Raven-Symone Makes A Controversial Statement On #WhereAreTheyNow

There is this saying that the older you get, the more you realize you know nothing about life. I would think knowing who you are and aren't is included in that statement. Well, Oprah's Where Are They Now episode with Raven-Symone has finally aired and in it she states exactly who she is not.

During a part of the interview Oprah asks Raven about the tweet she made over a year ago involving gays getting married. Oprah was curious about her sexual interest and if that was her coming out tweet. Raven then admitted she does have a partner, but became defensive about anyone labeling her. Her exact words were:

"I don't want to be labeled gay. I want to be labeled a human who loves humans. I'm tired of being labeled. I'm an American. I'm not an African American. I'm an American." 

Oprah even knew that the "Not an African American" comment was going to drive the internet crazy. However, Raven has a point with not wanting certain labels. Being labeled Gay or being labeled African American means that person will be fighting to stand out their whole lives. This does not need to be explained.

Wanda Sykes, who is gay, had a double mastectomy at one point because she was at risk for breast cancer. Her reasoning was that she already had the Gay struggle. She didn't want to label of having breast cancer or being a survivor too.

While I know nothing about the plight of Gays, I was exposed to all the good and bad that being black comes with.

However, in a society where blacks have been fighting to get power and to stay in power forever, no black person can try to disclaim their race without feeling the wrath. I don't know if Raven felt it after her statement was made, but twitter definitely went in on her. In fact no one probably heard the rest of her interview just off of that statement. Read some tweets below.

smh i was rooting for you #RavenSymone we were all rooting for you http://t.co/MIom0RzXUG
— Ashley D (@ghesquieremuse) October 6, 2014

so according to raven symone..not being aware of which country in Africa ur ancestors are from simply means u are not african american. lol
— SUGGA & SPICE (@ne0ntrees_) October 6, 2014

Raven Symone is why we still need HBCUs. #WhereAreTheyNow
— Gifted&Ratchet (@Anti_Intellect) October 6, 2014

Help me out @MissRavenSymone. You told the world you don't want to be labeled-- "African-American", you're an American. Are you White now?
— Robert K Hoggard (@mindofRKH) October 6, 2014

One specific person on twitter, Robert Hoggard, was so hurt by Raven-Symone's statements he went practically went on a rant trying to educate her on her history.

I definitely understand her reasoning behind her statement. Raven just wants to be a 28 year old that was a child star and has managed to make it to 28 without the ridiculous controversy attached to her name. However, she proved in that statement how lost she might be in really understanding the culture she has been raised in.