luvvie, I quit you To and Day
She is confused all he way around. She may have avoided the common pitfalls of child-stardom, but she is defiantly a victim of a sheltered, self-centered existence. She may not claim that she is African American, but everyone that looks at her sees it and ascribes that “label” to her. She may claim all of these other racial groups, but I doubt if they are claiming her. It is very sad to see!
Henry Louis Gates need to have a tussle with her for a while. He can show her exactly where she came from. Give him a last name and a locations and she’ll know within 30 minutes. Lawd, she needs some guidance.
Sometimes we get “nationality” mixed up with “race” and “religion.” When you hear Black, Hispanic, Mexican used in the same breath you know that there is confusion. It can’t be simply be about WHERE you were born! As a way of messing up my friends’ heads I always ask: what do you call Mr Baddberg who was born in Mexico went to school there never left the country and does not speak any other language – Mexican or Jew?
Interesting. I wish Oprah asked her if she was Black.
Answer to your question: he’s a Mexican jew. This does exist. This messes with your friends’ heads?
I understand where she’s coming from. I don’t thinks she denying her heritage. I think she doesn’t want to be define by it. I’m proud of my African heritage and my roots but that’s not make up all of me. I’m more then my skin color. I understand why many people is upset with her comment but I don’t think she meant it the way people are taking it.
It’s clear that she has a lot of things going on and it is with great hope that she deals with them in a manner that puts her in an enlightened position because as an entertainer, she needs to decide what’s the best way to entertain us and she has!
Cue In Malcolm X: “We’re not Americans, we’re Africans who happen to be in America. We were kidnapped and brought here against our will from Africa. We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock – that rock landed on us.”
You snatched her wig and bitch slapped her non-color ass with it!!!
I really could care less if Raven Symone claims her blackness or not. That should have been painfully obvious when she showed up on the show, looking like a bootleg Nicole Ritchie with that Judy Jetson hair. She said she is COLORLESS… fine by me! She can be AIR, TASTELESS AND ODORLESS too! I, for one, don’t care. Bout all she is good for now is a good OLIVIA meme any damb way! #IRefuseToCAN
LOL at all the people dissing Rayven because she’s taking away something that they have used as a crutch all too much. Rayven is the anti Al Sharpton.
*bish please face* “a crutch”?! You sound ridiculous “Jayson”.
I agree 150% with miss Symone. She is a American first. Hell, Afro-Americans themselves don’t know who they are. This is just another case of dragging someone down from their comfort zone. Its like you want to tell ms Symone, your one of us now, you ain’t nothing but a n—a, when most Black Americans want get rid of the “N” word. Afro-Americans need to wake up and realize. They have a 150 years of intelligence compared to 5000 years of intelligence and they think their smarter.
Wait WHAT!!! “They have a 150 years of intelligence compared to 5000 years of intelligence and they think their smarter” Who exactly has 5000 years of intelligence? Where exactly do you think Afro-Americans came from? Did I miss the part in the history books where Africans were already here in the Americas (a name by the way given to this land mass because an Italian drew a map of a place that already had people living here)?
I honestly don’t think black was the issue. I think she was so deadset on not saying “yes, Oprah i’m a lesbian/bi-sexual”. For whatever reasons she decided to avoid Oprah’s question by “making a statement” and it went bad, real real bad. I’m sure it sounded real good to her when she practiced her answer at home. lol
I was not and am not here for any of that COLORLESS ish. I mean, really Madame Symone, really??? If Oprah is telling you to clean it up, you betta redact, backtrack, side step and a two steyap to get it together.
I wonder what Mr. Cosby has to say about this?
My head hurts but this whole post brought it to me. So I thank you for writing this letter. I have reserved several side eyes for Raven but cannot put coherent words to them as of yet.
SMH. What would Mama Angelou say if she were still here to witness that interview?!
My thing is…I could look at her for 1 minute as I did on the Cosby show and knew her lineage. She has some European in her blood line and her parents are black-When we saw her “dad” on the Cosby show showed up..we immediately knew her momma was a white woman..(plus we never did see her). I mean if you don’t want to be classified or connected with Gay folk…too late…If you have decided to disassociate yourself with Black people…impossible. Its sooo funny to me that after these “so called celebrities” get famous and paid from our community, they seem to develop the ability to distance themselves from our community. Her rough hair, wide hips and sculptured lips are a dead giveaway for “where she comes from”- Fact is she is currently a non-factor at this point. As always we don’t need more excuses from these “pseudo celebrities” but..just for the record if Raven were to find herself in the hood after dark…she would truly find out what her place is in “America”
On the Cosby show, Olivia’s mother was a black woman. She left Olivia with Martin because she didn’t want to be married anymore and didn’t want to be a full-time mother. Her mother wasn’t white. She showed up for one episode. A Thanksgiving episode I believe.
Raven Symone’s biological mom is a black women.
From Randy/Huck….Until she says that she’s back for good…NEXT CUSTOMER
People never cease to amaze me, what the he double hockey sticks does it mean to be “colourless”, how is this even possible, saying she might as well be the air, which in hindsight makes sense, since she is blowing a lot of hot air. We as black people should never try to undefine ourselves, but be proud to be defined in the many shades God has made us, people are saying it’s her beleifs, but it is those kind of beliefs that will cause our young children to grow up hating themselves for the way they look, the colour of their skin and the texture of their hair. I mean she had the nerve to be talking about have a nice grade of hair when it dyed in all colours of the rain bow and straightened.
I am from Barbados and I never deny where I am from, how dare she, she dosen’t want to be called black but will gladly take money from those who have no problem they are. And for all those people like Tiffany, try and pick up a history book and talk to people who know, racism exists everywhere in the world and in all levels of society, talking bout there is only light and dark people, in India they have the caste system where anyone darker than a paper bag is looked down upon and the darkest are called “pariahs” and shunned, they are poor and live in abject poverty just because of the colour of their skin, they don’t have the high paying jobs, the Brahmins, won’t touch them they are relegated to doing the jobs that no one wants, but helps the society to function.
People are ignorant when they have the avenues to become educated, in closing ignorance is not bliss, ignorance leads to misinformation and blatant disrespect to all the people who have fought and died for you to have the privilege to educate yourself.
I can agree with her about not wanting to be labeled but it’s so unrealistic in this America we live in. I don’t like to be called African-American, I’m Black damnit but I’m power to the people Angela Davis black and say it loud like James Brown proud Black and will never “deny” my color……..she needs a seat in front of a tv playing all the good ol black documentaries on Netflix to get some “histry”! Girl Bye
I get what she was trying to say about labels, though not well articulated. We cannot deny the fact that she’s been living in the eye of the media since she was a kid so she’s tired of them. And I clearly don’t know what it’s like to grow up like that but judging from the other members of that club most of em would be strung out by now so… she gets a bit of a sympathy pass IMO. I think child actors have little knowledge of the real world because celebrity life is a farce and it’s really all they know. So whenever they give interviews I always take what they say with a huge grain of salt unless they are the exception.
BUT, that being said… she does have to come to grips with the fact that while none of us should be discriminated against for what we are, we all have labels. Colorless cultures should not be our goal. I don’t wanna be in a colorless world. BORING! Colors are beautiful. If Raven truly meant that her goal is to ignore the idea of color altogether then she’s missing out and she will learn, hopefully not the hard way, that this is not a solution to the madness.
I have to say though that there have been some interesting conversations about this interview, as opposed to folks just dogging her out. So I think it’s good that she said it. Good for us as a whole, even if it’s not as good for her right now. I think younger kids need to hear this dialogue and they need to hear and have it now. If you think about it, that new show Black-ish attempts to address this very topic so it needs to be exposed and analyzed a bit. Just my two…
… There’s issue of race worldwide even though people from other countries will deny it. Being stationed overseas, I’ve been to and have met many people from all over the globe and the constant is people are more prejudice against darker skinned people. People who are purely from Spain frown on Mexicans because of their darker skin, Vietnamese and Cambodian prefer to have lighter skin like the Chinese and even use skin bleaching creams and ointments. Whoever made the comment about this only being an issue in America is grossly uninformed. … Oh, and I liked the GOT reference with my boo Jon Snow. HA!
She thought she was been deep and she was just being duped. Whoopi came up with that “why can’t we just be American” crap before too. Poor baby doesn’t want to be labeled, but she is; only now instead of the label being black, african american or gay, she’s simply labeled as ignorant, uninformed, and next to assume the position because she assumed she wasn’t black. But that’s your problem, boo boo. Just stay home.
I see both sides of the coin. I think the problem that “Olivia” has is actually articulating what she is trying to say. Though what she was saying was comboozled hogmosh aka bullsh*t…I felt it in a strange way.
The thing is this, “race” is a made up term used by people historically to disenfranchise other people. In the case of Black, it was created by slave traders to justify their enslavements.
Yes, white people were slaves, indentured servants, or what have you…but it is well-known fact that “black” slaves and/or indentured servants were treated MUCH more differently than white slaves. (Check out “The People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn – awesome freakin’ book).
Anyway, after slavery, the “One Drop Rule” came into play. It is what racist white folks used to categorize people to implement their bullsh*t Jim Crow laws. So essentially, anyone with a “black” relative somewhere down the line is now Black by default.
So looking at this historically, Raven is simply attempting to deny the origins of such labels. It’s her protest. And whether we want to admit it or not…Black is just a made up demographic to describe a people with heritage tracing back to Africa…and in the mind of an 1800s pro-slave person…a term to identify a so-called inferior group of people.
Now, just because one doesn’t agree with the label doesn’t change the fact that the label exists in the minds of others. I think one acknowledges that by acknowledging the culture and history tied to that “label.”
Her comment about Africa and Louisiana is simply her saying she knows what she has experienced. And that because of the unique history of Black folks in this country, original culture and language is not something that has been passed down like an heirloom as with other groups like Mexican or Irish or Chinese or whoever. Black people have had their true cultures stripped away through the institution of slavery.
I fee like I’m rambling now, but long story short, I understood what she was trying to say…and I see both sides.
Why are we the only ones who see “light skinned” and “dark skinned” as two different races of black? I hear and see so much of the struggle of darker toned black people. What about the light skinned ones who are always accused of denying your blackness for using a flat iron- not being black enough for black people- and too black for white? Every time a light skinned person succeeds at something, it’s brought out that they had an advantage because of their melanin level.
I can’t control my lack of melanin anymore than anyone else can control theirs. I’m sick of it. Trust me, to other races- we’re all black- regardless of how light or dark.
” I don’t think Iyanla is right for this because her peak of Blackness is so Black that she reached back to Nigeria to get a name that no one goes by (because it’s a title). So…. not her. Toni will be just right. I need Oprah to make that happen next.” A loud snort popped out of my mouth when I read this part. Very poetic Mz Luvvie. Bravo Mami!!!
She’s different. Yeah, she’s different. Pulled up to the scene with common sense missing. I get it. You don’t see race, nor gender, so you prefer not to classify yourself. However, sweetie, you are a Gay Black Woman living in America and that is something to be proud of. I have so many questions. Does she even know what her name means? When did she realize she was colorless? Was it when she was the black girl in the Cheetah Girls? Was it when she was the black daughter in a black family on That’s So Raven? Post-Racial America does not mean the absence of race classification, but the acknowledgement and acceptance of all races. Can we give her up in the next race draft, cause she is foolish and I want no parts of her at the Family Picnic. She gonna bring Potato Salad with Red Potatoes, Dill, Capers and Mayonnaise. Nope.
That Mousehouse (Disney) did a number on her head. All those former child stars are mess up in my opinion. She better keep her nose clean and stay out of trouble. I guarantee the American public will show her how colorless she is. She needs a Negro wake up call stat. Maybe she is experimenting and not really sure if she wants to identify as lesbian. Only time will tell. She seems confused and lost to me. Just my two cents.
Luvvie! You took every word oUT of my mouth! Thanks for speaking truth to power!
Maybe this is a publicity stunt and she needs to stay relevant. She hasn’t done anything lately. I can only hope it’s something this simple. I hope she isn’t this naive.
I hope Martin, Rosa, Booker T., Harriet T and Thurgood M, didn’t feel like that!!!
Some of y’all are running away from African American faster than OJ in a Bronco. A large amount of European Americans (If you ask the Native Americans, that’s who they are…) claim some European Nation as their claim to the Americana Melting pot. However, it is perfectly legitimate to call one’s self African American because of the dominance of the African Gene. More importantly, Africa had the sacred distinction of not having a country on it until the Berlin Conferences in the latter part of the 19th century. In other words, all of that sh*t is/was ours. It is perfectly alright to call yourselves African American or the Stolen People of America. It might be even more appropriate to call ourselves the OWED FORTY ACRES AND A MULE people of America. Like being called African American gives you the Cooties or something… Too much Masta Moore in some of y’all. Yeah, that was a Roots reference!
@ Luvvie, Have you seen the movie “The Drop Squad”? You should rent it. It reminds me of this foolishness of Raven Symone.
Ritchie. Africa had many countries before what ever conference. Africa had countires before europeans had little huts and farms. that being said. everyone is entitled to their own opinion. you guys all realize that we are the only people distinguished with our country of origin prefixed on the word american. Know why? its not something to boast about….its saying you ain’t american you are african american and there is a difference. and it was done on purpose. at first it was the nigger. then it was the negro. now its African American. when you ask an italian dude what he is he says “whadaya mean i’m American” those guys got here couple hundred years after our ancestors. So while you bash Raven for not wanting to be labled. think about the label you are holding on to. (which is a remnant of segregation which is a remnant of slavery )
Wrong baby, Italians love to say their Italian, even if they never set foot in the country. Race is a social construct; ethnicity is real. I know anthropologists say we are all the same under the skin, but there is apparently something in the blood, or white people would get sickle cell too. Denying does not make it so.
Sickle cell was once an issue in Europe. Poverty is also a contributing factor and the vast majority of black people do not have it. Also, Italian is a nationality. Just like Trinidadian and Jamaican is a nationality. That is not “race”, which was a concept invented with the theory of scientific racism in mind…
The level of zealotry and entitlement(Yes, Entitlement) in this piece, and within the comments is fascinating really. Reading it all, you would swear she said something bad about people of darker skin, or pulled a Don Lemon. But is that what she did? NOPE! Instead, she stated how SHE wants to identify. What SHE believes. She doesn’t share the ideology that you have, and she doesn’t believe in the social construct of race(you know, the thing made up by humans…specifically white supremacists)
I want to specifically highlight one case of laughable, and irresponsible sense of entitlement in this quote :
” Ma’am, just because your hair is purple and blue doesn’t mean you are too. You’re Black……….(cont).You can’t sit up there and deny the skin you’re in and reject any and all labels just because you think you’re so different that you fit into nothing and nowhere. You might think you’re Chairman of the board of “You’re So Different” Enterprises but there’s a box for everyone to check.
”
She actually doesn’t have to think or act the way YOU want her to with HER life. But then there’s this knee slapper :
“Don’t claim Africa, even though those features you share with many of us born and raised on the continent claim you. Like that nose. Hey sis. ”
Not only is there no such thing as a “black” nose…seeing as you know…black people have noses and lips that can be just as varied as any other group. But this is flat out a slap in the face to any science study, any anthropological study. Heck, I’ll buy you a book on evolution if you need one
There is something to be angry about here. It isn’t Raven, or the people who agree with her. It’s other “blacks”, like yourself, who feel this grand sense of entitlement to attack other blacks for not sharing your view on the world or *Gasp*, thinking for THEMSELVES with their own outlook on the world. An outlook that really has nothing to do with you because it isn’t your life
I’m sure if any one of you met Raven, she might turn out to be a great human being. One who treats her fellow human beings with love and respect. Who knows, I don’t know her. But despite the fact that she could be a great human being, many zealots(that means you too Luvvie) are too busy focused on the fact that she doesn’t share your perspective on the world. Get a grip, other “black” people(I suppose that includes myself) do not have to answer to entitled blacks who feel they can attack, shame, and dictate to them what they should think, feel, or believe. The social construct of race, or identifying with race is not for everyone. Raven’s view of the world is factually correct, your views are ideologically correct. Learn the difference between ideology and facts, you and others seem to have the same issue religious extremists have. There is no “race gene”, the one drop rule is ridiculous, and there’s a vast difference between acknowledging history and acknowledging reality. History says racism was and still is a factor in society. Reality says the entire idea behind “race” was idiotic and utter nonsense in the 1st place
Byeeeeee
I feel you, Brian. I think people have a tough time understanding that being “black” is social-construct that was constructed with intentions of superiority by the constructor. Knowing that this label was intended to identify “inferior” persons, I can see why someone would not want to submit to that. The n-word is very similar or the b-word.
You got that backward, son; Raven’s view is not factually correct; race exists as a social construct but ethnicity represents the concrete, factual differences. Some of those factors can be recessive, but they still exist. No society is color-blind, and never will be, but continue to pretend until slammed to the ground, forced to assume the position or heaven forbid, lie bleeding on the sidewalk. All blood ain’t equal.
Umm, okay
No one said discrimination does not exist. I have experienced it myself, including harassment from the cops. I don’t need a lecture, thanks
Try to follow here. Saying bigotry exists, that there are people who are race conscious and will factor in race into their thoughts and actions, is DIFFERENT from believing in the logical fallacy of race. It is also different from identifying yourself on your own terms. I don’t recall Raven saying evil didn’t exist in the world, rather she is thinking for herself. In fact, she’s adopting the belief everyone should have, which is that people are people
Factually speaking, there is no box for humans. The box that already exists is a self fulfilling prophecy in many respects
The whole concept of race, having to explain yourself constantly because of the box you were put in is exhausting. That is especially what makes this Luvvie article so embarrassing. Heck, Toni Morrison herself said something to that effect about having to explain yourself constantly because of race. Luvvie’s adding to the exhaustion because like much of the people who agree with her, she believes she can mock and dictate what someone else is supposed to think. Raven was born looking a certain way, therefore that gives the rest of you entitlement privileges right? You wanna talk about “white privilege?” It’s not having your race & “blackness”(whiteness) questioned constantly, by the people who are so called activists for equality. “Black” people have to deal with it from white supremacists and black ideologues. All most of you are doing is continuing that tradition of exhaustion. Do better
Greetings from “deepest darkest” South Africa. Little Raven needs to read this…
http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2014-09-25-blackface-action-replay-the-struggle-of-memory-against-chomping-on-boerewors/#.VDR6_WeSyyW
I don’t think Raven was denying her “blackness” or her sexuality. I think a lot of people just feel more comfortable putting people in a box so they can feel better and be less confused. Sometimes it’s not that simple. When it comes to the ideas of being black in America, a lot of people can not identify what country in Africa their ancestors came from. What I received from her interview was “I am an American, who happens to be black.”
As far as her sexuality goes, please refer to the Kinsey report. I think she likes who she likes, again that doesn’t make a lot of people comfortable because they don’t know where to place you. Are you straight, gay, bi? I think the labels can be so finite and if you stray from that label you are vilified.
I applaud her. For exactly saying what she is an AMERICAN. Who is entitled to her opinion, who practiced her right of freedom of speech!
[…] Dear Raven Symone, About You Being “Colorless”… NOPE. Luvvie, Awesomely Luvvie […]
The thing people are ignoring is that labels are external devices used for OTHERS to identify you. Unless you choose it to be, it is not relevant for ones understanding of self and we cannot assert that she rejects HER background on the basis of a label which are infact shallow things. If anything feeling oblidged to distil her mixed heritage to ”black” is just an artefact of oppression itself.
Her identity is personal to her, whatever label she chooses to adorn or reject does not change that or her understanding. Funnily enough it shows how fickle people are, everyone’s tried to derive so much meaning from what is actually a plain, simple and inoffensive statement. What people are projecting is their personal persecution.
Its only minorities who are constantly expected to wear these monikers and for their race and sexuality to be brought when it is otherwise irrelevant. Even just look at the context, she obviously feels like her race and sexuality are not something to be politicised, yet here we are politicising it- If at some point she wants bring attention her heritage on her own terms, then thats power to her. It is not for us call upon it when we feel it necessary.
Its only really in America that minorities ethnic origin so widely prefixed when stating their nationality.There’s no issue with people doing so, but no issue in people adopting perspectives on it.
“If anything feeling oblidged to distil her mixed heritage to ‘black’ is just an artefact of oppression itself.” (Sic)
I’d have to agree with you on that one.
[…] poorly worded English on Earth to not only accuse Raven-Symoné’ of being trapped in “mental slavery,” but to also slam her into smithereens for voluntarily choosing to not place herself into a […]
If you want your opinions taken seriously you should use actual words for emphasis instead of writing gibberish in all caps. Your inability to write properly tremendously undermines your ability to express your opinion.
All of you are obviously blind to what she is actually trying to say. She has stated she is an American, what on earth is wrong with that?? She is not denying her heritage, she is trying to voice equality for all. As Americans there should be no color even mentioned. We have all struggled in life and should be proud of who we are as individual people.
I feel her statement wasnt about denying her heritage but rejecting the division that race labels create. The dreams of equality will never be achieved as long as we divide ourselves using race labels. In the end were all American s with proud histories and sacrifices made to get where we are.
Very true Thomas.
I’m not even going to read all of the comments made, however, I will admit that Raven do have a point!. It is obvious she knows that she is Black. The girl did not say that she is ‘NOT BLACK’, the girl did not say that ‘SHE HATES HER COLOUR’, so why is it so bad to say that ‘She is American’. And that is a social problem that ‘Americans’ have, labelling each other causing division, and that is a point she makes’. You know in the Caribbean, there are a mixture of people, Africans, Indians, Chinese, Spanish and etc. But in Trinidad, we call ourselves ‘Trinidadian’ not ‘Afro Trinidadian’, or Indo Trinidadian, same with Jamaica. Politicians say these things to cause us to divide so that they can get votes, but besides that ….. I don’t see the problem with Raven’s Point.
She is an American that happens to have dark skin. Looking any farther than that makes YOU the racist.
i don’t agree with this at all… Raven said shes American because she was BORN THERE. Yes she knows she is of darker colour & that her heritage is probably African-American (and i say probably because with all the rape from wars & affairs that have occurred over the centuries – we don’t know exactly where your from…) she has acknowledged herself as where she was born which is great! Eg. I am Australian. I know my family are from England but i cant call myself English. I know nothing of the English culture nor was i born there. Same with Raven. She wasn’t born in Africa – she was born in America, she grew up with all things American and the American culture. I think it was pathetic of Oprah for trying to stop her from having an opinion. You are all equal. Your ancestors & yourselves have all fought for equal rights from all culture. Why would anyone try to ostracize themselves when you’ve fought for equality for so long? is that really not what you want? Yes, be proud of your culture & if you want to call yourself “Black, White, Asian, Muslim” whatever – go for it. but if someone wants to be their country, if someone wants to be something else. Let them. Colour does not separate you. You are a human being. I am a human being. You shit, i shit, you fart, i fart, you eat, i eat, you are human – i am human. Just because your black and im white means nothing. if anything I’m really tanned – that doesn’t make me white or Spanish. it makes me Australian because this is where i was born.
note – the “profile pic” that has popped up with my comment is NOT real. I am not a young boy. i am a 23 year old Australian Female. This picture was obviously pulled from somewhere else.
First of all, this whole thing was very ignorant. You can not trash talk someone while saying things like “lemme” and “gwirl”. Maybe, JUST MAYBE if you took things like that out, I could take this seriously. I mean, come on. Have you never taken an english class? We learn things like this in elementary school. Second of all, she was not denying her “blackness” she was just making the point that she is an American and that she does not consider herself African-American because she WAS NOT BORN IN AFRICA. She was born here, which by definition, makes her American. I can not believe that people are turning this into such a big deal. She wasn’t saying that you were not African-American so get over it.
Thank you!! Now I know I’m not the only one that thinks like this.
You are totally missing the point. As a blogger you should also speak English so that others may understand you without an Ebonics to English dictionary. I will further her point, so your close mind may understand. Labels are useless and need to stop being used. Black is a color not a race, no one on this planet is black unless their bones have been set a flame and chard. Your skin is the color of brown not black. African-American is a term used to say your were born in Africa and moved to America. But the way people that identified with this acted (the way you speak and behave, like you have no common sense) those that were truly African-American didn’t want to associate with this term so they called themselves Black, and now that is even tainted. Really talking about the “race card” and by the by slavery happens in all cultures not just American history (it’s still happening now). It happened over 100 years ago it no longer concerns you (let it go), it is not taught so a grudge could be held, but so it would not happen to ANYONE EVER again (just like the holocaust). Point blank educate yourself before you publicly bash others for their thoughts and opinions. I 100% agree with Raven. People need to stop the labels withing labels. Our race is human, the blood that runs through our veins is red, our nationality is Earth. Be proud not of color but ones self, our eyes do not give us the whole picture so stop relying on them so damn much. Your words are just as idiotically racist as the next.
As a blogger she can speak however she pleases.
Racism is at an all time high. Today. Right now. In 2014. There is no “letting it go” because it still happens. Make like your username and use your brain. Point blank educate YOURSELF. This is not the time for Black people to pretend they aren’t black and don’t see the struggles associated with having melanin.
& Why are you (a white male) on a Black Blog speaking about things you don’t know about?
While I am not Black or African American, I am bisexual ciswoman. And while I understand the sentiment of not wanting to be put in a box for one aspect of who you are, the color of your skin and who you are sexually and romantically attracted to are a part of who you are. White privilege is absolutely real, as I know everyone is aware of, but I have to say it. I might be a woman and have issues in society because of that, but I’m a white woman. I don’t have to worry about race because it’s never been an issue for me, so I’ll never understand it from a first person perspective. It breaks my heart that it’s an issue. But I do know what it’s like to be marginalized because of my gender and sexuality. It hurts so much. It hurts to the core of who I am. Labels help us work out our past and our present for the future. Labels help us understand one another. I can also label myself as an artist, a friend, a sister, an aunt, a student, curvy girl, and an American (and so many many more). Yes, the USA might be my citizenship, but “American” is also a label that helps other people understand who I am and where I come from. It seems to me that if we decide to give ourselves a label, it’s us taking power over who we are by recognizing a part of ourselves. By not doing so, I think we fail to accept those parts of ourselves as well as the history behind what those labels mean, good or bad. Raven has a position in which she can be a voice to marginalized people all over the world. I feel like she’s ignoring all the parts of herself that come with a painful history, and in doing so she perpetuates an attitude of ignoring the past. She might be tired of being labeled by other people, but she can decide to be proud of herself for the different parts of her. She’s gay and she’s black and both of those parts of her have a history of pain and rejection in this country and still do to this day. I would hope she can acknowledge them loudly and proudly as a part of who she is and encourage acceptance of people whoever they might be. We can’t get rid of labels entirely, but we can change the way people react to them. And we can make those labels things we can be proud of because we can be proud of who we are. We are humans who are made up of multi-faceted parts of our identities, trying to connect with one another through those parts of our identities. Human is the bigger picture and race, gender, sexuality, and so many other things are a part of being human. Be proud of who you are and take charge of how you identify yourself!
hey I’m white I got a block on go k so and yes he is my blood when you guys didn’t hear back from her what you guys actually see what it’s like being our shoes she’s black but she feels like she’s white she’s an American leave her the hell alone you guys make no sense you guys so you guys want to be in a community do whatever with black people I’m not racist or nothing but damn you guys make it sound like she’s doing something bad she’s speaking her mind and that’s what a lot of people do when they’re famous all over in about 10 minutes anyways I’ll give it about three days you’ll be goodthat’s the whole point of our 10 commandments are little freedom speech thing she’s got a freedom speech thing too so why don’t you back off of her and let her say what you gotta say is wow a famous people go crazy cuz you got a bitch at them
Okay everyone. Listen here, I think that this isn’t about her denying who she is. Because don’t we get to decide who we are? Are our nationalities just linked to our color? I am of Irish descendant, but consider myself hispanic as my ethnicity, when I am forced to pick something, as I grew up around Mexicans and Salvadorians, learned the culture and became a practitioner of it myself. I respect all cultures. But at the end of the day, I don’t like labels either. I especially don’t like that labels define someone as “White” while it is racist to define someone as “Black” or as “Asian.” I love Raven for saying that. I am not straight. I love humans. All humans. My sexual preference is men, however I love everyone. I also consider myself just American, because my color, my freckles and pale skin don’t define me. I define me. I think everyone misunderstood what she said. She doesn’t consider herself African-American because of her own choices.
Also, blacks were not the only slaves or the only people treated out of racism. My ancestors who were white than paper were slaves coming to this country as they were pure Irish and were forced to work for free, being sold and treated terribly, and many of my ancestors fought long and hard to be what they wanted to be and to have the right to themselves in this country. However, I don’t think of myself as Irish, I think of myself as me.
How about let’s just stop judging people and being so closed minded? Let’s have enough respect for other people to allow them to think for themselves and identify how they choose to. kthx.
My father is black. My mother is white. I am dark white.
If there’s anything I hate, it’s other people telling me what I am or am not. Black is a culture, not just a skin tone, and one I don’t strongly identify with. I was raised as dark white trash in an all-white neighborhood. My black father was off raising his family, so none of his culture passed to me. Yet I’m told daily that saying I’m dark white is me feeling ashamed of “being black.” It’s not. I know what shame feels like and this isn’t it. I recognize who I am and where I come from, and no amount of well-meaning black mothers hollering, “Girl just get in your box,” will change that. I have a black father. I have a white mother. I am brown-of-skin–genetically all mixed up–and culturally caucasian.
Why as soon as someone has a drop of color they are automatically shoved into a tiny box? You know what I check on all those fancy forms society has me fill out? “Other.” If there’s no such option, I mark “Native American.” If that’s not available, I mark “Caucasian.” Because apparently “human” is too big of a box to use, and I’m just as much white as black and feel more culturally connected to the former, even without reaping the benefits of privilege.
It’s the notion Oliver wrote in an above post, “If anything feeling obliged to distill her mixed heritage to ‘black’ is just an artifact of oppression itself,” and I cannot agree more.
Do people label and see me as black? Oh yeah. Down to expressing surprise when I can enunciate and speak intelligently (true stories) and ask me if my hair is real (it is.) Society puts me into that box because my skin is brown, but the box doesn’t actually work because nearly everything they’re supposed to know about me by using such a clever qualifier doesn’t apply. I’m sure I have strong, oppressed black ancestors, and probably a plethora of weak-minded, bigoted white ancestors–one side of my family may have even owned another. But I don’t have the tools to find out anything about them so I cannot take pride in or feel guilt about their deeds and cultures. So I go with what I’ve got, my self, my experience, and my culture.
I’ll stop saying I’m “dark white” when people stop calling me black.
Raven is not black in the first place… technically she is creole… she is multiracial I mean isn’t that obvious… just because someone has a little color to their skin you say they are black… well do your research… history says one drop of black blood and you are considered black well I look white and I guess what I have black in me… so what the hell am I?… people need to learn to adapt to today’s society… the slave days are over and done… so stop falling back on that as an excuse for your ignorance…. you didn`t even live then… you don’t now anyone that has… y’all are so stupid… all races were enslaved for one… its just black people make a bigger deal out of then it is… yes it was a bad thing but it happened we moved on from it… and its time o focuses on the future and prosper and accept everyone as equals… get educated and learn to respect others… how she feels about her self is no ones concern…. not everyone will agree with you either but you don’t see them bashing you… do y’all know that in most countries people are colorless? Like in germany everyone is german there is no race… and for the dumb ass that said every white person comes from europe what a stupid comment… and btw most actors are multiracial and not black… like mariah Carey if she wouldn’t have made it know everyone would assume she is white… but guess what she isn’t black either… she takes that persona because if she claimed to be black she wouldn’t be accepted by black people… President Obama ran as the first black president guess what we still don’t have a black president.. he is multiracial as well.. but obviously claims to be black to get the colored vote… yall are so ignorant… chances are most of you are mixed too… because yall don’t know who your ancestors had relations with
Ok. Raven is a bit rude and immature! Maybe not just a bit! A lil bit more than a bit! True dat! But if she added some simple things such as:
The orgin of the label black in itself has directed the path of the “black” community or some black persons.
It’s associated with darkness… Momma always said” don’t go out when it’s dark! Come home when the street lights come on!
Is it not true that only light drives away darkness! Therefore, the white, the bright, the light is superior to blackness because it allows you to see?
Whether or not our ancestors struggled through the label of “nigger” and I believe possibly “black nigger” (don’t quote me, however I believe I recall we associated ourselves with tribes before the masters camewith their language and associated our could’ve been “golden skin” with the term, “black”?) Just as ignorant as the term… We continue to call ourselves and associate ourselves with the term “nigger, nigha, nigga” (no matter Hw you spell it it’s still not endearing!)
Whether or not our ancestors struggled through being called names is truly not the issue of labeling!
The issue is do we continue to accept those labels or do we read between the lines of the terms used to identify us?
I personally do believe there maybe a slight chance that being proudly and unapologetically black may Infact be the problem! Accepting the labels of the slave master!
I think I’d rather be considered golden and be proudly and unapologetically golden! Lbs.
What if she was well versed and has experienced ( with her 40-50million net worth) the continent of her ancestors (we got to admit she so dang yellow it’s probably just a bit of African in her curly hair textured self ne ways! Maybe she no longer associates with the little bit of blackness in her ( I don’t know her parents) ) and realize that many are not aware of their blackness until they leave home and come to England, America or other “non black” African countries.
Because people in North Africa do not consider themselves neither Africans nor black no matter how dark their pigment is but rather Arabs! (If you didn’t know, now you know!)
I think it’s up to Raven’s green haired self to identify as she pleases. I think it’s cool that she wants to be proudly and unappologetically colorless/ not being part of the status quo who accepts what their told!!
Enjoy your blackness if you choose and let the girl enjoy her blacklessness!
Raven Symone honey, this too shall pass! They’ll soon find something else to argue bout! Lol.
Thanks Luvvie, feeling sick and down and your writing did and always brightens up my day! You’z funny and smart, and beautiful!
Why does it bother you what she believes in?
It doesn’t really affect you any of you guys.. and no, Kerry Washington is definitely wrong, it is ideologies like her’s that is the root to so much violence, crime, and death. Being proud of anything, especially your skin colour is immoral. Pride is the worst thing a human can feel.
I agree with raven we are not black in any way shape form or fashion. In kindergarten and even before that the color black is as black as these words I’m writing and no one is that black. We are people of color. Including Caucasians they are not white. White is the color behind these words I am writing. And I know no one of that color. Humans have put this black and white label upon ourselves. Which is part of the reason we are so separated now.
Love the way you signed off. I didn’t hear her apologize for being anything. It’s too bad more humans can’t embrace the “we are all humans” thought process. To label ourselves is to promote one above the other. Raven Symone is my newest hero in the fight for peace on earth.
Why the obsession with skin color? It appears to be so racist. I agree with Symone. Instead of dividing people by the lowest factor (outward appearance or skin color) she’s saying what is important is what is inside her. Haters are going to hate I guess, look into a mirror hate is ugly.
I am called “white”, because of my appearance. While some of my family do descend from European nations (many different ones) I also descend from America. I have a healthy portion of Blackfoot and Cherokee in my family lines. There’s a reported third tribe of Native American, but we can’t find the “paper trail” for that one. My point? I celebrate all my heritage. I don’t just associate with one part of my bloodline.
I tell people I am descended from the same family line as President Obama. We share a common family tree. They laugh, they say “that’s impossible” because he’s black and you’re white. Well, actually he’s both black and white. He has one “black” parent and one “white” parent. We share a tree on his white side. His mother’s maiden name and mine are the same. Unlike Raven, I know my family history. The point is… Obama is touted as the “first black president” and that’s really not true. He’s (maybe) the first mixed president we’ve had. His story doesn’t stop at his skin color. His heritage doesn’t stop at his skin color. Neither should his pride in where he comes from. According to some of the comments here, just because he looks a certain way he has to claim only that heritage. At least, that’s what is being said about Raven.
Can you imagine if someone came up to you and told you that you can’t take pride in your “blackness”? Some of you, I’m sure, don’t have to imagine. Well, how fair is it then to say that someone can’t be proud of certain parts of their lineage just because they have a big nose, or a certain texture of hair? We do, indeed, live in a melting pot these days. You can not look at the color of a person’s skin and judge their race. You may see “obvious race” because of predominant features, but you might just be missing the rest of their story, because you have your “race blinders” on.
Many of us, especially in America, are FAR more than just ONE thing. It is a slap in the face to anyone who is told they need to love one side of their heritage more than another because someone else thinks it’s more important than the rest. In truth, by doing so, you become part of the problem. You become the bully (racists) complained about.
I don’t know if Raven actually has mixed cultures and races in her genetic pool (neither does she apparently) but who are any of us to judge what she chooses to celebrate about herself? For those of you who know it – remember your history! Celebrate it! Grieve for it, if you need to! I was lucky enough to research parts of mine back to the 1600s. That’s a WHOLE FREAKING LOT of genetic mixing! I was surprised more than a few times by what I found. You never know what a person is made of, and really, who cares? It’s the person they ARE that counts. What I do know, is I never judge a human by their color or features, because I know better! Looks can be deceiving. Everyone has a much bigger story to tell than what you see on the surface! Some of that is about race, and some is just about life, and how they became the person they are. No one should be able to step up and tell another person how they are “supposed” to live their story, no matter where it started.
Why are all these white people coming to Black Blogs trying to assert themselves into Black Conversation? Do we go to White blogs asserting ourselves into White Conversations? Are white people really that bored and needy?
Where are all these white people when racial profiling and discrimination occurs?
Stay off of Black Oriented Blogs.
I am NOT white. I’m a lovely shade of creamy tan if you’re discussing my color. 😉
I am HUMAN. I am American by birth. I am multicultural/multiracial by ancestry. I choose to celebrate all the parts of me. “White” does not define me, just like “Black” does not define a lot of people here (or any people here, as I have yet to meet a truly “black” person).
As to the question of “why are all these white people coming to black blogs…”
I was directed here by Facebook upon watching video of the Oprah/Raven interview. My daughter posted it for her LGBT friends, because she thought what Raven said was wonderful. Then I clicked on the link to this blog, and was shocked at the outrage behind Raven saying what she did. Why is it so shocking that she would want to embrace all of her culture? I grew up a military brat in very culturally and racially diverse neighborhoods. I’ve had friends from all races, and many I consider family to this day. Why would I not want to understand a point of view that my loved ones may share? Why would I not want to be abreast of issues and problems they may have?
As to “where are all these white people when racism and discrimination occurs…” I have been there, personally, and helped in discrimination cases. I have worked in law enforcement, and know that ALL people are capable of both great evil and amazing goodness, and the color of their skin never predicts which one I will see from them. Their character is the thing that tells the story. On the flip side, I had a “black” lady help me out when I was being discriminated against by black male superiors on the job, because I was a “white” female. Her words to me, “Racism knows no color, no matter which way it’s directed, it isn’t right! One day, people are going to learn that.” She was a woman wise beyond her years! Discrimination and Racism are not about color, and they don’t belong to one set of people. They are all about ignorance and hate. And every race of human beings is perfectly capable of being ignorant and of hatred.
Segregation (even self-imposed) does nothing to help with race-relations, understanding, or equality. I do not begrudge anyone celebrating their heritage, their race, religion, sexual orientation, or anything else that makes them the person they are. It does make me sad to see people who still live in a mindset of segregation, and that we should be equal, but only if we do so separately. So many good people have fought (and died) to bring us (all of us) a dream of equality. Segregation destroys that. Your statement was all about promoting segregation, racism, and inequality. That’s sad.
How would you ever gain perspective if you block out everyone who isn’t black? Identity is not exclusive to black people, so if we’re actually gonna discuss Ravens comments, gaining perspective in how others label/deal with their roots is really relevant.
We don’t need white people’s input on our conversations. They don’t need our input in their conversations.
We don’t care enough to bogard their conversations as they do ours.
We aren’t allowed to have “white” blogs because its considered “racist” its only acceptable when blacks do it. The funny thing is, your blood lines are all more white than they are black. You have had NO pure black blood introduced into your family trees for over 100 years. Also, just so you idiots know, since you hate education, Africa isn’t the only place where blacks originate from. There are black tribes through out south america, Asia, Australia and the pacific islands. So “African american” is very innacurate, and regardless you would only be “African american” if you personally came from Africa and gained american citizenship. I love how Raven embodies the views of martin Luther king and you dismiss her as a traitor. It again reinforces that you don’t want equality, you want a leg up and a hand out.
Wow, I am just an old white woman who likes to stay informed and is always interested in what people have to say. I have always felt that people can think and feel what ever they want but should always be careful with their words lest they hurt another human being. That’s the old in me not the white and something most of your Mothers probably taught you all at one time (If you don’t have anything nice to say don’t say anything at all). Now I’m not preaching complacency or that anyone should be passive in express their point of view but doesn’t some degree of intelligence dictate that we can communicate with out insulting? I went to the urban dictionary to see what a 2520 was and no I am not insulted ;it would take a lot more than that to get under this old WT skin but I am a little confused. You see I never identify myself as a white woman, I am just a woman and I love and support all of my fellow women in a world that can be pretty hard on all of us. I don’t know what is behind Ms. Symones reasoning and I don’t care. She has the right to think and feel however she wants. I don’t think her intentions were to offend or hurt anyone so in my opinion she’s all good. Social media has made everyone a “star” or a “philosopher or a “great mind” the trouble is that it takes away that little thing called accountability, it can be hurtful and do damage beyond your wildest dreams so let’s be careful out there, lets ask ourselves( in the grand scheme of things) how much does it really matter what she wants to call herself? Does the simple fact that she does not share your thoughts, feels or connection to your culture make her “wrong” or is she entitled to her opinion same as every one of you are?
this article disgusts me to the core of my being, she’s trying to get rid of the racial barriers and you all try to shackle her back down, shes right in the end, the color of our skin doesn’t matter, only the fact that we are human does. grow up and join the 21st century.
I cannot get rid of racial barriers calling myself something that I am not. Referring to myself as colorless instead of a person of African origin does not stop me from being racially profiled and/or disadvantaged in a White Priveledged Society.
You should be disgusted when people of African descent are still being killed simply for the color of their skin.
Grow up, join the 21st century and realize that race is still an issue that needs to be discussed and handled without pretending to be blind.
That won’t make it go away.
Typo *Priveleged
Hi, Andy, is it? Andy, you have GOT to be white. Raven is like Tiger Woods 2.0. Remember how he had a similar conversation with Oprah a few years back and he said he doesn’t see himself as a Black man? Yeah, that conversation. Yes, he is also Pacific Islander, but when he looks in the mirror, when he is pulled over by an officer, is he not black???
If our skin color didn’t matter then we all would be treated fairly and equally. We wouldn’t need Affirmative Action to level the playing field. Black men wouldn’t be target practice for police in Missouri or South Carolina or Florida or Georgia or Maryland or New York. Unfortunately, the country was built on the premise of inequality. It was built on the separation of colors. I apologize if this makes you sad in your happy place, but it’s the truth. Blacks are still unequal in the 21st century. The color of skin still matters. THAT’S what we’re saying. Another fact is that Raven tried to distance herself further by implying that she had a good grain of hair. If you’re saying we’re living in the 21st century, what does that even mean?
I am a proud Black woman. While I have love for everyone, regardless of skin color, I am glad God made me who I am. I don’t think Raven appreciates it. I don’t think she has love for herself. We’re not trying to “shackle her back down,” we are trying to uplift her and get her to see that there’s nothing wrong with being African American, Black, Brown, whatever. But she thinks there is. That’s the problem.
well technically Black has EVERY spectrum of color in it…..so she is colorless because there are all colors in that color….she could choose red blue green yellow or whatever she wanted…..I get what she is trying to say….take an art class people maybe you would get it too!!!!!
I think I’ve reached the end of my rainbow with this whining over what Raven said. I listened to her interview and at no point did she deny “Blackness” or disrespect the struggle of those who came before her. This knee-jerk, unthoughtful reaction by so many of us, including Luvvie, is frustrating. What Raven did was own her American citizenship. Period. Full stop. She owned the space those who came before us fought for. She’s an American. Born here, raised here. The culture she’s known is American. And that’s not a denial of “Blackness”. That’s an understanding that “Blackness” is in fact American.
I think what raven meant was that she was born in America. She identifies with the modem America. She is working towards ending racism in this way. Oprah Obama Sharpton Jackson… all promote encourage and male money off of racism. It stayed out as a necessary thing, then it was cute. Now I’m kind of sock of hearing about it from all of these race baiting aholes. If you are African American, you were born in Africa and legally gained citizenship in America… no matter the color of your skin. Same with any other country. It’s fine to identify and i encourage finding your culture. But this Louisiana queen is just another American. That’s it. Not Louisiana American, or African American, or Chilean American, or stupid bitch American. This person from Louisiana happens to be just another American who is also a stupid bitch
I vote Raven
she is so right. when you label yourself afro american, your actually keeping racism alive. We ARE a melting pot. you don’t see people saying i’m indian american, or i’m spanish american, or german american. maybe if they just start calling themselves americans then racism will be a thing of the past. it’s ok to be proud of your roots. but you have changed your hair color now so say what it is now. someone that changes their hair from brunette to blonde don’t say they are brunette-blonde. they say their blond!
Be proud of your roots but then again be proud to be an american!
“maybe if they just start calling themselves americans then racism will be a thing of the past.”
I have travelled abroad on a regular basis for going on 25 years. Without fail whenever I go to a foreign country people see me as American first and foremost. Yet in my native land without fail I am identified first as Black. Always.
I can identify myself as an (non hyphenated) American all day and all night, but that won’t change how US society at large sees me. Racism is deeply embedded in the DNA of this country, and the way Black people choose to identify themselves (or not) is not going to change that. It is what it is.
What everyone hears from her is based on the person, people hear things and make up their own meaning in the words spoken to them.
In my opinion she isn’t rejecting where she is from, her skin color, or her roots. But she is rejecting the LABEL. I think it’s freaking fantastic. Black people have been considered colored since forever, why not let go of it? Something like black, yellow, white, etc. are just words that have separated people as a whole and continue to separate them. We should not be divided by color. Realistically, we are all COLORED people. Whatever shade of color we are, we should embrace each other and see us all as human. I know some people think it’s offensive because you may think “she’s forgetting our history, the words of MLK” but I don’t think she is. I think she is just trying to evolve, as we all should.
Thank you, that is what most of the people on this post seem to be forgetting. Yes people have been called black, white, asian, hispanic for years and years. Its not that she is abandoning her heritage, instead she is simply ignoring those factors when judging people. For example, i am white. Anyone that comments with that as a major factor for their response is simply implying that my race has something to do with my opinion. Carl Sagan has a quote that always reminds me personally of how racism is simply a drain on our humanity as a whole is.
“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every “superstar,” every “supreme leader,” every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”
Evolution….bottom line. We are All related. Facts are facts…and words are just words!
[…] read the full article awesomely Luvvie click here. I found it difficult to find the interview as a whole but to watch pieces of the rest of the […]
I am proud to be Black and/or African American. That is part of my identity and I can’t help but roll my eyes and shake my head when I hear people talk about kumbaya, post-racial, “no race, but the human race”, etc. That’s bullshit. Raven can define herself how she wants, but the colorless label is still that, a label. It comes with it’s own complications and problems. I like that being a Black woman is a huge part of my identity. It is apart of who I am and I will not water that down to make anti-Blacks comfortable. You hate my dark chocolate skin. Bye Felicia. You hate my kinky, coily hair. Next customer! You hate the fact that I am not ashamed of my culture. See ya later alligator. You hate the fact that I don’t pretend to be what you want me to be. After while crocodile…I have no problems with being called a Black woman because that’s who I am. Others may cry, but I sleep well at night.
Personally, I say.. MORE POWER TO YOU!! Raven. Im a caucasion woman, but I have roots from Ireland, England, Scottland, & Germany, as well as Native America. You don’t hear white people going around saying that they are Irish, English, Scottish, German American! Mexican americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, German Americans.. etc. etc. etc. should only feel the need to discern themselves from others if they are immigrants! Otherwise, we can SEE and HEAR for ouselves WHERE peoples roots are located. We aren’t IDIOTS.. (well at least most of us).. and it’s ridiculous that in this country, the people who seem to fight racism the HARDEST are the ones who keep DAILY reminding us that we should NOTICE it. We KNOW you are Black.. we KNOW your roots are from Africa.. but MOST black people also have roots from Europe as well, many from Native Americans also. Im tired of certain races of peoples in America feeling that they should be granted amnesty from “Blending” in with the others by continuing to raise thier “HOMELAND’s” flag, continuing to speak ONLY their native tongue, bad mouthing the people and the country who are supporting them and their families yet at the same time cry “racism” if someone doesn’t ackwnowledge thier race, their language, their culture or their color… and then also “racisim” if they do! No one can win! C’mon people! get with the program! If you WANT it to disappear, then MAKE it DISAPPEAR!!
I for one want racism to disappear but NOT RACE. Ignoring my race ignores who I am. Racism and race are not synonymous. That’s the problem with people who “don’t see race”. Erasing who I am is not the answer. Erasing how others react to my race is the issue.
Thank you.
Ms Raven is right when she says from her experience she is only American. Raven is one of the wealth black americans for whom socioeconomic class and privilege trumps race. She can’t imagine a world where race is a barrier in her daily public life. Most of the people in her public life react to her as a rich woman instead of as a black woman. What’s sad is that she hasn’t figured out that yet and is dismissing that for the vast majority of us black americans, we are black first. Raven will only experience racism and race as an issue now whenever she in the room with other wealthy people who will then segregate according to wealth.
God this is so wrong. Good for her. The minute we stop differentiating ourselves, the people who oppose us will stop differentiating us as well.
So she doesn’t identify as gay. Or African American.
But she DOES call herself an American, and does identify as human of course. And my guess is she also uses other labels to identify herself, such as: woman, actress, entertainer, singer, daughter, partner… the list is virtually endless.
We do label. It’s inevitable. And if we don’t label ourselves, others will label us anyway. Labels in and of themselves are not harmful. It’s when we assign shame to them that they can cause harm. My guess is she has internalized shame regarding some of these words, these concepts. And THAT is the real shame.
You had me at Jon Snow…..*bows
I understand your choice to strongly identify with YOUR race but you must also respect Raven’s. I would be labeled by most others as a Chinese American (or Asian American because hardly anyone can guess my heritage correctly). However, I have been raised as an American and do not follow any Chinese traditions (although I am thoroughly educated in Chinese culture and history). It is MY choice to follow the values and customs I learned in America. Do not make assumptions about my behavior, beliefs, and heritage based upon my appearance, before you get to know me. I think that this is the point Raven wants to get across. She is NOT trying to insult or offend African Americans. I could certainly play a traditional Chinese role on television too but that is not reflective of how I was raised.
I have met lots of African Americans. Guess what? They are not all dark of skin color. I know some that are blue-eyed blondes that have a German/English accent. How would they go about identifying themselves? How about some other blue-eyed blondes I know that are discriminated against because someone 5 generations back was a Cherokee, or Chippewa? Or the golden-tan, dark-haired, dark-eyed girl that is actually of almost pure Scandinavian descent? There is no one box to identify myself by on forms, I am such a mix! The only thing I can identify myself as is an American!
Just leave her be..There are far worse things going on in this world than getting all pushed out of shape because Raven chooses not to be what you want her to be….
the reason we are the different shades we are is because of adaptation to the environment our ancestors lived in. race is a social construct and until you all decide it doesnt matter, racism will still exists. please, black people seem to have some sort of complex about it. if youre alive today, you werent born a slave. its pathetic. you all are the last to evolve, you all do exhibit ignorance on a more regular basis than other people. and all the while, youre screaming about how its the REST OF THE WORLDS FAULT. So “luvvie”, if we can even call you that based on your ignorant, forceful opinions can go shove it. why dont you find a goddamn box somewhere, close yourself up in it and ship yourself back to your “motherland”. #byefelicia
Girl bye!
This country was built off of the back of African Americans. True home to the Native Americans.
Unless white people plan on going back to “the motherland” they stole us from and rebuild everything they destroyed they will continue to deal. As will you.
Here is food for thought
If they started hanging blacks in the U.S. what color would Raven be?
– enough said
And if they started hanging whites how many people would be hung for the color of their skin since there is no true origin of “White” or for that matter black people since then can come several areas of the world not just africa, even in the olden days. How many “partially black” humans would be sacrificed because they were light skinned.
This is just a silly argument and makes no sense. That would apply to every color.
So I guess the one drop rule is still in effect… Someone has some black in them chooses to identify as something other than the thing you share with them and you’re offended? Someone who has some black in them decides that the whole idea of being forced to identify with a particular identity simply because they have some of that identity in them is stupid, and you’re offended? Someone decides that one way to end shallow labels determined by ancestry and genes is to stop wearing them and you’re offended? Too freaking bad.
Racism is alive and well in the assumption… no, the requirement imposed by blacks and whites that someone who has a bit of black in them must BE black. I realize a lot of blacks in this country have white ancestry because of horrible things that those white people did to their black ancestors. There are a lot who do not – our President, for example. He’s as black as he is white and his whiteness isn’t the result of a rape at the hands of a slave owner. Its the result of two people who, for a time at least, loved each other… yet, were he to do anything other than firmly embrace his blackness, if he did anything to embrace his whiteness, both blacks and whites would roast him alive.
An afro-native-anglo-italian jew BLACK
An afro-chinese-pakistani BLACK
An afro-french-persian BLACK
No one in this screwed up society would ever allow such people to be anything other than BLACK.
So she acknowledges the multiple genetic and cultural heritages that make her who and what she is. She understands that none are any better or worse than the others, and she acknowledges the stupidity of wearing a label and being anything other than what *she* wants to be and you’re offended? Well, as the brits say, sod off.
being born into a skin suit is not an accomplishment, it’s not something to base your entire existence around. you didn’t choose it. it’s random chance process. just like where you were born. what’s the difference between the jackass nationalist bordering on being a fascist – simply because he happened to be born within the arbitrary borders of what we call the united states – and the person who bases their life around the tone of their skin? that is what is immature. and foolish. time to start looking *within* to find your meaning and purpose in life. she’s 100% right on.
Where are you getting she’s denying her ethnicity because she classifies her nationality as American? Where outside of the U.S. of A. are people saying they are African French, White Mexican, Latino Australian, etc.? They don’t because one, it sounds stupid and two, people can be identified by at least one race (if they are mixed). Why are we so fixated in America about stating what our backgrounds are or labeling people’s choice in sexuality? Using the subject in this post, when you see Raven kiss a woman or hold hands with another woman, it does not need to be pointed out that she likes women..We will NEVER end racism in this country if we continue to separate one another based on race! We see color, we stereotype based on color..why? This post jumped to the conclusion that Raven saying, “I’m American” means she is separating herself from being Black..it is just like a wife not getting flowers as she has always gotten from her husband on her bday and he says, “I forgot” and she thinks he doesn’t care about her anymore. Just as the man may just have forgotten, Raven doesn’t want to be labeled by anything..and why does this bother people so much? Black ppl have the highest rate of Black on Black crime but Raven not wanting to put a label on anything is news smdh
Hey i am polish, checkslovakian, irish, french. I don’t see a spot for irish-american. i do see white/caucasian. that’s not fair. if i say i am american does that mean i denounce all the suffering irish had to endure or what the polish, checks, and french had experienced under communism, the nazis, roman or ottoman empires. get over it. it’s her opinion/belief which unfortunately you feel necessary she isn’t entitled too. sounds like oppression to me.
I love how all the blacks in the US always have to have been descended from the slaves.. Some of the blacks in the US have immigrated here after the civil war and if you don’t think that it is true you have seriously pulled the wool over your eyes. If you don’t know your families history then you don’t if you’re descended from slaves or someone who immigrated her after. Sometimes I wish people would open a book and learn something.
This is so backwards and highlighted for the wrong reasons. Listen to what Raven is saying, not the way Oprah reacts. My family roots back to Ireland, but do I consider myself Irish-American? No, I’m American.. I was born and raised in America.. neither of my parents or my parents’ parents have been to Ireland.
So why… in the same situation for black or “African-Americans” is it any different?
African Americans do not have the same history/plight as others. There is history behind the coined term “African American”. A simple google search behind the meaning would suffice.
If there was ever a time where systematical oppression was geared toward people with Irish ancestry, you could easily claim “other” and get by with white SKIN.
Black people cannot do that. There is no changing of our skin color.
We have melanin. We cannot morph into colorless beings to fit into a white system.
& Black people should not have to. The system needs to be changed.
But that’s exactly the issue! I don’t think there is a person alive today in America (excluding children) who doesn’t know about our past of slavery. We cannot change a system if we endorse it by defining ourselves as “African-American”. Raven has bravely taken a step into the open and said, “Yes, I have dark skin. No, I am not an African. I have never been to Africa, I don’t even know where my ancestors were from. I have lived in America my entire life, and would like to be defined as an American.” SHE IS TRYING TO CHANGE THE ISSUE YOU JUST COMPLAINED ABOUT. She wants to no longer be defined by her skin tone, she doesn’t want to have to “morph into colorless beings to fit into a white system”. Listen to what she is saying. She is not disowning the past, she is embracing the future.
Black is technically the absence of color and white is the combination of all colors to in wavelength terminology neither are actually a color.
On a more appropriate note.
Besides being something and deciding someone needs that label to define themselves and more importantly flaunting that label are very different things. Be proud of WHO you are sure, but what you are is what you are. Be proud of that as well but don’t act like its a right.
Even “White” people are not “White” it doesn’t tie to a country or area of the world specifically. I agree with the sentiment I am me, my nationality and my ancestry sure. But then in that case it wouldn’t be white it would be Portuguese and they are olive skinned (Green) not white but you find one person on this planet who would look at me and call me GREEN.
Short of description why even bring it up. The labels are what perpetuate the reminder if that is all you identify yourself by. I can honestly say when I speak with someone or get to know them that I may or may not like them, I am not required to do either, but never does the thought go through my head about what color the person I am speaking with is. More often their name and if I connect with them. Its not until I am “Reminded” about color does it enter my mind.
poems:
push the world back, push it so I can be who I am…I am colorless
push so hard, push it all
crushing view of the status quo, you are defined already, you are ignorant of your being…give in, become crushed
should I push or should I give in?
personally, I feel that she is pushing social pressure back as far as she can so that she can be who she feels she is, that is all. I am sure that she doesn’t deny that racism exists, but for her as a person, she has devised a view of pushing things back so she can have fun and enjoy this great life that god has given her.
would martin luther king tell her to not think of a better world where all kids play together?
I don’t think this is about racism, it is about Raven as a person, being who she feels she is and nothing more
I think as a lot of us know, that once you are “labeled” you are judged. That is they way it goes. Do your best to not become labeled and do your best to not be judged. No label = no judge. You label her, you judged her. People put labels, they just don’t appear on someone, they are put there and the status quo is the pressure. Who upholds the status quo? It is the people who label her as “ignorant” and anything but something positive. Calling her out IS the status quo (the pressure put on by you) and that each one of you are upholding the status quo who doesn’t understand. When I grew up watching Raven, she was a fun and endearing child and great to watch. Now is the time to call her out and label her…is that it? Does she deny racism exists? or is she pushing back to be a person? These are two different things. Her being herself is not the same as denying racism exists.
Nice to see so many black people keeping racism alive. You know what folks, it doesn’t matter what color your skin is, if you were born here, you are Americans. Trying to add “African-American” into it seems to give you some sort of entitlement to the pain and suffering of your ancestors. When your ancestors were sold into slavery by your own kind. So you have no one to blame but yourselves.
Look up indentured servant and you’ll see that there were a lot more slaves than just blacks in America. Yet none of them are looking for reparations or special treatment.
If you were born here, and live here you need to embrace “American” by itself. Otherwise YOU are furthering racism in this country. It’s call reverse racism. African-American, Asian-American, Mexican-American, these are all just PC words for “Asshole”. If you can not embrace being an American and that in today’s world we are all fighting for the same scraps, move back to that homeland you are so damn proud of. I’m sure life is wonderful there and you will lead a much happier and prosperous life.
I’ve actually shared the opinion of Raven for quite some time. How can we expect to move forward in any sense if we keep tying to define each other by their color? I also find it amazing that the people (i.e. Oprah) who are being defined MOST by their color are the ones TRYING to be defined by color. You also don’t have to “disown” your past to define yourself as something other than your color. If we keep defining ourselves as “African-American”, then that’s what OTHER people are going to define us as. This is what MLK was fighting against! He wanted us to all be Americans, not segregating ourselves with labels. Raven has the key to ending racism in her hands, and she just held it out to society. Grab it. For the love of God, grab it.
She’s an idiot!!! a young immature clueless person. Black person.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d2SzRZvsQ
What was that about an “immature ass” perception of life in this country? Anyone who wants labels wants those labels for the purpose of discrimination, otherwise why have them. That is the definition of label, to allow you to identify an object and segregate from other objects. This entire article was racist, the author needs to wake up.
I’m going to keep this short. Raven symone is a woman. There is no reason to label her as a “Black” woman. She is a woman. Whether her skin color was black,white,yellow,purple or blue she would still be a woman. THAT is the problem with racism in this country. It exists on both sides of the spectrum. Do you think people in england say no im not english im African-English. No Im black English. Why does it matter what skin color you are. Why should I be considered any less of an american as a white person. I am an american. I was born here. Sure my ancestors might be from somewhere else. But I’m not from that place. I’m from america.
“Everyone’s got an opinion but not everyone has an education. And what are non people of color doing commenting on BLACK topics for BLACK people anyways. Find your designated lane and please stay there.”
I agree to a certain extent. If more people worried less about labelling others and just let them be, the world would be a much better place.
That’s my opinion and I do have an education. A very good one in fact. It is also the case that there is a thing called the freedom of speech and if I want to voice said opinion, I bloody well will.
Nice to see that, unfortunately, racism is still very much alive and evident on this post. One suspects that those displaying it are those, who are the first to call others racist.
My ancestors came from Ireland after the “African Americans” were emancipated. I was not aware that I was failing my children by not teaching them all about the Irish culture and calling us Irish Americans. Or should I go back further and call myself an African American?
Personally if that is how she feels then that is her right. However, I think she is delusional to believe that others will see her this way. Because in Hollywood she would be considered a Black actress period. She would most likely be asked to audition for rolls made for a Black woman. As a woman who comes from a bi-racial background I know that outside of the Black community I am looked upon as a Black woman PERIOD!! It doesn’t matter that my skin is light in complexion or my hair isn’t as kinky. When I walk down the street most people no matter White, Asian and etc., label and see me as Black. Now Hispanics may think I’m one of them as I am often mistaken for being Puerto Rican regularly :). In the world where Raven resides she is looked as only American, however in the real world where most of us live we know that most would consider her to be Black PERIOD!!!.
This reminds me of the story of the Emperors new clothes, you can in fact declare yourself to be anything, but a visual is worth a thousand words. Let us all act as if she is of a different ethnicity in support of her. Hopefully all persons, creed and nations will get the memo. Our complexions, ethnicity and grouping is not our choice, we are born the way we are. There is nothing wrong with any person, group or ethnicity. We are all individuals who can choose to do bad or good. I cannot deny who i am bcuz i have a mirror and yet I am an individual bcuz no one else is me. That is not debatable. What everyone should have is the feeling that when they are seen, they are not a stereotype, they are a person. Denying who you are will not get you there. Acceptance that we are all human beings deserving of equality will. To say i am black and you are white in terms of ethnic or racial identity is not segregation, but fact. To say you are an American is also a matter of fact. One denotes race the other, nationality. They are two different things. this should not mean therefore that race and color is a denial of nationality and vice versa. Americans need to make peace with themselves as a country whether black or white, bcuz they represent freedom and equality to the world and they like to tell us thats who they are, but its hard to see that when we see them being something else entirely. This is where being an American comes in. Be what you say you are or shut up and stop trying to preach to the rest of the world! We are freaking tired of it.
[…] responded to those who'd called her comments misguided or tone deaf, clarifying in a statement to theGrio.com, "I never said I wasn't black." But the most fascinating […]
This whole post has infuriated me so much I could scream. How dare you criticise what someone else feels about race, that’s her view and the condescending tone your so called open letter takes makes me sick. Raven not wanting to be labelled does not mean she is denying her heritage, if she bleached her face white then maybe you could say that but she said she prefers not to be labelled and I don’t see why this is such an issue.
excuse me but when did Oprah become a goddess? or a Mother Oprah…..serious priority issues! I’ll check the Bible one more time for Goddess Oprah — bet I won’t find it! #whodoyouworship?
Raven should be an inspiration to all “African-Americans”. If people would stop focusing on colour and just accept who they are it would be a better world. I am a”Canadian “. My great great grandparents were Irish and English so it is ok for me to say I am Canadian because I am white but for some reason it is not ok not for Raven to say she is American because she is black. Give me a break. Others should learn from her and stop blaming the present generation for the past!
[…] Dear Raven Symone, About Being Colorless…Nope – awesomelyluvvie.com […]
Is everyone so seriously conditioned into labels and segregation that you can’t see what she is saying to be liberating…. labels cause segregation, gay, straight, black, white, yellow….regardless of where your ancestry comes from that should not denote (label) you as a person…..the world is as it is because we have generations of segregation by labelling others which stems from fear … they are different, we don’t like different so we label and most of the horrors of our history could have been avoided if we just accept we are all human beings, we have the same bones, every single one of us our blood is red… our differences are what makes us individuals…..not clones on mass we were never meant to be all the same, believe the same, eat, drink, live or love the same…. so why should we try to make society into a clone world if your different you don’t belong….
its good to see someone who is willing to stand up and say “HEY I AM A HUMAN BEING” that is really the only label we should all embrace not i am black, white, gay, straight, catholic, atheist etc….they are all labels that segregate us…and none of them should matter….
her comment that she is not african american is also correct in the fact that she is an “AMERICAN CITIZEN” her citizenship does not state African American….again segregation through ancestry ….. you could start calling half the americans european americans, asian americans, middle-eastern americans……and guess what most of the americans are not native to the country anyway…..
its not fantasy to want to change the world and how we co exist with each other for the better….to stop the intolerance of those who are different from yourself and to accept each for who the are as fellow human beings, regardless of what you are told by your religion, and please we are all entitled to our own faith, but you are of free mind, and free will, regardless of what you have been raised to believe passed down from generations….make informed decisions based on your own research and make your own mind up…..because to believe and follow on mass because someone else says so, is negligent and why the world is the way it is….
the only thing we all have that ties are together is being human and our humanity and somewhere along the line we lost our humanity….everything else about us makes us individuals….so start thinking as individuals and not sheep or clones, be accountable for your opinions based on your own thoughts not the thoughts of others….and stop condemning a young woman for being honest and trying to change the way things are….
History according to Raven Symone – If GermandJews had just said they were Germans and not German Jews Hitler wouldn’t have wiped them all out. And if Black folk in America had just said they were Americans they wouldn’t have been slaves and wouldn’t have been lynched by angry white mobs. Raven may come from mixed heritage but one things is clear – not one her ancestors of any race were blessed in the intelligence dept – the girl is just a damn fool (and that’s putting it kindly).
Actually, more educated people tend to care less about labels. It’s the people that have no education, who fuck their siblings, who don’t do anything except whatever hick, red-neck pieces of trash, like yourself, do, that care about labels. I think it’s the uneducated people’s way of feeling in control of things. They don’t know anything so they feel the need to label someone to feel better about themselves.
I think this is ridiculous. Just because you have brown skin doesn’t mean you are predominantly African. I am half white from my mother and 1/4 “African” from my Father. If you looked at my blood you would see that most of me came from Ireland. Having a little bit of black in you colors your skin, but it does not dominate your race. Just because I have black skin, it doesn’t mean I am mostly African and if I want to Identify with the part of me that is mostly Irish why is that wrong? I am also Hispanic, but because my skin is more brown does that mean I am not allowed to say so? Is Camron Diez not allowed to say that she is Hispanic because she has white skin and blonde hair even though she fluently speaks Spanish and is in touch with that culture and roots?
In the same way, when “white Americans” say that they are 1/24th Cherokee we laugh because that literally means nothing. Because they have white skin, they are white no matter what right? Yes, in the 1800s someone my family came from Africa. That doesn’t mean I am African.
This. Thiiis —->” Lemme find out you’re water, Raven. ARE YOU WATER? Did Jesus walk on you?? Were you asked to turn into wine one day? Are you odorless, too?”
Literally flailed my arms back in heavy cackles.
dead. O_o
My question is why do you all care what Raven considers herself? Why don’t you label yourselves as you would like to be labeled and let her do the same. Personally, I think it would be great if we could just see people as people and realize that everyone has a story and a history. Your story isn’t better or worse because of how you look. Have you ever heard of not judging a book by its cover?
Some people pride themselves on their history and ancestry – others try to run as far away from it as possible. If she wants to be American then she should be allowed to say so. If she wants to be African American, then she should be allowed to say so.
Omg…. if you don’t understand what she’s trying to say, then you’re really a fuck-tard. Maybe it’s just because people misunderstand me all the time too, but I understand what she’s trying to say. Labels are stupid. Most labels started to group people in different groups and give them certain freedoms. I am a woman, which not too long ago meant the household dog was treated better than me. And what is the definition of a woman anymore? Someone who can get pregnant? Not all women can get pregnant. Someone with the genes XX? What about the people with chromosomes XXY, or XY who feel like a woman in a man’s body? Labels don’t work anymore.
And she’s trying to say that we’re all people and that’s all that matters. Why does it matter the color of our skin? It doesn’t matter the color of our eyes. We don’t group people for their eye color, do we? Of course not. Because that’s ridiculous! lol. Just as it’s ridiculous to group people together for the color of their skin.
[…] responded to those who’d called her comments misguided or tone deaf, clarifying in a statement to theGrio.com, “I never said I wasn’t black.” But […]
[…] “Cosby Show” singer Raven Symoné invited a overwhelming wrath of Internet Blacks when she told Oprah Winfrey in an talk she didn’t wish to be labeled African […]
[…] “Cosby Show” actress Raven Symoné invited the overwhelming wrath of Internet Blacks when she told Oprah Winfrey in an interview she didn’t want to be labeled […]
[…] Raven Symone and being “colorless”: Dear Raven Symone…NOPE – Awesomely […]
that’s exactly what’s wrong with our society though…I mean really people I don’t care where your from or where the “roots” of a culture are from…if you were born here raised here and live here guess what…YOUR AMERICAN…if everyone would stop the “different” color and race crap we’d have it made!!! But I guess we’ll never see a “united” country for many years to come..too many out there see nothing but “color”. If you have respect and like (love for others) then good for you that’s the way IT SHOULD BE
YOU are a racist
I really wish I could understand why the statement of being American rather than African American is so offensive to so many people. She’s right. We’re all Americans. I’m not black, but I don’t refer to myself as being German-Irish-Dutch-American. I’m simply an American. I was born in America, so were my parents, and so were the majority of my grandparents. I know that I have distant roots in other countries and connect with other cultures, but as far as me and where I’m from….I’m an American who has never even been to any of those other countries I have roots in let alone know observe any of their traditions or culture. Raven wasn’t trying to imply that she’s not black, or that she doesn’t have history, but simply that we’re all equal as we should be. I think what she said was beautiful, meaningful, and maybe if everybody had the same mind set, the world would be a much better and more peaceful place.
I really wish I could understand why the statement of being American rather than African American is so offensive to so many people. She’s right. We’re all Americans. I’m not black, but I don’t refer to myself as being German-Irish-Dutch-American. I’m simply an American. I was born in America, so were my parents, and so were the majority of my grandparents. I know that I have distant roots in other countries and connect with other cultures, but as far as me and where I’m from….I’m an American who has never even been to any of those other countries I have roots in let alone know observe any of their traditions or culture. Raven wasn’t trying to imply that she’s not black, or that she doesn’t have history, but simply that we’re all equal as we should be. I think what she said was beautiful, meaningful, and maybe if everybody had the same mind set, the world would be a much better and more peaceful place.
Wow! After reading your blog, I wonder how many people just want to be considered American, like Raven, but don’t dare say it because of the Race Machine that will descend upon them. Poor dear probably has nut cases accosting her on the street now that she dared say she’s American. Very Sad. It is gratifying to read all of the comments agreeing with Raven on this.
It appears that many here have missed the most important part of what Raven said. Yes, you grabbed hold of the wrong thought. Raven’s point was to UN-label yourself, as she has done. She said that she isn’t African-American and she’s 100% correct. If you were born in Africa, you can say that you are African-______. Otherwise, it simply isn’t true. I know a man who was born in South Africa. He came to America and became a US citizen. So, he’s truly African-American……………and he’s whiter than I am. If you’re not already unlabeled, you can experience real freedom, as Raven has. Use your name – it is all the identity you’ll ever need.
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Everyone needs to chill. Obviously there have been atrocities committed, struggles gone through, and wars waged on the back of “You’re different; I don’t like different!”. The point to be made is, yes, we’re human. We can acknowledge our history, our achievements, and our struggles without placating the cycle that is a racial divide. Welcome to Earth, it’s a diverse fucking planet.
Now when you want to rip on those fucking Martians over on the red planet, call me.
If being a decendant of Africa and still seething over the autrocity that was slavery in America, then why does slavery still presist in Africa today? If the true intention of people were to ensure that the same autrocities that their ancestors endured were not to continue, then action would be taken to rid the world of it. However, it is difficult to face the false sense that Africa is this euphoric land, but that racism persists, slavery, poverty, illness and desease claims more African lives than a European-American has done. There is a reason Africans despise black Americans and this blog exposes the most basic sense of it. It is the exact equivelent of the animosity between Europeans and white-Americans. In the end, we are here in America, we are either in it together as Americans with the oppritunity to create a future to be proud of or dwell in a past that to this day despises us. No race in America is without fault or sin, we can hold our ancestors’ autrocities against each other and live in 19th Century America or create the America in the 21st century that we as Americans can look back on in the 23rd Century and know together we finally go it right.
All I read was blah blah blah. She just wants to called American. Nothing wrong with that. As a description, yeah, that is understandable. That is all what race is and should be. A description. It shouldn’t be a classification for stereotypes. That is what I got out of her message. There is nothing wrong with an American wanting to be called an American without the specifics. I’ve been to a few countries and all they ask me if I am American. I say yes. Not I’m African American!
and this article is ridiculous. First off, that nose that she has is more common in India, as well as her lips, and secondly, she does not deny her black heritage, she embraces it but does not let it define who she is as an individual. This is what so many people do, connect with a part of their heritage as being a staple of who they are supposed to be, and how they are supposed to be perceived by the rest of the world in turn. This is why racism is fueled, and this is why segregation is still prevalent, be your own person, dont be born of a mold that restricts growth as a community and be part of MANY communities. Study anthropology for a while and see that in places like Brazil, there are different “races” that depend on the style of clothes you wear, or even the way that you speak. There are hundreds of ” races” in Brazil and this has kept racism’s down to a low rate given how many different white, black, Hispanic, and Latin heritage lies there. How is this so? because race is used to describe more than to conform in these places. Learn something.
SMH… The racism never stops. All because people are stuck in what they were taught. If what Raven says bothers you so much, and you are proud of where your blood came from, and can’t stand the country you live in, then get the f*ck out. Go back to your respective motherlands. You were not a slave, your parents were not slaves. Get the f*ck over the slave sh*t. Grow up… The blood that runs through my veins is a product of slave trade. Here’s the kicker, my original “race” were bred out of existence. I don’t sit here and cry about it. I live my life by what I do and what I want my future to be. Not by what had been done to what used to be my “people”. The only thing ANY ONE person should EVER concern themselves with is, being better today than who they were yesterday. Stop the hate and live for who YOU want to be, NOT by what you think the world will see of you.
If all you Raven Haters would read your History Books then you would find out and Might Actually Understand that White people were a major Part of freeing slaves and helping them escape, White people also were arrested, convicted, and killed for helping “run away Slaves” your color does not define you how you act and treat others Does…” African Amleican” Really Look it up Just because your Black does not mean your African. your nationality is WHERE YOU WERE BORN…. you can be American of African decent but you can NOT Be AMERICAN AND AFRICAN Or Any Other nationality for that matter if you can then I DEMAND to be Addressed as German, Dutch, American Indian, American.. GROW Up your Idiots WE are People Not Colors. Love and respect everyone and the World will Be Worth living in.
I am an American! I was born in TN, in USA, my parents were born in the USA, more than one of my ancestors fought to bring the USA into being. More than one signed the Constitution, more than one has served as President of the USA….I AM AMERICAN. I have family members from black, scot, Irish, English, French, Native and who knows what bloodlines. I AM AN AMERICAN!!!!
Raven is right on.Good for her, she sees people as people and could give a shit about what color they are.She is a very smart Girl.Ignorant people should learn from her.I bet she taught Oprah something as she came across much more confident in who she is and could care less about what idiots are posting on Twitter in which Oprah seems to care a lot about .Shows you Oprah is still very insecure about who she is and money can not change that.Very ignorant remark on her behalf.
Again Raven is spot on.
I am a human being – she is a human being, I assume you by reading this are a human being.
History and sadly current affairs tells us where we seek to place labelled divides between humans (race; religion; nationality; ethnicity) it tends to end in problems.
There are too many examples in the world of hatred and bloodshed not based on that individual humans actions, but purely on the way they look, dress, talk and the stereotype they are assigned by others.
People who try to see past the categorisations can help to generate a better future. They live and are accepting enough to let others live differently. If you want to classify yourself that is allowed – but accepting that not everybody wants to use the same categorisations and names as you is a useful step to take towards a more equal and just society.
We don’t have African English, African Scottish, African German, African French, African Spanish, African Australian…
We just have English people, British and European,, we are all one.
The rest of the world calls you Americans.. no matter where your ancestor 2 or more centuries ago came from
Here’s something that may interesting you. If you were to meet me, you would immediately see pale skin, light eyes and light hair. “White girl”. Funny thing about me, I’m half Mexican. Everytime I tell people that I’m half Mexican they immediately go NO YOU’RE WHITE. Because everyone judges everyone by their goddamn skin color. So yeah, I agree with Raven about being colorless because we’re all humans. We were all created by the same thing. Get over it.
[…] “That is why we are all related and considered distant cousins. For Godsake, any other creature on this planet has more genetic diversity and are (ironically) less related in their DNA with their full siblings than we do between Caucasians and Negros of no apparent relation” – Written by AGF 8th Oct 2014 – taken from an online blog comment real here. […]
[…] might need a quick memory jog on the controversy around Raven’s statements. Most of the criticism was towards her perceived rejection of the ethnic category, African American, in favor of the […]
[…] thinking is important. It mostly started last year when she did an interview with Oprah and said she doesn’t see herself as African American but “colorless.” I was wondering if the girl was gas or water because I don’t know how she got to that conclusion. […]
[…] thinking is important. It mostly started last year when she did an interview with Oprah and said she doesn’t see herself as African American but “colorless.” I was wondering if the girl was gas or water because I don’t know how she got to that […]
[…] thinking is important. It mostly started last year when she did an interview with Oprah and said she doesn’t see herself as African American but “colorless.” I was wondering if the girl was gas or water because I don’t know how she got to that conclusion. […]
[…] mostly started last year when she did an interview with Oprah and said she doesn’t see herself as African American but “colorless.” I was wondering if the girl was gas or water, because I don’t know how she got to that […]
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[…] attire and posing with rapper Da Brat. Popular blogger Luvvie Ajayi laid into Raven’s butt via an open letter, writing, “But again, my issue is not mostly in your denial of Africanness. It is in the […]