Raven-Symoné and her Blackness are being questioned again as she herself questions if her iconic Disney Channel character “Raven Baxter” was actually Black.
RELATED: Raven-Symoné Reflects On Her 2014 ‘I’m American Not An African American’ Statement
Raven and her racial background first made headlines back in 2014. At the time, she told Oprah Winfrey that she does not identify as African American, and not to label her as such.
After her comments, she addressed the backlash and released a statement. She said:
“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. I’m an American. I’m not an African American; I’m an American. 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. 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.”
In April 2024, Raven-Symoné again addressed the controversy on her ‘Tea Time’ podcast with wife, Miranda Maday Pearman. During the episode, the Disney Channel star said:
“When that aired I felt like the entire internet exploded and threw my name in the garbage. There was so much backlash from my community and others that misunderstood, didn’t hear the exact words that I said, and the exact words that I said is that I’m an American not an African American. A lot of people on the internet thought I said that I wasn’t Black and I never said that, there’s a difference between being Black and African. When I say that African American does not align with me…it doesn’t mean that I’m negating my Blackness or I’m not Black. It means I am from this country I was born here, my mom, my dad, my great great great …that’s what I’m saying the pure logistics of it. I understand my history. I understand where my ancestors come from. I also understand how much blood sweat and tears they’ve soaked into this earth in order to create the America that I live in today – free, happy, taxpaying American citizen. I also know that when I’m in another country they don’t say, ‘Hey look at that African American over there.’ They say,’That’s an American,’ plain and simple.”
Raven-Symoné Questions If Raven Baxter Was Black
In March 2025, Raven again addressed the controversy on ‘The Jason Lee Show.’ Finally, in April 2026, Raven-Symoné again reflected on the controversies about her racial background. On her and her wife’s podcast, ‘Tea Time w/ Raven & Miranda,’ they welcomed guest Kalen Allen. During the conversation, the actress recalled her upbringing in predominantly White communities.
When Allen recalled a Tyler Perry film about a young Black adult coming into his Blackness, Raven-Symoné said, “People are judging me for the things that I’m saying. ‘No, no, no. I love my Blackness. But my Blackness can look so many different ways.” Allen chimed in, “Yeah, but you are also set up because Raven Baxter was so f**king Black.” Raven-Symoné questioned, “Was she Black?”
Despite Allen confirming, “She felt Black as hell to me,” Raven and her wife Miranda countered and told him to remove color and only “Hear the words.” The conversation has since resurfaced and is now going viral with social media users again slamming Raven-Symoné over her Blackness and now the Blackness of a character she played that resonated with so many Black children and young adults.
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