And just as a note: While Raven-Symoné says things in this that I agree with 100% (like when people think of “an American,” they’re usually picturing someone white and male), her point about colorblindness is nice but unfortunately not realistic. I totally respect her reasoning for not wanting to be labeled, but rejecting labels doesn’t create equality — it often just makes talking about inequality harder.
Update 10/8/14: Raven-Symoné’s interview has sparked a lot of criticism for its overly optimistic view of race (check out a really great dissenting opinion here), so Symoné spoke to The Grio about her very controversial viewpoint and clarified a few things:
Symoné’s comments to Oprah sparked outrage from critics on social media and the blogosphere. In an exclusive statement to theGrio.com, Symoné addresses the criticism she’s received since her interview with Oprah and wants to make one thing clear; she’s still “black.”
“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.”
