Don’t Call Raven-Symone ...‘African-American’Don’t go labeling
Raven-Symoné.
When the “Cosby Show” alum tweeted last August after the Supreme Court struck down the ban on same-sex marriage, “I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you,” many saw it as a public coming out.
But when the actress sat down with Oprah Winfrey recently, she clarified just what she meant.
“That was my way of saying I’m proud of the country,” Raven, 28 said. “But, I will say that I’m in an amazing, happy relationship with my partner. A woman.”
She went on to say, “On the other side, my mother and people in my family, they’ve taught me to keep my personal life to myself as much as possible. So, I try my best to hold the fence where I can. But I am proud to be who I am and what I am.”
Asked when she knew she was interested in women, the “That’s So Raven” star replied, “I knew when I was, like, 12. I was looking at everything.”
Still, Raven cautioned, “I don’t want to be labeled ‘gay.’ I want to be labeled ‘a human who loves humans.’”
She added, “I’m tired of being labeled. I’m an American.
I’m not an African-American. I’m an American.”
A surprised Winfrey responded, “Oh, girl. Don’t set up Twitter on fire. Oh, my lord. What did you just say?”
Raven explained, “I mean, I don’t know where my roots go to. I don’t know how far back they go. … I don’t know what country in Africa I’m from, but I do know that my roots are in Louisiana. I’m an American. And that’s a colorless person.”
When Winfrey warned, “You’re going to get a lot of flak for saying you’re not African-American. You know that, right,” Raven reiterated, “I don’t label myself.”
She continued, “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.”
Quipped Winfrey, “You are a melting pot in one body.”
“Isn’t that what America’s supposed to be?” replied Raven.
After their sit-down, Winfrey posted an Instagram snap of her with the young star and
wrote, “She’s so self-aware and comfortable in her own skin. Love that!”
