As earlier reported, Raven Symone set the social media arena ablaze following her controversial interview on Oprah Winfrey‘s Where Are They Now special.
Indeed, many took to Twitter, Facebook, and a multitude of other platforms to voice their views on the ‘That’s So Raven’ and ‘Cosby Show’ actress’ claim that she is “not Afro-American…but American”.
And with the debate still blazing, the star has released a statement clarifying her words.
Read what she had to say below…
“I never said I wasn’t black … I want to make that very clear. I said, I am not African-American. I never expected my personal beliefs and comments to spark such emotion in people. I think it is only positive when we can openly discuss race and being labeled in America.” {Source}
It was clear from the moment Symone uttered the sentence that it’d been chopped and screwed into media fodder. And, in likely knowing that beforehand, those are repercussions she should not be surprised about.
In terms of what she said, we’re neither here nor there. From where we stand, it’s a case of folk being entitled to free speech and being able to feel the way they want – as long as it’s not hurting anyone.
That said…what do you think?
She sounds 100 STUPID; glad she made her coins before she went crazy; She really thinks she’s all that; another brainwashed black girl who HOLLYWOOD has destroyed and turned out
You sound stupid…lol! Simply cuz you don’t get it doesn’t make her crazy. I can’t stop laughing at these stupid comments. #icant with ignorant ppl. i just can’t!
You are so correct!!! People your comments are hilarious!
Lisa you just called her a “black” girl not an “african-american” girl! She says she’s black just not African American, heck so probably is more white than most white people!
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Raven need to worry about getting a stylist not no comments, I mean her gf even dress better than she do can’t she give her some dang tips.
Her sentiments are completely understood and shared. Brave move, Raven – hang in there.
I honestly don’t think she needed to clarify her statement. Raven is an open minded, educated individual and what she said was nothing but the truth. Stop claiming a culture you know nothing about. Half of you can’t even point out the capital of Egypt yet you’re “African-American.” We’re you born in Africa? NO! Oh, but your great great great granddaddy gandolf who you know nothing about was from there so that makes YOU from there as well? GTFOH
Exactly… A white couple born in Africa that has a child born in America would be called an African American technically… Doesn’t mean they are black…
The fact that she needed to clarify her statement just shows how ignorant so many people are. They immediately jumped on the hater bandwagon and roll on down negativity street.
The statement from the jump should’ve been “In America, being just AMERICAN should be enough… whether its Latin, Asian, or African, shouldnt matter we should be treated the same as American, and thats who I am….” But she gave them a soundbyte to latch on…. SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING… ITS SEXUALITY DEFLECTION 101
You think she’s deflecting? IDK why, everyone been knew she was a lezzy. But thinking back to when she brought it up in the convo, it did take attention of her sexuality.
I do… it was a bait & switch… She wouldnt confirm or deny ,so she deflected…
People are dumb. The fact that more people were offended by this than Justin saying the N word.
Speak On It! Don’t forget this…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk2DAYHxf1o
Meh who cares. She said what she said. It’s her truth. Black people (MY people) get on my f****** nerves sometimes. As much as blacks (im guilty) clown Africans, they shouldn’t care if someone doesn’t wanna be called African American. Have f****** several….
i understood what she meant and she is entitled to her opinion people are so sensitive she never said she wasn’t black
Maybe the saddest thing with our people is we don’t realize how much of our identity we have already sacrificed to assimilate and survive in white culture. It feels normal because our generation is far removed from the lives our ancestors lived, but the truth is we are still suffering serious repercussions from slavery. By calling ourselves “African American”, we’re speaking to the little bit of history we have left after our family lines were basically wiped from the books. This country was built on the backs of Africans, so I will proudly call myself African American as I continue to do what I can to build the dream that Africans suffered long centuries to have.
I completely understand what she means. Society often labels people to pigeon hole them into some sort of statistic or percentage. She saying labels are old. it’s 2014, so why do we need to be labeled African American? Or gay? Or Mexican-American? Or any other label that could placed on someone for their race, religious beliefs or sexual orientation. When you become a citizen of america you are american. Unless you just arrived from Africa, or are first or second generation African, you can’t possibly be African American. Very few people who are “African American” still have African blood running through them so it’s almost a hypocritical “label”. So I embrace my ancestry. I will always be proud of the things my ancestors contributed and did to solidify a place in the United States but they are the real “African Americans”, by 2014 we are just Americans.
Me being black, and gay, totally 10000% understand exactly ehere she is coming from.
I feel same way, and have always said these things before she did, bein labeled sucks (period).
Yall need to LAY TF OFF Raven!! Like FR FR
–
She is QUEEN!
Her comments made complete sense in the interview. she never said she was not black she just simply stated that she is not AA but that she is American. Her roots come from a number of things just like America is “melting pot” of races. She is tired of being labeled AA and wants to be known as an American and that doesn’t make here any less black than she already is. I think it is ignorance on our behalf to go to such lengths to tear down her beliefs and feelings.
On top of that, black people are so quick to beat her down for not claiming to be an AA yet they certainly don’t do a thing to help better the image of al AA. Maybe we should talk about that instead…
“African-American” are citizens of the United States who have total or partial antebellum ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa. The reason we use an entire continent (Africa) instead of a country (e.g., “Italian-American”) is because s**** masters purposefully obliterated tribal ancestry, language and family units in order to destroy the spirit of the people they enslaved, thereby making it impossible for their descendants to trace their history prior to being born into slavery. Some people just don’t know what they call a “label” is, she’s in denial. All of us are labeled by our ethny/racial background, if you Google a random famous person, you will find this: Michael Jackson, Afro-American (African descent/Black people)….Sylvester Stallone, American people of Italian descent (European/White)…..Jennifer Lopez, American people of Puerto Rican descent (mostly Spain)….George W. Bush, American people of Dutch descent (European/White). Latin people born in America are called Hispanic or just Latino and the Black Latinos are called Afro-Latino because their ancestors and race is Black, Black people originated in Africa, there are also Afro-European, Afro-Caribbean, etc. She insists that she’s not African-American, she just come across as someone who is denying her identity and roots, that’s the problem with some African-American, they get mad if you call them African/Black or whatever name has some Blackish connotation, is that simple word that hurts them, i mean, of course you’re American but also African, just like most White people in America are European.
Well said! This country wants to keep blacks from knowing how powerful a people we were before our cultural identity was snatched away. We’re still fighting for acceptance in a country that wants to promote white culture and heritage as the dominant power.