Raven-Symoné Responds To Critics: “I Never Said I Wasn’t Black”
Raven-Symoné sparked outrage for her remarks in an exclusive Oprah interview last weekend, when the actress said she didn’t want to be labeled “gay,” despite confirming her relationship with America’s Next Top Model girlfriend AzMarie Livingston. In fact, she didn’t want to be labeled “African-American” either, for that matter.
The former Disney star later clarified her statement, saying:
“What I really mean by that is I’m an American. That’s what I really mean. I have darker skin. I have a nice, interesting grade of hair. I connect with Caucasian. I connect with Asian. I connect with Black. I connect with Indian. I connect with each culture.”
Nonetheless, critics expressed their issue with her stance on racial identity, so Raven responded with the following statement:
“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.”
Watch a short clip from the interview, and tell us your thoughts in the comments below:
