Taye Diggs’ “Mixed Me” book is sparking an intense debate on the Internet on whether biracial/mixed people should be called black. Mr. Diggs, who has a biracial son, claimed that his child should not say he is African-American because it would hurt or insult his white mother’s heritage.
Taye Diggs‘s new “Mixed Me” book is getting mixed reviews. The Best Man actor is currently promoting his 2015 book entitled “Mixed Me,” which is about his six-year-old son, Walker, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Frozen actress and singer Idina Menzel. However, the project is getting blasted in some corners.
In the book, Diggs, who considers himself to be a Chocolate Boy, stated that he does not want Walker to be identified as a black man. Diggs explained that his son should not ignore nor disrespect his Caucasian’s mother heritage. He said:
“When you [call biracial kids black], you risk disrespecting that one half of who you are and that’s my fear.”
He went on to take President Barack Obama as an example of a mixed person, who always calls himself black and, therefore, the whole world assumes that both his parents were black when his mother was a white woman from Kansas. Diggs shared:
“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?'”
The star was blasted for his comments with many calling him ignorant and a self-hating black man, who is using a little boy to air his racist views. After being bashed by Twitter and Facebook users, the Private Practice actor went on Instagram to try to explain himself. The proud father wrote that people should stop taking everything seriously and added:
“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.”
Still in defensive mode, Diggs said he loves his skin tone, and that is the reason he wrote his first children’s book, “Chocolate Boy” to share with readers what it was like growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood and how his parents helped him “develop the power of self-love.”
He stated that he penned “Mixed Me!” because it is his turn to teach his little boy self-appreciation and “knowing that you are special regardless of what people will say about you because people will always say stuff.” Social media is on fire because of Diggs’ “Mixed Me” book, here are few comments making the rounds.
Using my Idina Menzel voice, let it go Taye Diggs, he is black in the eyes of the law.
The police will see him as Black, and Taye better teach him what that means!
Let me say this in my family there are a varies of colors so we don’t say black or white in my family…just family
As history has shown, on planet earth, that little boy is black, not mixed, not biracial, not quadroon, just balck Mr Diggs so accept it.
Are you kidding me??? Nowadays a man can identify himself as a woman and is acceptable!!! Just ask Bruce and Caitlyn Jenner and Miss Cox. But omg if you dare identity as biracial, people go all insane!?!!? Stfu and take a sit!!!!
#TayeDiggs I'd advise let your son grow into it while encouraging positive role models on both sides. U may have 2 stick up for black side..
— J. Alfred Jamrock (@lazylinejane) November 18, 2015
Dear Taye Diggs,
I hope you enjoyed your looks. It gets pretty rough for your face from here on in.
Exhibit A: pic.twitter.com/niKucW16Dy
— Sweet Sister Numpsey (@ladyblovebytes) November 18, 2015
I wonder if Taye Diggs understands why his son doesn't have the option of identifying as white (if he can't pass) White supremacy ideology.
— Ferrari Sheppard (@stopbeingfamous) November 18, 2015
There is a reason why Mariah Carey identifies as Black. Same as President Obama. Be very clear about that then go Kumbaya if you want.
— Michael Arceneaux (@youngsinick) November 18, 2015
Tye tries to be inclusive and the moronic americans call HIM racist? U.S. is the dumbest country in industrialized world. pathetic. Talk about self-hating.
Hi Peter, I am cetain you’re not a minority because it is clear you have no idea what they got through during job interviews, while trying to rent an apartement, or trying to get a laon.
Hey try driving around Missispi or Texas as a black or Mexican man.
Walter will be treated as a black man one day so his dad should be honestwith him. don’t put him in a bubble because in some places in Alabama racist red necks will chase him out of town – just sayin
And I’m certain that you are a minority due to your terrible grammar.
Learn to spell properly then you will be taken seriously.
And if you spoke during an interview like you typed in your comment, you deserve everything that you get.
“just sayin”
Why can’t he just be a child and a human, without all the ” Tags ” attached.
Hey Harvey, because that’s not the real world. Taye better teach the child the real deal.
As the white mother of a biracial child, I appreciate where he is coming from. I also understand my son will be treated as black by the world regardless of how he sees himself and hi father and I will prepare him for that, but I think it is important for children themselves to know their heritage, whether the world recognizes it or not. President Obama is considered black, yet he was raised by his white mother and white grandparents. Halle Barry is considered black but she was raised by her white mother. I here what Taye is saying about not disrespecting that. There is a beautiful book written by a mixed man call the “The Color of Water” in which has asks his white mother what color God is and she replies “God is the color of water”. I hope we can all get there someday.
I love the outright hypocrisy here. Basically, the arguments from the black racists boils down to the following:
“All blacks should be treated as equal but if a black man is going to try and treat their kid as an equal they really shouldn’t because ‘Murica is a land of racism and there might be rednecks.”
As usual, whenever a crab tries to climb their way out of the bucket the rest of the crabs have to try and pull it back down.
Pathetic.
This subject is still too broad or complicated to generalized. But I do want to say racism and identifying as Black is subjected to the area of the country. A Black man driving in the south is not that uncommon to provoke suspicion. Most southern states are about 20 something percent Black. Racism in the south is more related to power- economic and political. In fact, the historical dispute between light-skinned and dark-skinned is that white people gave more benefits to their black relatives than those Blacks that were not related; land, jobs, positions.
In other parts of the country, there are so many people(black or white) that would never go to the south because of the history. They teach their kids about tolerance; not only about different races but religion, gender, sexual orientation. Now in those areas, racism shows up when the job market becomes tight. And in those areas while a mixed person might live just like any other American there can be a disconnect between them and Black culture. Life is not perfect and we do not know the future but for the most part Taye Diggs’ son will be in areas that welcome mixed kids.
Here is the simple truth. Whites don’t have enough melanin (the black pigment) in their skin to protect them from the elements like the sun and black people do. That is the only difference when it comes to skin color. 95% of all blacks have a white person in their family tree somewhere. That kid will be a negro or a black man because of his dominate negro features. His negro bloodline will take over and he will be a negro with a white mother plain and simple.