ESSENCE Poll: Do You Use The Label African-American To Describe Yourself?

When it comes to ethinicity in America, few of us can avoid the labels society has placed on us. We’re African-American, Irish-American, Hispanic-America—the list is endless.

Raven-Symone doesn’t want any of it. In an interview with Oprah on Where Are They Now, the former child star said she’s “tired” of the labels. “I’m not an African-American; I’m an American,” she said. And it’s not that Symone doesn’t awknowledge her heritage and culture, she just refuses to sit under the label.

“I mean, I don’t know where my roots go to,” she explained. “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 don’t label myself. I have darker skin. I have a nice, interesting grade of hair. I connect with Caucasian. I connect with Asia. I connect with Black. I connect with Indian. I connect with each culture.” 

Do you agree with Raven or do you prefer to call yourself African-American? Do you use another label or have you given up on labels altogether? Take our poll and leave a comment below. 

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