Raven-Symoné Pearman (1985- ) is an American television actor. As a little girl she was best known for playing Olivia on “The Cosby Show”. Now she is 29 and best known for making internalized racist remarks.
Television: Her best known shows:
1989-1992: The Cosby Show – plays Olivia, Bill Cosby’s granddaughter.
1993-1997: Hangin’ with Mr Cooper – plays Nicole
2002-2007: Kim Possible – voice acts Monique, Kim’s Black Best Friend.
2003-2007: That’s So Raven – plays the main character, Raven. It becomes the Disney Channel’s most successful show up to that time.
2015- : The View – a morning talk show where she plays herself.
In 2015, she also landed a part in “Empire” as Olivia Lyon, an ex-wife.
Film & Music: She has been in quite a few films. The best known are the Dr Dolittle films (1998, 2001) and the Cheetah Girl films (2003, 2006). The Cheetah Girl albums went to number #1 among American kids. She has done tons of voice acting.
In 2013, she came out as gay or, as she calls it, “a human who loves humans.”
Some of the “dumb shit” she has been saying lately:
October 2014:
“I’m tired of being labelled. I’m an American. I’m not an African American, I’m an American. … I’m an American, and that’s a colourless 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.”
March 2015: Defending Rodner Figueroa, who said Michelle Obama, the First Lady, looked like an ape from “Planet of the Apes”:
“Was he saying it racist-like? Because he said that he voted for her later, and I don’t think he was saying it racist… Michelle, don’t fire me from this right now, but some people look like animals. I look like a bird. So can I be mad if somebody calls me Toucan Sam?”
June 2015: Defending Rachel Dolezal, a White woman who passed as Black:
“Black women straighten their hair everyday. Black women do it all the time and what do we say to them? ‘Oh, you look cute girl. You gotcho’ hair did. blah blah blah.’ So white women can’t do the same thing?!”
July 2015: Defending Martin O’Malley, who is running for president:
“I understand what the ‘Black Lives Matter’ hashtag means. It came in conjunction with everything that was going on with the police in Ferguson. You have to be sensitive in that statement, but he is right, all lives matter… I think you have to open yourself up. It should be all lives matter,”
October 2015: Talking about Black-sounding names:
“I am not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea. It’s just not gonna happen. I am not gonna hire you.”
She said that is not “racist”, just “discriminatory”.
There is more and, no doubt, more to come.
She generally takes back statements like these if Twitter goes nuts. But often she puts her foot further in her mouth, like when she said Michelle Obama looks like a cat. She is that clueless.
– Abagond, 2015.
Update (October 31st): After the video of police brutality at Spring Valley High went viral, Raven-Symone said what the police officer did was terrible, but blamed the girl for not putting away her phone when the teacher told her to: “get off yo’ phone.” There is now a Change.org petition to get her fired.
See also:
- New Black – what she is.
- Rented Negro
- internalized racism
- Rachel Dolezal
- Michelle Obama
- Bill Cosby
- Other Cosby kids:
- Empire
- Cree Summer
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Back in the days while Raven was on the Cosby show, I thought highly of her because she displayed the potential to blaze a path beyond acting. However, she proved me wrong by a long shot. Judging Raven by her own quotes over the past few years, she’s blazing an obvious path no further than a Psychologist’s couch for some therapeutic sessions.
Also, her reddish, mohawk hairdo and purple lipstick weeks prior to Halloween isn’t helping the situation. On one hand, I pity her because I believe this women is crying out for help due to some type of undiagnosed emotional disturbance of some sort.
On the other hand, Raven’s continuing efforts to not only distance, but completely disassociate herself from her own blackness isn’t going to solve her identity crisis. Her personal problems will never be solved until she come to terms with who she is as a black woman and self hatred. At some point, she must honestly confront any other demon that may dwell within her.
Until that time arrives, be on the lookout for some more asinine comments made by Raven.
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As a child actress it’s likely she was tutored instead of attending a regular school. She has been raised around white people her whole life, thus she views the world through a white lens. She has been brainwashed by well intentioned liberals growing up and probably has never had to experience the things most non whites have to deal with.
She was raised from a child to preform for white people so her statements today reflect things whites like to hear. Is their a corrolation between being taught to act for a white audience and how you process information later in life ?
It seems like a different variation of internalized racism rooted in class rather then the experiences the majority of non whites deal with. I dunno if that makes sense.
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Any child growing up in the twisted entertainment business is bound to be crazy and/or suicidal. Look at Miley Cyrus, Britney Spears -weren’t they with Disney too? Numerous suicides and premature deaths of these young people (and older ones too). Mamas don’t let your kids grow up to be entertainers.
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“Now she is 29 and best known for making internalized racist remarks.” Quite a mouthful, “internalized racist” could be substituted by Negrophobic. I totally agree with her as far as the Dolezal thing goes. It’s silly for Blacks to claim people like Charles Waddell Chesnutt as “black” and freak over some woman no less “white” than he as an impostor, because one has “one drop of black blood” and the other doesn’t.
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@Blakksage
“It seems like a different variation of internalized racism rooted in class rather then the experiences the majority of non whites deal with. I dunno if that makes sense.”
Yeah, of course it makes sense! In countless ways WHITENESS has corroded every living soul, in some form, shape or manner. No one alive escapes its deleterious tentacles!
@Michael Barker
“She was raised from a child to perform for white people so her statements today reflect things whites like to hear. Is their a corrolation between being taught to act for a white audience and how you process information later in life ?”
Aren’t ALL Black entertainers/professional sports athletes held to this same expectation, saying things that whites like to hear – or else they’ll need to find another line of work?
I have yet to see an honest and outspoken Black celeb bring a sledge hammer to Racism-White Supremacy and still have their careers remain intact – unless they’ve been providing some other useful service(s) for whiteness.
One is either an ACCEPTABLE NEGRO, or else a problem negro..
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Let me get this straight, she won’t hire anyone whose name is Watermelondrea but she thinks people don’t think Raven-Symoné is not “ghetto”. Maybe because she’s never applied for a “white-collar” job.
But this raises a good point that partially explains into why equally or lesser qualified whites are more likely to get interviewed for jobs than equally or more qualified blacks.
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@Fan,
you attributed the following comment to me: “It seems like a different variation of internalized racism rooted in class rather then the experiences the majority of non whites deal with. I dunno if that makes sense.”
Actually, this comment was made by Michael Barker. However, I do agree with your response.
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She also claimed her Twitter was hacked recently, but I don’t remember over what (which tweet she claims wasn’t hers).
In 2013, she came out as gay or, as she calls it, “a human who loves humans.”
This is also interesting. On one hand, I understand if people feel labels such as “bisexual” or “pansexual” do not fit them, but she does seem to have a tendency to reject labels in a strange way, as if ignoring something makes it disappear. Or as if she’s something “special” others like her aren’t. I don’t know.
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Without a doubt, Raven Symone is embedded with internalized anti-Black racism. She wants to be highly controversial as well – it brings in a higher paycheck from her White supremacist bosses. If she was around 75 years ago, she’ll be the one holding the brown paper bag next to Black women’s arms. Sometimes Creoles forget that they’re N#%#@* with lighter skin.
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@ Blakksage
Oops! Thanks for the correction. Maybe it’s time for another eye exam!
Or a font boost.
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@ Mira
She said this tweet was not hers:
A hilarious parody of how she seems to think.
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@Abagond
Believe me I have heard even more stupid things said by Black people over here..lol
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@ Fan .. Agreed.
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To add, not only would many people think the name Raven-Symoné is “ghetto,” and deny her a job, I’m sure they’d think the 10 pounds of makeup she’s wearing and that rooster cockscomb of hers is “ghetto” too.
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She said this tweet was not hers:
“I am NOT African American nor black. It took me time to find myself and I have finally done so. To be honest, I am actually ‘Dark White.’”
Yes, thank you. I forgot which one it was. I always side-eye celebs when they claim to be hacked but I don’t know, ok, let’s give her some benefit of doubt here… The trouble is that some of the stuff she says are along these ridiculous lines so it’s not CLEAR that this is satire/hacked tweet.
I don’t know. I just hope people will see her words as words of an individual.
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She is just messed up something happens to those folks when they hook up with that Disney franchise. i.e. Miley Cyrus, Amanda Bynes. SMH at all of them. What Raven Symone fails to realize is many of those young girls with those ghetto names were her biggest fans and helped her get to where she is today. I am going to need Fog-Horn-Leghorn to put a sock in it and STFU. She has no business speaking. These “new blacks” are working my last nerve. Drops mike, end of rant.
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Her father is trying to sell his new book and he even admitted that his baby girl says stupid ish.
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Anytime she says anything about race( which is bound to be something stupid), I can’t help but remember that episode where she didn’t get hired at a store for being Black.
How does she not remember that???
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@Mary Burrell
You amazingly summed up my feelings. She is so lost and messy that it is not even funny. I saw on facebook where Ann Coulter checked her and people who hate that woman were like “Ann was right.” I won’t go so far as to agree with that racist Ann, but I did find the whole exchange funny. One dumb a** checking another dumb a**
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As if young black girls don’t have enough to feel bad about. The View needs to get rid of her, Despite denying being black she is viewed as black. First there was Sherrie Shepherd the Raven, they only want dumb black women on the view?
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Ann Coulter checks Raven-Symone:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPZ4Ha8SFDU)
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@Marsha Collier
“they only want dumb black women on the view?”—I think they do.
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@abagond
She may have checked Raven and society is getting a laugh out of it, but no one seems to notice that Ann got out of answering that question too.
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Hilarious that Raven would say all this while looking like the illegitimate child of Fog Horn Leg Horn. Isn’t it time for this bird to fly south for winter, how Raven can run her mouth she has the single most ratchet hairstyle ever.
Look at some of the name whites give their kids
Gwyneth Paltrow daughters name ? Apple Martin
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie daughters name ? Shiloh
John Mellancamp sons name ? Speck Mellancamp
Selma Hayak daughters name ? Valentina Paloma Pinault:
Jessica Simpons sons name ? Ace Knute.
Yes celebs live a different world but even everyday white folk have names like Pilot Inspektor, Audio Science, Moxie CrimeFighter
.
But no. She wouldn’t dare use any of those because those names were given to YT children and we know she ain’t trying to get them upset.
Plus most of the African-American names are from two categories
1. ISLAMIC NAMES : Raheem, Shameeka, Rameesh, Aaliyah and such names..
2. FRENCH NAMES (or pseudo-French) : LaTrell, LaShawn, LeWon, LaQuisha, DeShawn, Marquis, Antoine, Andre.
I often look at the people behind it.
When whites want to REALLY talk about racism, they don’t give the mic to Hulk Hogan, they give it to the likes of Sean Hannity and people like him.
Whites talk about racism to blacks and then give the mic to Young Thug and Lil Wayne or Raven Symone, knowing full well that they ain’t up to it.
They don’t give the mic as much to blk people, the likes of Dr Umar Johnson, Tariq Nasheed or Shahrazad Ali.
She basically said that she thinks it’s okay to completely rule out someone’s merits based upon a name, which in most cases, they had no hand in choosing. She’s the very definition of a dumb bitch with her musty, swollen cockatoo looking ass.
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To the Hateful so-called Marsha Collier, are you going to write those DEMEANING lines about white people or white girls?
How about this version?
”As if young white girls don’t have enough to feel bad about. The View needs to get rid of her, Despite denying being white she is viewed as white. First there was Jenny McCarthy, a porn star or Elizabeth Hasselbeck , this annoying white co host female who is DUMB as they come. They only want dumb white women on the view”.
So, Is that make any sense to you to say that someone is denying being black? Is she a thief or a mass killer? Don’t you see that to be WEIRD ? People only deny something that is appalling, negative or shameful.
Raven-Simone resents to be called black or colour. And RIGHTFULLY so .
However, this is not the way she should be expressing her frustration.
Why white former child stars like Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan and Justin Bieber are not denying being white or any others famous or wealthy whites are not SCREAMING that HELLO: LOOK I’m not white or I’m no longer a WHITE male or WHITE female!
This PUNK out of control called Bieber is not even an American to begin with. Yet look at all his CRIMINAL violations. He always get away whit it . Why ? because whites in America perceive him just like one of their own which is like any white. He will go to any European country or anywhere the white has control over it will be the same for him. A big big pass!
Lindsay Lohan, despite her countless crimes, driving drunk and high on cocaine and causing an accident, beating a woman, STEALING a $ 35 000 Rolex, a $ 10 000 of clothes and jewelry and so one, white people & their media did not link her criminal activities and her blatant lack of control to the COLOUR of her skin or to her white race and European criminal culture.
Yet the same whites will be jumping to do just that if the same Lindsay Lohan did not display a PALE skin colour and were an African. A Hollywood star or not. It makes no difference for whites.
The question you should be ASKING should be
WHY this DOUBLE standard? A double standard I call IMMORAL and HYPOCRITE from the whites part .
As you can see Raven-Simone is FED up with that . Instead of directing her frustration to the source, the white people, she is attacking her own people because whites are the HUGE elephant in the middle of the room. Everybody sees them, but no one will dare to call them out on their negative views and mindset towards African people. She feels powerless towards the whites.
So this young former child star is doing what some famous, wealthy and highly intellectual NON whites do to cope with the whites endless colour names calling, stereotyping, cruel and vicious jokes about Africans for just being HUMANS while being BLIND to their own PALE skin COLOUR and overlooking their own white moral failures.
Now I also achieve ”HUMANITY”, obviously the white ”one” and I now reach the rank of white ”HUMANKIND” because I’m famous and rich.
Hello , WHITE people you should NOW accept me as one of your OWN.
You should see me now as human being.
As long as whites will not reduce a white person to a white COLOUR or to a COLOUR,
As long as whites will not be RUSHING to point out their OWN PALE and PIN-GREY skinned-COLOUR or spit those DEGRADING words about their own fellow whites or about themselves regardless of how LOW or useless that white is,
But are always EAGER and OBSESSED to see colour in other HUMAN beings, the AFRICANS, RAVEN -SIMONE and others will always feel the need to refuse the dehumanizing and criminalizing label of colour, race , ethnic group , all look like the same, HATEFUL white Europeans always put on AFRICANS. All this in order to RATIONALIZE the GROTESQUE crimes and sins they COMMITTED against them!
Calling a HUMAN being a colour or and black is so morally and socially wrong that I don’t even know why anyone would find that normal. Whites know very well that it is NEGATIVE, demeaning and dehumanizing to Africans. This is the reason why the same white always make sure to remove from themselves the notion of COLOUR, WHITE, PALE face , European, CULTURE, Ethnic group, white or European Americans and the list goes on .
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@Abagond: Raven looked out of her depth and she just didn’t know how to come back on Anne Coulter. I despise Ann Coulter and think she is a buzzard but she checked Raven. These so called new blacks better get a clue. Always performing like trained seals trying to appease the white folks. SMH. I don’t think she is smart enough to know that she should be embarrassed about the stupid statements she makes. I cringe and i am embarrassed for her.
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There are so many intelligent black women to represent on the panel and Barbara Walters chooses Sheri Shepherd and Whoopi Goldberg. And now insult to injury Raven Symone. There hasn’t been an intelligent black woman on that panel since Starr Jones.
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Well; she’s mixed race and obviously relates more to white people for whatever reason.
Probably because mentioned growing up with them etc…..
That and she doesn’t relate to them on a social/economic level either.
All that being said; yeah this is some stupid stuff.
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@ Mary Burrell
I was thinking the same thing. With so many intelligent Black women out there, why in the world do they have Raven-Symone? The question almost answers itself.
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@V-4 Raven Symone is not mixed race she has two black parents.
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How did Forrest put it ? Momma Say, Stupid is as stupid does and Raven you can’t help it!
Also, Chinese Proverb, lest be silent and be thought the fool . Than to Speak and remove all doubt. So go away in peace no one will argue.
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@Bythegrace
You made a whole post about how it is the white mans fault instead of putting the blame where it is due in this case. Raven. Now I am not one to give white supremacy a pass, but I also don’t think toe tapping coons need one either.
“So, Is that make any sense to you to say that someone is denying being black?”—She did not deny being black. She claimed she was not African America. Which actually makes no sense seeing as black is the new term for African American.
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Well, there are many black people who are not African American. MOST of black people are not African American. But I don’t think this applies to her. It did seem like a way to deny being black or to distance herself from it. (?)
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Mira
I agree that most are not, but the term African American is no more than a name for black in the United states. Like negro before it. Census wise it all is the same thing here regardless of where you are from. It is just categorizing. Raven came forth after making the statement to say she never said she was not black. If she had clear understanding of the term she would be aware that that is pretty much what she said.
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Yeah, I see. It definitely sounded like she’s trying to distance herself from being black. It’s different than preferring to be called “black” instead of “African American”. It truly sounded like she has a problem with being called black to the point that this is how her words are being understood.
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@Mira
Who is African American? Please define it for me.
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A black USian? A black person who is not from the US is not African American because they are not American.
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An American is anybody born in north, central and south America and the islands adjacent to these land masses. United States Americans are people born in New York, California, etc., located in north America, or belong to the Federal republic called USA, such as Hawaiians.
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Abagond, how about a post on Robert F. Smith, the black investor listed on Forbes as the second richest Black American with a net worth of $2.5 billion? Given the topic of this thread, he has a white Playboy Playmate wife and a biracial seven months old son. I can’t wait to read what the other readers will write on such topic.
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That Raven reminds me of a modern day version of ‘Imitation of Life’ except she can’t pass for white.
I can’t wait to read what the other readers will write on such topic.
gro jo, read the National Inquirer, The Star gossip magazine and other gossip sites. I can guarantee you they probably have dirt on this guy already.
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I don’t read that kind of stuff much and I’m not interested in finding dirt. What I’d like to know is what a crowd intelligent, mostly, black people make of this man.
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@Mira
Thanks. Been reading too much about Hebrew Israelites and Native Black Americans. I got confused in the process.
@Gro jo
What is interesting about the billionaire?
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@Mira
“A black person who is not from the US is not African American because they are not American.”—From what I have read that is not how the US defines an African American. I will have to find a link to the census which seems to define it as anyone of African origin whether born here or immigrating here.
The CDC however defines it as “African Americans have a long history in the United States. Some African American families have been in the United States for many generations; others are recent immigrants from places such as Africa, the Caribbean, or the West Indies.
Blacks or African Americans are people having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa. The Black or African American population includes people who marked their race(s) as “Black, African Am., or Negro” or reported entries such as African American; Sub-Saharan African (e.g., Kenyan and Nigerian); or Afro-Caribbean such as Haitian and Jamaican.”
http://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/populations/REMP/black.html
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Though I agree that it should be limited to those that actually are born American.
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“@Gro jo
What is interesting about the billionaire?”
$2.5 billion, 2 patents to his name, a hot 2010 Playmate of the year wife and the fact that he doesn’t claim to be “beyond race”. In my book, these facts make him a hell of a lot more interesting than some airhead like the subject of this post. His life might teach us something about present day USA. I’d like to know what this crowd makes of someone like him who does his thing regardless of the barriers he faces for being black. Why is he worth only $2.5 billion when his firm is the top rated firm in private equity, an industry worth over a Trillion dollars? Comparing him to his fellow private equity peers would reveal how much of a handicap being black is in 2015, in cold cash!
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I will have to find a link to the census which seems to define it as anyone of African origin whether born here or immigrating here.
The key word is “here”. I assume by “here” you mean the US? My point is: it’s not about USA alone; not everything is about how it’s in the US. Most black people in the world do not live in the US, many of them have never visited US. Obviously they are not African Americans because they are not American.
For example, Idris Elba is a black person but he’s not African American because he’s British. That’s what I meant.
I mean, US =/= Whole world.
Now, yes, the term “American” is problematic on itself because it is incorrectly mean to be a synonym with “USA” (we all know why). I try to use a somewhat bad term “USian” to signify a person from the US but “American” is still largely understood to mean “USian”.
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..*In my Edgar Allen Poe voice*.. Raven, Raven, Never (speak on “Black” issues)-More!!!
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@Mira
“My point is: it’s not about USA alone; not everything is about how it’s in the US.”—I did not say everything was about the USA, but In reference to who is considered African American here (which I do believe I made that clear) and linking it to what Raven said, those would be the people considered African American.
Idris Elba being black alone, regardless of him being British, he would be categorized here as African America in this country. Wrong….sure, but that is just how it is. People go into that one lone category
“but “American” is still largely understood to mean “USian”—Never heard the usage before, so not widely understood by me.
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@Pumpkin
Yeah Coulter shut Raven up quickly.
People can say what they want about Coulter, but she’s sharp.
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A petition is going around to remove raven from the view.
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@ Sharina
There is one against Don Lemon now too.
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Where? I want to sign them!
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@ Herneith
For Don Lemon:
https://www.change.org/p/cnn-remove-don-lemon-from-cnn-2
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@ Herneith
The Change.org petition to remove Raven-Symone from “The View”:
https://www.change.org/p/barbara-walters-petition-to-remove-raven-symone-from-the-view
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I just signed!
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“a human who loves humans.” probably fits Pansexuality better tbh
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