Gabrielle Union
Birth Name: Gabrielle Monique Union
Place of Birth: Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Date of Birth: October 29, 1972
Ethnicity: African-American
Gabrielle Union is an American actress and model.
She is the daughter of Theresa and Sylvester Union. Her parents are both African-American. Her mother descends from the prominent Bryant-Fisher African-American family in Nebraska. Gabrielle is married to professional basketball player Dwayne Wade, with whom she has a daughter.
Gabrielle is a first cousin, once removed, of rapper and songwriter Saweetie. Gabrielle’s maternal grandparents, John Glass and Gloria G. Davis, were also Saweetie’s paternal great-grandparents.
Gabrielle’s paternal grandfather was Sylvester Union, Sr. (the son of The Rev. Frank Union and Betsey/Betsy Smith/Johnson). Sylvester was born in Florida. The Rev. Frank was the son of Shedrick Union and Henrietta Boykins. Betsey was the daughter of Andrew Johnson and Christo.
Gabrielle’s paternal grandmother was Etta Helen Nails (the daughter of Clarence Nails and Roxie Abram). Etta Helen was born in Oklahoma. Clarence was the son of Alexander Nails/Nail and Rosa McCoy. Roxie was the daughter of Charley/Charles Abram and Tobitha Anderson.
Gabrielle’s maternal grandfather was John Glass (born John Washington, the son of Charles Washington and Ora Belle Daniels). John was born in California. Ora was the daughter of Charles Daniels and Mattie Ingram.
Gabrielle’s maternal grandmother was Gloria G. Davis (the daughter of Virgil Davis and Myrtle Mae Fisher). Gloria was born in Nebraska. Virgil was the son of David Davis and Grace. Myrtle was the daughter of Frank Fisher and Emma Early.
In an interview, Gabrielle stated that she checked her ancestry and discovered that she has West African, Filipino, and Native American heritage. It is not clear if this Filipino and/or Native American ancestry has been verified/documented. No such lineage appears among Gabrielle’s recent ancestors. Gabrielle’s statements may be based on some kind of DNA test that she undertook (i.e., one that stated she has “Native American” and/or “Asian” ancestry).
Sources: Genealogy of Gabrielle Union – http://www.geni.com
Gabrielle’s paternal grandfather, Sylvester Union, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Sylvester Union on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Gabrielle’s paternal grandmother, Etta Helen Nails, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Etta Helen Nails on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Gabrielle’s maternal grandfather, John Glass, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Gabrielle’s maternal great-grandmother, Ora Belle Daniels, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Gabrielle’s maternal great-grandmother, Ora Belle (Daniels) Washington Glass – http://www.nehca.org
Gabrielle’s maternal grandmother, Gloria G. Davis, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
look HERE…Gabrielle Union is a BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMAN…Y are you guys taking all beautiful black woman n making them “mixed”…y isnt it ok to just be BLACK and Beautiful? i dont get it…
I agree…i notice on other celebrities that are just black, there are absolutely NO comments on how beautiful they are…but the “mixed” celebrities get praised…the media brainwashing is a hell of the thing…smh…its like bein only black is a sin or a punishment…its ridiculous…
Gabrielle is a Filipino woman mixed with black and other things=]]]
I wonder if Gabrielle Union was some ghetto chick in the hood with 5 kids by 5 different men, would any of you be trying to claim her as mixed? Probably not. She would just be black. Gotta love good old American racism I guess. This chick is black. Please stop being so desperate to claim her as mixed because she may have had a filipino great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother. By the way, Whoopi Goldberg is like %15 Native American. Where’s her trophy for being mixed?…No?….Not attractive enough?….My point exactly.
Who people view as mixed is very political.
On this site some were saying Nicki Minaj couldn’t be a quarter Indian because she acts ‘ghetto’! If they don’t like you, you’re not mixed, even when you are.
Lil Mama is light skinned with green eyes (attributes people point out as proof of mixture) yet no one is rushing to ask or point out she is mixed. She’s not attractive so it’s okay, she can just be ‘black’.
pretty :)
Filipino? this surprised me..wow. i wonder how much? b/c how its listed here its as if she is half fillipino.
Hey Clark Kent, I dont think its half, id say it goes back.
To Clark Kent
Hello,how are you?Well first you got to remember African American mean everything you are,so the way it’s written make her look half Filipino.According to IMDB.COM she’s (African American, East Indian, Irish, English, and American Indian (Choctaw and Seminole) heritage.I Assuming East Indian is the Filipino part
i think they got that wrong with the east Indian.
To Ethnic
Hey maybe your right,I do not know
Well Sharon Leal is half filipino and half black and she is extremely gorgeous and this also applies to Cassie Ventura.
LOVE HER!