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1 year ago
8
This a real humdinger, for real.
For those who don't know, Amber is a model and activist with a biracial mother (half Black Cape Verdean, half Scottish) and a white father (Italian and Irish).
Steve Granitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images
And Joseline Hernandez, also known as the "Puerto Rican Princess," is a reality TV personality and rapper from VH1's Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta. She is Afro-Latina.
Prince Williams / WireImage / Getty Images
People all over the internet had A LOT to say about their fight:
I don’t even like amber and I’m with amber on this one. If she’s proud of both sides of where she comes from why can’t she stand up for both?
They could have agreed to disagree but nah Roseline telling amber to deny who she is and accept that she’s just black. Just mind ur own pic.twitter.com/IzYZF8WHGb
BET / Via Twitter: @itsalexgarza
But here are my thoughts: First, I noticed people claiming that Joseline is not Black. I would like to issue a reminder about the African diaspora. Africans were not only bought and sold in what we now call the United States, but ALL OVER the world. This means there are Black people ALL ACROSS the Americas, which includes Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico was colonized by the Spanish, and this is why we have Afro-Latinos such as Joseline.
I am a biracial person who identifies as Black. I have a Black mother (not biracial) and a white father.
Me
I grew up in Baltimore City, going to predominately Black schools, and spent very white summers in Maine where my father's family lives. I'm not gonna lie, I've struggled with my identity. I've been told that I'm "not really Black." However, even though I carry white blood, which obviously contributes to my lighter skin, I have never seen myself as a white person. I have always felt more comfortable and welcome in Black spaces, aside from my white family. I identify as a mixed Black woman.
The argument between Joseline and Amber infuriated me, and I'll tell you why. Amber, and any other person, is allowed to identify however they please. BUT Amber has built her entire career off of support and praise by the Black community. I mean, College Hill is literally on BET.
Bravo
I also took issue with Amber saying, "I don’t fit in white spaces, and I don’t fit in Black spaces either. If I were to say something that is not appealing to a Black person, I would then be white in that moment." She also said that this situation also occurs in the reverse.
Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic / Getty Images
It's one thing to say, "I've struggled with my identity, and have felt torn between being Black and being white," but it's another thing to be in a Black space, talking about Black issues, and centering your whiteness in the conversation.
joselines right. amber saying she doesn’t fit in black spaces feels disingenuous because her entire career was built in black spaces and off the backs of black people https://t.co/Xzhs7SAZkA
— zachariah (@airtightangelic) June 8, 2023Twitter: @airtightangelic / Via Twitter: @airtightangelic
The word "disingenuous" I believe describes it perfectly.
THAT, in my opinion, is what Amber should've been called out for. Instead, Joseline took it upon herself to decide Amber's identity when Amber was repeatedly asking her not to. Also, for her to say, "I don't give a fuck about how you feel" when it comes to someone else's identity is just incredibly disrespectful. This is what I take issue with when it comes to Joseline.
Prince Williams / WireImage
At the end of the day, mixed people come in various shades and backgrounds. The experience is not monolithic, because each lived experience is different.
Was Joseline’s delivery wrong: YES
Was Joseline’s message wrong: NO
Does Amber have the right to identify how she was: YES
Do I think Amber wants to be black: NO
Why Amber continue to centering her whiteness while being a student at a HBCU?: Idk #CollegeHillCelebrityEdition https://t.co/95mwUTRAO8
BET / Via Twitter: @TIMtation24
And I think the teacher who spoke at the end of the class summed it up best: "We are not here to attack any student, especially a student's identity. And I want you all to understand that race is a made-up category. It's a made-up thing that has been used to manipulate and control people of all races."
BET
So remember, how people choose to identify is THEIR business. Period! However, Amber needs to recognize the fact that she has, for many years, profited off of being in Black spaces. For her to be in an HBCU on a Black television network, and center the conversation around her struggles of being 3/4 white isn't the flex she thinks it is.
@chescaleigh
English (US) ·