Rihanna
photo credit: gamerscoreblog
Birth Name:
Robyn Rihanna Fenty
Birth Place:
Saint Michael, Barbados
Date of Birth:
February 20, 1988
Race or Ethnicity:
Afro-Bajan, Irish and Afro-Guyanese descent.
The Barbadian singer was born to Ronald Fenty, a Barbadian man of African and Irish descent. Her mother, Monica Fenty is of Afro-Guyanese descent. This was stated in an article on the Los Angeles Sentinel, an African American owned newspaper.
However, as there is a large number of Black, East Indian and to a lesser extent Native people in Guyana it is quite possible that Monica Fenty is a mix of these backgrounds.
In an article for Allure magazine, Rihanna revealed that she was bullied in school and called ‘white’ by the other kids while growing up in Barbados. She made headlines in early 2009 when she was allegedly abused by then boyfriend Chris Brown, who is also of mixed heritage.
Source:
Celebrities with similar heritage:
September 12th, 2008
Rhianna is sooo pretty,and that is a good mix.Shes also very talented.
December 1st, 2008
So all of that makes an “no talented Alien”? Kewl
December 2nd, 2008
Basically she is black. That girl’s mama is black black. Afro-Guyanese people are some of the purest black u can get.
December 6th, 2008
WAT THE HELL IS AFRO-BAJAN?
December 6th, 2008
Afro-Bajan means Afro-Barbadian.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbados#Demographics
January 25th, 2009
Lets just say shes Black to sum it up!
January 27th, 2009
Black beauty! represent boo:]
February 7th, 2009
well, she is quarter white ,her grandma is irish(white) and african, that makes nice mix
February 10th, 2009
Basically, she’s black with some white in her ancestry. Guyanese people are typically black (although some are descendants of East Indian and others are mixed with black, white and Indian). Rihanna’s mother, is however, a black Guyanese. Barbadians (Bajans) are typically black, while some (like Rihanna’s father) are mixed with white. Therefore, she’s probably about one quarter white.
Its nothing noteworthy. Think of all the mixed stars out there like Alicia Keys (half Italian, half black).
February 11th, 2009
Riri fan, thanks for the post. Actually Guyanese people aren’t typically black. the majority are of Asian Indian descent (about 40%) Afro-Guyanese make up about 30% of the population.
I think its very noteworthy to mention celeb’s ethnic heritage. We, not only celebs, should all be proud of our heritage.
February 17th, 2009
Get a clue I got one…want it?
Rhianna is original she looklikes like a black woman. Barbados got there freedom about 100 years before the American slaves. Barbadian didn’t allowed Indians to land in Barbados many Africans turn their boats away. The first slaves in Barbados were Irish the last Irish slaves died in 1984 she was famale her Irish husband died in 1979. All her kids went to Canada to keep white.
March 5th, 2009
LMAO. How the hell is Rihanna black when she has hazel eyes?
March 11th, 2009
She is mixed and pretty, end of story
March 18th, 2009
Black Amercicans need to be educated about black history. Like Babados which some of this board claim is black black black America is also full of black black black and fat fat fat people who try to claim Red Indian ancestry. And by the way do you notice the ones who do are the ones who look black black black. .I have visited Amercia and I was shocked to see how plain and fat they all were. Not what you see on the music videos and on television is it a wonder Beyonce is now claiming to be Creole.
April 17th, 2009
It is extremely ignorant to say people who are predominantly black are fat.
I’m actually being nice using the word ignorant. It takes centuries for some people
to realize that blackness is beauty. Being biracial MORE often than not enhances.
Black features are full lips high round rear ends high cheekbones. Plastic surgeons are getting rich pumping the lips of white women all day long. Oh my what would you have done without Angelina to show you full lips are beautiful. You who are blinded if color
accompanies a feature of perfection, need to stop being filled with hate. The conversation
of whether celebrities are considered black or not is all based on whether or not racists like Ianna can accept you or not. There is nothing plainer than white bread thin lipped
flat ass race of people who have to be drugged to know better> By the way Beyonce only
needed to tell people who are to ignorant to know what they were looking at.
April 17th, 2009
I feel you Patrice, What people who are not of color do not understand is, those of us who are
mixed are the only ones who understand, the drama surrounding the race situation we find ourselves in. It is all well and good for others to object to multiracial individuals being seen as black.
However the fact is if you have an ounce of black blood your accepted as black, by black people.
You may not be put up on a pedestal because you have white relatives, but given the history of the
the world who could blame them. Conversely,whites have historically treated biracial individuals in the same hate filled and degrading manner they have full blooded African Americans. This is as good a
reason as any I could find, for multiracial individuals to be considered as one with the darker side
of their heritage. Being accepted and acknowledged is very important, being part of a tribe is a gratifying experience.
April 19th, 2009
u guys are dummies especially the first one lol ur so dumb lol
April 27th, 2009
wow…there are a lot of ignorant people here…you people dont know…all black people have to have dark brown or bown eyes? wtf is that? i have a pure afircan friend with blonde-brown hair and light brown/hazel eyes…and are you going to tell me she is not black? your physical traits do not depend on race…it depends on genetics, duh
April 29th, 2009
a really best option here is to let a Rihanna gal 2ans her self which nationality iz she.or that is why Cb loves her becos he thinks she belong to his colour. lets alone her nationalism ilove her body n music
May 6th, 2009
Rihanna is mixed race – her dad is Bajan/Irish. People get over it. If she says she is mixed than she is mixed who are we to debate this.
May 6th, 2009
Anon – calm down honey its only one’s opinion.
PS I stand by my earlier post. African Americans should travel the world it may help them get over the slave mentality and colorism which is deeply ingrained in them.
May 10th, 2009
Both my parents are Guyanese. My mother is Portuguese, Dutch and Black and my father in Black and Asian Indian.
It doesnt matter what your geneological makeup is. You can be beuatiful no matter what race you are!!!!!
May 11th, 2009
black and hot!
May 13th, 2009
Isabelle, you can be black and have hazel eyes. i’m black and a lot of my family have green eyes. does that mean they are not black ? no. rihanna may be a quarter white (like myself) but that doesn’t mean she cannot be classed as black. Eye colour means nothing. She is black wiv mixed ancestry. Just incase you are wondering, my name stands for: Welsh/Grenadian (my father) and Dominican (my mother)
May 15th, 2009
Don’t be stupid; she’s Black. Rihanna sees herself as a Black female so stop with this BS. And if you haven’t noticed, all Black people in the Americas are MIXED one way or another.
May 30th, 2009
r u dumb, didnt u read IRISH. As a mixed raced person i think u assholes r 2 ignorant. Take into consideration sme1’s heritage properly. If both ur parents r full black tht makes u black, if 1 ur parents is mixed tht makes u multi racial, especially if u covent physical ambiguity AKA hazel eyes, light skinned but frm a afro carib background!
June 10th, 2009
You know whats interesting I’m pretty sure Chris Rock has just about as much white ancestry as this girl, never seen him on this site, seem like colorism to me I dunno just making an observation
June 10th, 2009
oj and to r the comment right above me “physical ambiguity?” lol um there’s was never any question as to whether or not Rhianna was black, and since when does light skin make some one ambiguous, tons of light skin Africans, who haven’t seen euro add mixture and are lighter than this girl, one example of many the khoisan people.
June 10th, 2009
Dont worry Chris Rock will be coming up soon too. the Khoisan people are a good example of light skinned sub-Saharan Africans. Although they dont have any relation to east asian people, they have small eyes similar to East asians.
June 13th, 2009
Rihanna is of mixed-race. She’s not just black. She’s MULTI-RACIAL!
June 13th, 2009
Nobody knows what Rihanna considers herself to be, except for herself and those around her (family, friends).
June 13th, 2009
she identifies herself as a black woman even though she is mixed, but she doesnt discriminate on who shes dating. as she has dated black and white guys.white guys include Shia Lebeouf and Josh Harnett.
June 16th, 2009
She is black, she is only a quarter white, didnt you herar she she was raised in a very black way???
June 18th, 2009
She is Multi-racial. My paternal grandmother is white welsh should I deny this? No I am multi-racial and proud.
June 19th, 2009
look all races will try to claim this beauty as their race
if she wasnt black i dont think she would be in a category for a cet award
THEY ONLY AWARD BLACK PEOPLE DUHH!
SHE MAY HAVE 10% WHITE IN HER BUT PEOPLE SHE IS BLACK AND BEUTIFUL
June 19th, 2009
oooooooooohh CORY you said you were domincan
them boys is fwinne dont worry i am light skin and not supperdark
not like i dont like dark people
but you should holaa @ me boii
DO YOU HAVE A MYSPACE????
lol just kidding but dominican boys r hella fwinne so r puerto ricans
most of the boys i date r those races
June 19th, 2009
whatever YOU HYPOCRITCAL PEOPLE when Jadas heritage was mentioned many say she isn’t mixed well like Rihannas father ..Jadas mothe is halft white …please hush it up
July 1st, 2009
look gurl you aint real
and jada says she iis black and proud
July 12th, 2009
Please, Im black (3/4) and my greatparents we’re indian and white, that makes me 1/8 indian 1/8 white, but i just black.
July 15th, 2009
I just came across this site and I cannot believe it! People are really trying to act like these celebs are mixed! All African Americans/black Americans have mixed heritage but that doesn’t mean that they are bi-racial like this ridiculous site is trying to make them out to be! I always thought that Rihanna was half white, because of reports that her dad was strictly white bajan but now the reports have changed and turns ouy he’s half black and white! So that only makes her a quarter of white. 75% or higher of a race makes you that race. She has mixed heritage like every other black person, but that doesn’t mean she’s half white! I really don’t understand why people are so caught up in being mixed and claiming everything from their background. There’s nothing wrong with tracing your roots but do you know how far back every black person would have to go to find a race of theirs??? It makes no sense. Rihanna is black, Chris Brown is black, Keri Hilson is black… why is everyone so caught up in being 50% mixed?
July 15th, 2009
Ohplease! thanks for the comment and constructive criticism. I dont think there is a hard set rule that says 75% or more and you are that race. I think thats ridiculous. would it make you happy if I just said she was Black? I mean she did grow up on an Island and the culture there is different to that in the states so I think thats worth a mention. It made her who she is today.
ethnic
admin
July 16th, 2009
It seems like some people look up the ethnicities/nationalities of celebrities just to go “Uh-uh, that person knows they’re just plain black” Almost like they’re jealous…Instead of looking to satisfy curiosity like the rest of us.
July 26th, 2009
to sum this up.rihanna is hot.and i wish she is mine. i dream of her all the time.
July 31st, 2009
Every damn caribbean person is mixed except if you came directly from AFRICA, first the black slaves, mix with the european plantation owners, then bring in the east indians to work the plantations, then the british and the french fight for the islands, who were most discovered by spanish and italians like so called columbus, dont you think they all fcked one another, the caribbean is a damn melting pot of races, we all mixed duh!!!!!
July 31st, 2009
No one from the caribbean from africa, Y you tink we have coolie hair, dougla,mulatto, shabin, glodin, an who say u have to be white to have hazel eyes, so many colours of eyes in the caribbean, an they eh white, i have hazel eyes like rihanna and i eh white, black people have grey eyes green eyes brown eyes, the only colour i never see is blue, but who say they cyah have blue when we all mix, rihanna black like my bum bum, bes i do like her and trace all the irish and french people in my family tree or perhaps all the poor coolies too.
August 7th, 2009
I cannot believe, she is black, her mother is a black guyanse, her father is african and irish. doesnt that make her black?
August 7th, 2009
according to some who believe in the one drop rule, it makes her black.
August 20th, 2009
she’s definitely half caucasian. you can tell by her light skin and green eyes.
August 20th, 2009
Well she’s actually 3 quarters Black but she could pass as half.
August 23rd, 2009
rihanna is guyanese dattz were ima frm guyanna yess shes mixed race her dad is a white bajon nd i tink irish aswell bt her mom is guyanese .
September 9th, 2009
Ianna…what exactly is traveling the world supposed to do?
September 19th, 2009
”Rihanna is mixed race – her dad is Bajan/Irish. People get over it. If she says she is mixed than she is mixed who are we to debate this.”
Where does it say that one the internet?
September 20th, 2009
heres one article that says she’s mixed
http://www.showbizspy.com/?s=rihanna+bullied
September 25th, 2009
rihanna is best in the world
September 29th, 2009
Rihannas parents
Break down MOM is light skinned of african decent and East Indian In GUYANA they are very mixed some of the prettiest in the Caribbean, Duglas are what Rihannas mom is when you mix East indian, Ameridian and black.
Father is light skinned of Irish , African and Bajan decent
So this is where Rihannas beauty comes she is EXOTICA.
Guyana actually has pretty women than that of Barbados like Rihannas mom where she gets 1/2 her beauty and many bajan like her father would probably agree or some Trini Imports
September 29th, 2009
Sheri, thanks for the insightful comment. I guess you are from the Caribbean? if so its great to hear about the culture there.
Ive seen a picture of Rihanna’s mother and she is indeed quite light skinned so id agree that she is mixed.
here’s a pic of her mother
http://janetcharltonshollywood.com/images/spl92110_019_rihanna.jpg
ethnic
admin
September 30th, 2009
Isabelle
March 5th, 2009
LMAO. “How the hell is Rihanna black when she has hazel eyes?”
Congrats b/c that was the DUMBEST comment i’ve ever ever ever heard in my life!! U clearly need to get out more!!snh
October 7th, 2009
you know guys, quite frankly im shocked! someone please answer these questions: why is that that some people (especially AA’s) find it hard to believe that someone is really mixed for example in Rihanna’s type of mixture? Shouldn’t ppl be proud to say that they are part black, part this/ part that ect. if it really is true? why is it that some ppl only want to hear that your black & end of story?
i mean i know that once you have black in you, you are a black person, bt dont criticize mixed ppl who are proud of their varied background. if someone asks whats ur true race, you should be free to state what ur mixed with without being crucified.
i am mostly black (jamaican) bt is mixed with caucasian (irish & german), and indian. hey guys, im black & IM VERY PROUD bt im also proud to be a representation of other races too! ~peace~
October 7th, 2009
I agree with you Kitty, thanks for the comment.
October 17th, 2009
People, Sheri doesn’t know what the hell she’s talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Her mom is a BLACK woman of Afro-Guyanese descent. She’s a BLACK dark-skinned woman. No mixture, West African ancestry. I repeat, her mom is NOT light-skinned. The woman you saw was probably her dad’s sister, a fam. member, or current girlfriend. Her dad’s MOM is apparently mixed with, what I’ve always heard, “Irish”.
October 17th, 2009
@ Ethnic, come on. Look at the white dude in the image, he looks extremely pink. Look at Rihanna, she looks extremely yellow, and her mom looks moderately light. That’s clearly the camera. Her mom is a dark-skinned woman. I saw images of her when she just came out. If she appears to be getting lighter than blame it on something else…beacuse she lives in the tropics. I don’t really see the pertinence of this discussion though. She a black girl with a mixed heritage, that’s it.
October 19th, 2009
Lol! Ummm no.the woman in the picture who is supposedly rihanna’s mom is clearlyNOT light skinned. She and I are the same color and never have I tried to claim to be light skinned.we’re brown skinned or caramel. Also, I have hazel eyes and I’m black so the idiot who said “how can u have hazel eyes and be black” is reeeallly dumb.
T Rihann
October 22nd, 2009
omg she just black 4 god sake! she not mixed. dumb jackasses. SHE IS A MOTHERF**** BLACK WOMAN
October 24th, 2009
shes black thats it end of story
barrack obama is 50% black and he is considered black
bob marley is 50 % black and he was considered black
i am 50% black i am considered black
Rhianna is 75% black that makes her black
shes not mixed race shes black end of story
her parents are mixed race but she is black
November 15th, 2009
So how is obama 100% black if he is 50%? Besides, he was raised by a WHITE mother. HE IS MIXED. Or any of those other mixed people for that matter. If you are mixed then that is it, you can’t just pick and choose what race you want to be. I’m white, native american, and african american mixed and I consider all of what I am, no matter what the percentage is. You are what your blood is, you are not God, you can’t pick just one. You all make it seem that being part Irish is a bad thing. She is mixed especially if she is 1/4 something. Now if she was like 1/32 I can understand, but she is a good % of Irish. You all need to learn how to except yourselves and others for what you really are.
November 18th, 2009
Egg I agree with you. Black people hate it when mixed people acknowledge their non black heritiage. I find it strange that the comments above who claim mix heritage always fail to claim their african ancestry. Its time black people start to claim and embrace their west african heritage.
November 22nd, 2009
she jux mixed okay yall caribean ppl kan look black indian or white y is racial a big problem im mixed nobodi should indetify nones race
November 22nd, 2009
Her wide nose say,s she afro, her hazle eyes say,s she cauc, put it togeather that spells mut,but who cares, she can get in my bed any day.
November 25th, 2009
Wow I did not know that so many people cared or speculated about Re Re she just happens to be my cousin and I am very much white. My mother is also Guyanese and my grand mother has blond hair and green eyes. The Fenty’s originally came from Scottland and Ireland I accept the fact that weather you are black or a white Fenty you are family.
They is no such thing as a pure blood anymore the Europeans speard there seed throught
out the world a fact that cannot be changed so deal with it.
November 30th, 2009
Hi I’m Beyonce’s Cousin it’s Funny To See What People Write About..
December 18th, 2009
She is not mixed if she doesnt have a fully white parent. one parent is mixed(because he is half and half) and the other is what you call black. and so you call rihanna black. but it is fine for her to acknowledge her multi-racial heritage.
December 21st, 2009
I agree 100 percent with hellokitty.
December 26th, 2009
hahaha dnt be mad jst because she’s nt fully black
December 26th, 2009
Badboyinc, you really are a bad boy.
December 31st, 2009
Wow Rihanna is more black than she is anything else everybody is mixed so If y’all wanna be technical everyone is multiracial but we don’t soo Rihanna is black and I’m white I can except that there are beautiful black women out there but beyonce on the other hand is a diff story.
January 16th, 2010
Rihanna revealed that she was bullied in school and called ‘white’ by the other kids while growing up in Barbados. OKAY…RIHANNA DO NOT LOOK WHITE!!!! THIS IS CRAZY. But she is really pretty. My grandparents are both half black/scottish on both sides of my family…My father mother is half black/scottish with green eyes and his father half black/white…my mother’s father is half black/scottish with blue eyes and her mother is half black/Indian…what doe’s that make me….hmmmm….HUMAN!!!
January 17th, 2010
She is mixed. She’s part Irish, right? You can’t just ignore that and call her just black. =/
January 17th, 2010
Lol, i don’t get some people on this site:
When a celebrity is mixed, you guys not tend to agree with it, stating various reasons that they don’t ”look” mixed. But when a celebrity says in a interview for example; I’m just African-American, all hell breaks loose because ”they’re denying a part of their heritage” ( like most people think is a hip thing to say; Native American or Europian) just because they have ”high cheekbones” and ”coloured eyes”.
@ Paul; Her father is bi-racial so she is deff’ mixed.
January 17th, 2010
rockstarr amen, exactly what i was thinking lol:)
January 18th, 2010
Hey all of you! The prettiest people are those who have 1 very dark skinned parent , and the other light skinned. Just look at beyonce’s father he’s darker than alllll get out, and mother is mixed all up with stuff and they sure did have a nice looking kid. Now! stop hatten, because you can’t except the fact that, “all these real pretty woman don’t look pale face and plain like marriah carrie and hale berry
, who in my openion don’t look as nice as Ri Ri and Beyonce….Beyonce and Ri Ri have true sex appeal, and I know it comes from all that African blood in them. NO one! I mean no one, ” on the is as sexy as these two women in intertainment”.
January 18th, 2010
By the way, I have a father with a very dark, dark complextion, and a mother with a complexion of Rihannas. All my life people would pay me compliments, but would then ask, “What are you mixed with”? I would say, “nothing I AM BLACK.” I think people get joy and satisfaction in believing that you can’t be sexy and pretty with sooooo much black blood running through your veins. I have a light complextion ( from my mother), then I have almond shaped eyes and full lips (from my father). What I do know however! MY great great maternal grandmother who was born after slavery, but conceived durring slavery was the product of rape by the slave master. Now you say, “I should say yes to being mixed”. Having some white blood from such a long long time ago don’t count in my openion, and plus sooooo many black people have white blood in them from slavery, and alot them don’t even know this. The only reason I know is because the elders in my family live until their late 80’s to mid 90’s.
January 18th, 2010
Ri Ri has more black blood than white! So do Beyonce! How you like the black woman now? Their prettier than Marriah, and that over rated halie Berry. Marriah Carrie and Halie both half and half (half black /White)……. Ri Ri and beyonce are two exotic black woman with more black blood in them than anything. Have you ever wondered why there was somthing missing with Hallie and Mariah, it’s because they don’t have enough african blood to be exotic, thier boreing to alot of men. Ask how I know? They never recieved the same reactions from men as Rihanna and Beyonce, men white and black lose their minds over these two……Dont even try to debate with me over Beyonce’s mixture because that girls daddy is blacker than tar and her mother is only light skinned black women with white and black…..Beyonce’s daddy look to be 1000% black with out a doubt. “So she has mooooore african than anything”. Oh! Beyonce got some very kinky hair to boot.
January 18th, 2010
sometimes slaves wernt “raped” ,but did it willingly.
January 19th, 2010
So basically, I’m getting that Rihanna is about 1/8 to 1/4 white. This makes her at least 75% black. Since she looks black, and calls herself black, I really don’t see what people are arguing about.
January 21st, 2010
I am not mad because Rihanna is mixed because according to ur standards I am mixed. I am a golden colored black person with long curly hair and people constantly ask me what I am mixed with. Like I said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with acknowledging her multicultural heritage, but do all you white people consider urselves mixed because ur ancestors procreated with people of other races? Chances are u dont.
And by the way badboyinc, you assume that I wud be jealous of her being mixed..? why? even if I werent “mixed” (as u call it) then I wud be juat as happy to be of african descent.
And another thought….if Rihanna was dark skinned (could have happened) wud u be jumping to call her mixed? or is it cause she is light skinned with light eyes?
February 7th, 2010
u no wat. i agree wit kitty and shame. isabitch just gotta
have a racist problem she freaking criticizes anne hathaway now rihanna dats bullshit.
February 7th, 2010
i made that comment,i forgot to put my name
February 18th, 2010
She looks so old to be in her 20s
February 27th, 2010
i c americans love disputing about race and all, well from the carribean, a place of huge melting pot! especially in the small islands near barbados, i did see alot of white ppl in barbados who were bajans but the majority is black, where im from you have all sorts of races (french carib island), indian/white/black u name it! and we have no problems with our races, its more based on the accents lke bajans speak with more of a british accent than the rest of the west indians, so jus to reclarify, who cares wut ethnic background you are from, as long as your human, cuz we all love and accept each other here, yes some blakcs do bleach themselves here too i wont lie lol but its for the personal thing cuz thye dont get bashed they tink bad of themselves.
February 27th, 2010
oh and to add sumn, my mother is mixed (she looks white with colli long hair) because her mom was white from Europe and her dad was cuban (light skinned), n my dad is dark skinned so im very light myself but i consider myself a black girl n proud of it (even my mom says shes black lol), so rihanna sure isnt seen as “white” to me as she is to you guys, jus be proud of who you are, ethnic background doesnt determine race, you are either a caucasoid(pure white), mongoloid(egyptian/indian type) or mongoloid(black, light skinned brown skinned doesnt matter) so no dispute Rihanna is a black woman with a multi ethnic background.
February 28th, 2010
HEY! it seems that every1 in the US has a diff. opinion on who is a mixed person. I have a question:
Do you consider me as mixed? – My father is black but my mother is mostly indian, part white and around 10% – 20% black. I know that there is also traces of asian in her genes cuz I look like a real blasian!
Thanks in advance!
February 28th, 2010
yes
February 28th, 2010
wisdom111 if you feel mixed and people treat you as mixed then yes.
March 1st, 2010
i think rihanna’s mother has indian in her because i was watching rih on punk’d and her cousin was with her who looked east indian, i think she was from guyana tho not too sure
March 2nd, 2010
she also has an irish dad which is some of the whitest people on earth u can tell by her skin and features she is mixed
March 14th, 2010
This argument is so stupid! If u have mixed heritage then ur mixed, if rihanna didnt have the grandparents she did she wudnt hav been born, simple as that. So its wrong to deny any heritage that u might have cuz thats wat made u the person u are! Thats sum deep ish! lol