Grammy-winning South African musician Tyla has addressed claims that she is not black and refutes the notion that she is white.
Tyla stated on her X page that she has never denied her black origin, despite social media assertions.
The 22-year-old artist claimed that her heritage is a beautiful fusion of Irish, Mauritian/Indian, colored, and black/Zulu ancestry.
Tyla said she is considered a Coloured woman in South Africa, but is considered Black in other parts of the world.
She acknowledged that the designation of race varies by place and culture.
Tyla said she does not expect to be called “colored,” even though she understands the importance and weight of the term outside of South Africa.
Read what she wrote;
“Yoh guys, [I have] never denied my blackness, idk where that came from…
“I’m mixed with black/Zulu, irish, Mauritian/Indian and Coloured.
“In South Africa I would be classified as a Coloured woman and other places I would be classified as a black woman.
“Race is classified differently in different parts of the world.
“I don’t expect to be identified as Coloured outside of Southa by anyone not comfortable doing so because I understand the weight of that word outside of SA. But to close this conversation, I’m both Coloured in South Africa and a black woman.”
Published by Ejoh Caleb
