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The terms of black and African American do not mean the same thing and even people of African descent still don't agree w/ the AA label, or the label black. After all it was in the late 1980s that Jesse Jackson used that term for himself and then the media began to take that term and use it and applied as a PC sociopolitical term to refer to people of African descent and blacks whose roots in USA goes back to before 1865.
Raven's roots in what is now USA probably goes back to the arrival of the first Spanish colonies of what is now the USA over a century before the British establishment/settlement at Jamestown, Virginia and the 13 colonies.
Raven could have articulated her point better, but I understood what she said and she is absolutely correct. The delivery of her message got lost in translation. Raven was just saying that she knows who and what she is, and that why should it or does it matter to nosy people all up in her business. She essentially says why should she have to declare or proffess anything to judgemental people so they can make assumptions and categorize and pigeonhole her and when they could get to know her as individual instead. She is aware that people will attach labels and assumptions about her but why should she have to come out or constantly state what her race is when you know it. I'm sure she is aware that anti black people will give her flack for her race or nice story, but she is ultimately saying eff off to racist ppl that hate blacks. Also why don't people tell whites to state that they're white all the time. I don't think Raven even denied the label of African American either. Perhaps she prefers black but uses both interchangeably when necessary. But it is clear and obvious that Raven is of mixed ancestry. Raven didn't even have to breach or address the topic as Oprah never addressed that. All Raven was saying is that she knows who and what she is.
If Raven is curious about her ancestral origins, Louisiana has extensive deep colonial record keeping and even specific tribes are documented. She could even read the book "Africans In Colonial Louisiana" by Gwendolyn Midlo Hall and could find out more about her ancestors. Raven's roots lie in Louisiana in Winn Parish. Her grandparents are of the Gaulden & Ross families. Her families' ancestral parish of Winn, Louisiana are extremely proud of her success. Louisiana Creoles are a Hispano-Franco/Latin cultural and ethnic group consisting of people of all races and mix of races, and the traditional languages spoken are Spanish, Louisiana Spanish, French, Louisiana French, and Louisiana Créole. Overall, Raven knows who and what she is. It should serve as a wake up call that people of African descent deserve the right more than anyone to simply be referred to as simply just U.S. Americans first, for they contributed so much to the founding, establishment, and development of the great nation we call the USA.
I don't know if she's worth that much, but even if it's a 3rd of that, she lives in a world where she doesn't have to be concerned with how other people view her. For the average person who wants to go into a store, or drive down the street, or apply for a loan, the idea that you can pretend labels don't matter is ridiculous.
and all the CD conservatives applauded. what a dream to be able to discriminate against a group of people who won't admit why you are discriminating against them. personally, I don't refer to myself as African American either. I am a black American, because I carry DNA other than my west African DNA and I do not culturally identify with any west African cultures. I don't care how Raven identifies herself, it is her choice. But in general, insisting that I am just an American like you, that is all, will not prevent me, my family or my fellow black Americans from facing discrimination. Sorry.
But she is not overlooking that there still is discrimination!
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