Argueta1

CynthiaArgueta
ProfessorBatty
English113B
5May2015
RavenSymone:NoLabels
Whatifgays,lesbians,andbisexualswerenotjudgedbecauseofwhatgendertheyare
attractedto?Whatifracismdidnotexist,andwewereallseenequally?Whatifnooneinthis
worldbelievedindiscriminationandacceptedpeoplesbeliefs?ActressRavenSymonewas
knownforherrolesonpopulartelevisionshowsfeaturingAfricanAmericanfamilies.For
example,
TheBillCosbyShow
andherownshow
ThatsSoRaven
.Oneday,RavenSymonewas
interviewedbyOprahWinfreyandsaidthatshedidnotwanttobelabeledgayjustbecauseshe
wasdatingawoman.ShealsodidnotwanttobelabeledAfricanAmericanjustbecauseshehad
darkskin.WhenthiswassaidsocietythoughtnegativelyofSymonebecauseshedidnotwantto
ownuptoherlabels.IarguethatRavenSymoneisnotanegregioushumanbeingjustbecause
shedoesnotwanttobelabeled.Therearemanyotherhumanbeingsinthisworldthatareknown
tobegay,lesbian,andbisexualaswellasAfricanAmerican,yettheyaren'tbeingcriticizedlike
RavenSymoneis.
LatelyIbelieveracismanddiscriminationhavegottenoutofhand.Especiallyagainst
AfricanAmericanhumanbeings.RavenSymonewasknownasafunny,sweet,andcaringgirl
onthetelevisionshowsshewasin.Aftertheshowsstoppedplayingnoonereallyheardabouther
untilpeoplefoundoutshewasanAfricanAmericandatingagirlthatdidn'twanttobelabeled
gayorAfricanAmerican.Nowbecauseofthispeoplethoughtotherwiseofher.


Argueta2

ShestatesthatsheisanAmericanandnotAfricanAmerican.Shedoesnotwanttobe
labeledAfricanAmericanbecausesheconsidersherselfanAmerican.
RavenSymonedefended
herstance,explainingthatshedoesn't"knowwheremyrootsgotoIdon'tknowhowfarback
theygo.Idon'tknowwhatcountryinAfricaI'mfrom.ButIdoknowthatmyrootsarein
Louisiana.I'manAmerican,andthat'sacolorlessperson,becausewe'reallpeople.Ihavelotsof
thingsrunningthroughmyveins."(Symone)P
eopleofcolorinFerguson,forexample,whoaren't
celebrities,aredehumanizedbypeopleinpowerfortheirrace.Theyareveryawareoftheirskin
colorbecausetheirrealitiesareinseparablylinkedtoit,andtheydonothavetheluxuryof
differentiatinglabels,likeblackandAfricanAmerican.Justbecausesheisacelebritypeople
seemtomakeabigdealoutofherbeliefsandthewayshefeelsaboutbeinglabeled.
Inthearticle,
DearRavenSymone,AboutYouBeingColorlessNOPE.byLuvvie
shedisagreeswithRavenSymoneaboutnotwantingtobelabeled.Shesaid,
YoureBlack.You
alsogrewupinfrontofoureyesandgotfamousonthepremierBlacksitcomofourgeneration.
YoumightnotknowexactlywhereyoucamefromontheMotherlandbutthebloodthatruns
throughyourveinsisthelegacyofslaveryandthestruggleofthosethatgotyouwhereyouare.
AndIfeellikeitsbeingdisrespectedwhenyoudenyyourAfricanness,yourBlackness,your
color.Butagain,myissueisnotmostlyinyourdenialofAfricanness.Itisintherejectionof
yourcolorandyourneedtootheryourselffromtherestofus.(Luvvie)RavenSymonenever
deniedshewasnotblacksheisproudofwhosheis.Shejustdoesnotwanttobelabeled
AfricanAmericanbecauseshegrewupinLouisiana.Therefore,sheclaimstobeAmerican.Yes,
sherecognizesthatsheiscolored,buteveryhumanraceiscolored,soshedoesnotthinkitis
righttobelabeled.


Argueta3

Inthearticle,
RavenSymone:I'mnotgay,andI'mnotAfricanAmericanby
Breeanna
Hare,shestatedthatsheisin"anamazing,happyrelationship"withherpartner,whoisawoman,
butaddedthatshedoesn't"needacategorizingstatementforit.""Idon'twanttobelabeledgay,"
RavenSymonesaid."Iwanttobelabeledahumanwholoveshumans."(Symone)Whenshewas
ontheOprahWinfreyshowshestatedthisaswellalongwith,
Imtiredofbeinglabeled.Im
anAmerican.I'mnotandAfricanAmericanImanAmerican.Whenpeopleheardthisshe
begantogetmorecriticism.IagreewithRavenSymonebecausesheisjustahumanwholoves
humansandsheisntdoinganyharmtosociety.Sheisjustfindingherownhappinessandthatis
bydatingawoman.Everyonehastheirownwaytofindtheirhappinessandhersisbydatinga
womanthatmakesherhappy.Gaysandlesbianstendtobelabeledthemostratherthanstraight
humanbeingsjustbecausesocietyportraysthemtobenormal.
Whensheheardallthecriticismsherespondedtothemstatingapointthatsheneversaid
shewasn'tblack.Inthearticle,
RavenSymon:Keepyourdisrespectful,mean,hurtful,words
foryourselfbyChrisWitherspoon,shewritesletteronherFacebookpagetosocietyand
basicallytellsthemhowshefeelsaboutherbeingcriticizedaboutheropinionaboutherselfjust
becausesheisanAfricanAmericandatingawoman.Herletterstates,
Idonttakeoffenseto
thosethataremadatmypersonalopinionofmyself.Likebefore,Imgladthereare
conversationshappening.Ourgenerationtendstostaycomfortable,attimes,withissuesand
topicsthatneedtobeaddressed...Keepyourdisrespectful,mean,hurtful,wordsinadiaryfor
yourself.Personalattackingisnotneeded,andnomatterwhatrace,nationality,culture,orwomb
youcameoutofstriveforrespect.Strivetobevirtuous,sotheconversationcanleadtogreat
things,otherthings.
(Symone)

Shehasnotdoneanyharmtotheworld,butonlystateher


Argueta4

opinionandbecomebraveenoughtobeonatelevisionshowandtellsocietyhowsheseesthings
andhowshefeelsaboutlabels.Ifshewasnotknowntobeontelevisionshowspeoplewouldnot
seeherasegregioushumanbeingbecausetherearemanyotherpeopleouttherethatarejustlike
her,theonlydifferenceisthatsheisacelebrity.Sheisanactressknownforherrolesonpopular
showsfeaturingAfricanAmericanfamilies,including
TheBillCosbyShow
andherownshow
ThatsSoRaven.
Justbecauseshewasknownasasweet,caring,andinnocentgirlonthe
televisionshowspeopleexpectedhertobethesameway.
Anotherarticlecalled,
IndefenseofRavenSymonbyEboniRafus,shestatesthat,

YouknowwhatbothersmemorethanwhatRavenSymonsaid?Whenpeoplecallall
brownskinnedpeopleAfricanAmerican.Itmayseempoliticallycorrect,butitslazy.Ifyouare
goingtousealabel,atleastbeprecise.ThereareblackpeoplelivingintheUnitedStateswhodo
notselfidentifyasAfricanAmerican.(Rafus)Iagreewiththisarticlebecausetherearepeople
thatliveintheUnitedStateswhoarebrownskinnedanddontidentifythemselvesas
AfricanAmerican.PeopleautomaticallyassumeadarkpersonisAfricanAmerican.Labels
shouldatleastbeprecise.Idontwanttobeputinaboxoracategorysothatotherpeoplecan
understandmebetter.IdontneedforstraightpeopletothinkthatIamjustlikethemsothatthey
willacceptme.ItisnotmyjobtomakeotherpeoplefeelmorecomfortableaboutwhoIamso
thattheywillgivemetherespectandbasiccivilrightsthatIdeserve.Ideservethesethings
simplybecauseIexist.(Rafus)ThisissomethingthatIstronglyagreewithbecauseitisnot
one'sjobtomakeothersfeelcomfortableforwhotheyaresotheycanhaverespect,people
shouldalreadyrespectothersopinionsandnotcriticize.IfRavenSymonedoesnotbelievein


Argueta5

labelsthensocietyshouldacceptwhatshebelievesbecausetherearemanyotherpeopleoutthere
thatdonotbelieveinlabelsaswell.
InoursocietythereareothersthataregayandAfricanAmerican,butpeopledon'tseemto
evencareaboutthemorevenputattention.Sheisgrowingupjustthewayweallareandeven
thoughshedoesn'tconsiderherselfAfricanAmericanorgaysheprovesapointthatpeopledid
notreallyseethemeaningtowhyshesaidthat.
Theabilitytodistinguishbetweenbeingblack
andAfricanAmerican,asRavenSymonedid,isaprivilegethatmostpeopledonnothave.
RavenSymoneisnottheegregioushumanbeingthatpeoplearesayingsheisjustbecauseshe
doesnotbelieveinlabels.Sheisjustahumanbeingjustlikeallofusareandshedoesnot
deservetobecriticizedanddiscriminated.


Argueta6

WorkCited
Hare,Breeanna."RavenSymone:I'mNotGay,andI'mNotAfricanAmerican."
CNN
.Cable
NewsNetwork,6Oct.2014.Web.05Feb.2015.

Witherspoon,Chris."RavenSymon:'KeepYourDisrespectful,Mean,Hurtful,Wordsfor
Yourself'"
TheGrio
.N.p.,27Oct.2014.Web.05Feb.2015.

Rafus,Ebony."InDefenseofRavenSymonAfterEllen."
AfterEllenInDefenseofRavenSymon
Comments
.N.p.,13Oct.2014.Web.05Feb.2015.

Luvvie."DearRavenSymone,AboutYouBeing"Colorless"...NOPE.|AwesomelyLuvvie."
AwesomelyLuvvie
.N.p.,07Oct.2014.Web.07May2015.