There’s been a lot of controversy regarding how Tyla identifies racially. She identifies as “coloured” which describes people in South Africa that are a mix of different races.
In South Africa, there still is a social hierarchy between the “coloured” and “black” communities, because of the legacy of apartheid. During apartheid, racial classifications were strictly enforced, and “coloured” people were placed in a distinct category that was often seen as intermediate between white and black South Africans. This classification was part of a broader strategy to divide and control the population. And it placed mixed race people like Tyla, a step above Black people in the social hierarchy of South Africa.
This positioning granted them certain privileges over black people but still subjected them to significant discrimination and economic disadvantages compared to white South Africans.
Tyla recently dogged a question from Charlemagne on The Breakfast Club when he asked her to describe what coloured means in South Africa. But because of the backlash she’s released a statement now identifying as Black.
Check it out:
Tyla just took to her social media to address the all the talk about her racial identity.
Tyla explained that in South Africa, identifying as “coloured” is completely different from how the term is perceived in the U.S.
Black people shape pop culture in America, Black people set the trends. Black people influence music, fashion, sports, and entertainment on a global scale. So it’s very important that Black people like her in order for her to be successful, which may be the reason for her statement now saying she’s Black.
Leave a comment and share your thoughts about Tyla trying to avoid Charlemagne’s question about her race. And what do you think about her now identifying as Black?
