Raven-Symoné: I’m ‘From Every Continent’ In Two Continents?
Raven-Symoné has made headlines for putting her foot in her mouth once again on camera.
This time around, the 29-year-old Empire actress made a simple mistake that is covered in most grade-school Geography classes. Raven-Symoné confused “continents” with “countries.”
In a recent interview with E! News, she addressed and clarified a controversial comment that she made during an Oprah interview.
“I never said I wasn’t black… I said I wasn’t African-American and, to me, that’s a difference.”
The former That’s So Raven star further expressed her gratitude to the popular genealogy website, Ancestry.com, for sending her a DNA test.
When referring to the results that Ancestry.com apparently discovered for her, that was when Raven-Symoné put her foot in her mouth.
“I am from every continent in Africa, except for one, and I’m from every continent in Europe except for one.”
To clear things up, Africa and Europe are both continents. Within them, there are numerous countries — not continents.
Raven Symone Is Very Confused, Says She’s From “Every Continent in Africa and Europe”: http://t.co/HYyVON5dl8
— ENTERTAINMENT WORLD (@gossip_24_365) March 27, 2015
Therefore, Raven-Symoné should have said that she was from every country in Africa and Europe — except for one — in order to be geographically accurate.
Raven-Symoné did not confuse any more geographical terms or concepts during the rest of the interview. Instead, she decided to emphasize her appreciation and acceptance of her “Americanism.”
“For the last 400 years, my family’s been living in Virginia. How long do you have to be in one country before you’re that?”
The former Cosby Show child actress also talked about the melting pot of cultures that exists throughout the United States today.
“We’re a melting pot of beauty. We have to embrace the different cultures we have and, if we don’t, we’re still going to have these problems that are blasting up everywhere.”
She further stated that she doesn’t care what she is called — whether it’s a “hippie,” “free-thinker,” or “someone that is looking for a better life.”
Raven-Symoné even went as far as essentially welcoming the criticism while emphasizing her stand on the issue once again.
“You can come for me all you want. I’m sorry. You’re an American, too. Don’t hide your Americanism. It just doesn’t mean that you’re one culture. We’re all cultures.”
Just like with her previous comments, it did not take long before fans and critics responded to Raven-Symoné’s geography flub and comments on “Americanism.”
But there aren’t ANY continents IN Africa or Europe……so where is this bish from? #RavenSymone pic.twitter.com/qUy0XPg3uu — Juani (@Juani_M_) March 28, 2015
Will all you mean ppl leave #RavenSymone alone. Ya’ll just mad because she is from every continent in Africa, and you are not #haters
— Tariq Nasheed (@tariqnasheed) March 28, 2015
The Black woman that interviewed @MissRavenSymone was so shadey for not correcting her!! She was like this gone be viral!! — Gazi Kodzo (@GodGazi) March 28, 2015
Raven Symone is from every planet on Earth except one.
— JRehling (@JRehling) March 27, 2015
What do you think about what Raven-Symoné said about her Ancestry.com test results and “melting pot of beauty” beliefs?
[Image Credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images]
