Every since slavery blacks have had several discussions on how to self-identify. Some of these self-identifications were a result of overt racism (nigger, coloreds, spooks, Sambos,) and others because some wanted to stay true to our African roots (African American) and not be labeled as a simple color (black).
So I didn't really take offense when Raven Symone during a very candid interview with Oprah last year, said that she wanted to be labeled as simply, "American.""...Whatever, tomato/tomata..who cares?
But of course Ms. Symone did not stop there. In a recent interview, she defended a Univision employee who lost his job for stating that First Lady Michelle Obama resembled a monkey. Ms. Symone said some people did indeed look like zoo animals (I am sure she wasn't referring to the FLOTUS of course...Insert eyeroll here)!
But no she doesn't stop there. In another recent interview, she states that she is from every continent in Africa...wait what? Last I checked, Africa was one continent, made up of 54 countries and two provinces. Oh by the way, in that same interview with Oprah, she said she was not from Africa, neither were her descendants, which is why she took such offense to being labeled as African American...wait what?..but okay Ms. Raven!
So after all these offenses, black people can you'll come get your cousin?
Raven is proof of what happens when we folks have too much time and money on their hands.
You see nobody is checking for Raven. She has aged out of Disney productions (She is coming up on 30 in December). She is about 20 years too late to play the cutesy little girl role that she did on the Cosby Show.
And with plenty of time, and money, and no formal education (No, you don't need a college degree to be formally educated, but she could at least read a book or two every now and again), we get these idiotic statements.
The dangerous thing is some little girl is idolizing her, and the yes men and women of Hollywood will not tell her the truth.
The truth that it is a dangerous game when you try to separate yourself from your people and your history.
Maybe, Ms. Symone needs to make a prison visit to OJ, and ask how that worked for him!
Until next time.....
