Why Taye Diggs doesn't want his son labeled 'black'

by

Stacy-Ann Gooden

posted in Celebrities

Taye Diggs recently made headlines after admitting that he doesn’t want his son labeled ‘black.’

“When you [call biracial kids black], you risk disrespecting that one half of who you are, and that’s my fear,” Diggs tells The Grio.

While promoting his new children’s book, Mixed Me, the award-winning actor and broadway star explains that his 6-year-old son Walker shouldn’t be forced to choose a particular race.

Diggs co-parents with ex-wife and Broadway star (the voice of Elsa in Frozen) Idina Menzel, who is white. He adds that saying that you’re one race over another is like omitting a part of who you really are and confuses people.

“I don’t want my son to be in a situation where he calls himself black and everyone thinks he has a black mom and a black dad, and then they see a white mother, they wonder, ‘Oh, what’s going on?’Are you ashamed?’”

In the wake of his comments, Twitter has been buzzing with people saying that he's “afraid” or “scared” of his son being labeled black. But Diggs responded to the backlash and set the record straight on Instagram.

“I am a proud black man. I want my son to grow up to be a proud black man if he so chooses. He has a mother who is white. He has every right to be just as proud of his mother’s ‘blood’ as well. Please wake up, people. It’s not that deep.”

However, for many families it is a deep rooted issue. As a mom of two biracial kids, teaching them about identity has become an integral part in how my husband and I raise them. I often write about providing lessons, while referring to culture and race.

I happen to agree with Diggs. I don’t want my kids to choose one race over another, at least that’s not what we’re teaching them now.

It’s a shame that society has implemented what is often referred to as the 'one drop rule,' which means if someone is mixed with black then he or she is black.

There are also some who say “I don’t see color,” which makes me sad because there’s nothing wrong with seeing the color of a person’s skin. It’s how you treat people based on their skin color that becomes a problem.

While I do understand that some biracial people may choose a race, that’s their prerogative.

As for our children, my husband says he doesn’t have a problem if our kids call themselves black. But, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care if they call themselves white.

Photos: Prphotos

Stacy-Ann Gooden is a freelance weather anchor in New York City. But her most important roles are being a wife and mom. She writes about raising children to weather the storm in her blog, Weather Anchor Mama. You can also follow her on Facebook, twitter, and Periscope.