[Alf]

Is she considered Black?

I often see her name in lists of best Black singers. I know she has a Latino background but I never considered her a Black artist.

It's not anything I'm concerned about, I just found it odd when I saw her name in lists with the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston ect of great Black singers.

What would you say?

Youtube video

[Alf]

I just googled and it said that she is afro-latino from her grandfather who was from Venezuela.

[Alf]

There is a reason why I ask because June is African-American music history month and I was planning on making a thread on celebrating this with some top tunes.

[Redway]

I would’ve said she was more mixed-race than anything but racial identity is a personal thing. Only she gets to really call the shots when it comes to how she wants to identify in that sense.

[LaLaLand]

She's mixed race, her Dad is/was black.

If you watch this video for her song "Through the Rain", it's loosely based on her parents and their struggles when getting together (racism).

Youtube video

Idc if she's white, black, green or neon purple - she's fantastic. So glad I saw her live too. One of the all-time greats for sure.

[Redway]

Having said that it does get on my nerves when mixed-race people are randomly lumped in with fully black people without their consent. They’re often as much Caucasian as they are black and it’s a shot for them to call on an individual basis. ‘Othering’ anyone who doesn’t appear purely-white and assuming they must identify as black alone isn’t the best approach. People need to stop doing that.

[Alf]

Well I'm gonna go ahead and make my "African - American music history month" thread and her ethnic background does say that she is part of it.

[Strictly Jake]

Originally Posted by Alf

Well I'm gonna go ahead and make my "African - American music history month" thread and her ethnic background does say that she is part of it.

Well this sounds pretty fantastic

[LeatherTrumpet]

cant stand her or her "music"

[Mystic Mock]

Originally Posted by Redway

Having said that it does get on my nerves when mixed-race people are randomly lumped in with fully black people without their consent. They’re often as much Caucasian as they are black and it’s a shot for them to call on an individual basis. ‘Othering’ anyone who doesn’t appear purely-white and assuming they must identify as black alone isn’t the best approach. People need to stop doing that.

I agree with you on this.