Sanaa Lathan
Lathan in 2010, Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Sanaa McCoy Lathan
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 19, 1971
Ethnicity: African-American
Sanaa Lathan is an American actress. She is known for starring in the movies Blade (1998), Brown Sugar (2002), and Alien vs. Predator (2004). Her father, Stan Lathan, is a producer and director. Her mother, Eleanor McCoy (Eleanor Leslie McCoy), performed on Broadway. Her brother is DJ Tendaji Lathan.
Sanaa’s parents are both African-American. Her first name, Sanaa, means “work of art” in Swahili.
Some websites state that she has Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented.
Sanaa’s paternal grandfather was named Stanley Edward Lathan (the son of William E. Lathan and Addie). Stanley was born in Pennsylvania.
Sanaa’s paternal grandmother was Julia Elizabeth Dunston (the daughter of Charles Dallas Dunston, Sr. and Lillian Pauline Muldrow). Julia was born in Pennsylvania. Lillian was the daughter of Phillip Muldrow and Rebecca E. Turner.
Sanaa’s maternal grandfather was Wesley Brice McCoy (the son of Wesley Duncan/Deer McCoy and Perses Helen Brice). Sanaa’s grandfather Wesley was born in South Bend, Indiana. Sanaa’s great-grandfather Wesley was the son of Duncan McCoy and Rosetta Nash. Perses was the daughter of John D. Brice and Paul.
Sanaa’s maternal grandmother was named Helen Irene Traylor (the daughter of Henry Franklin Traylor and Nittie/Mittie Rita Reeder Teasley). Helen was born in Hartwell, Georgia. She is pictured here.
Sources: Sanaa’s paternal grandfather, Stanley Edward Lathan, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Sanaa’s paternal grandmother, Julia Elizabeth Dunston, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Sanaa’s paternal great-grandparents, Charles Dallas Dunston and Lillian Pauline Muldrow, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Sanaa’s maternal grandfather, Wesley Brice McCoy, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
CORRECTION: She is also Native American too. Not just African American
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanaa_Lathan
I’m not sure if she has ever even made that claim herself. It’s already addressed with “Some websites state that she has Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented”.
Oh because I read in her Wiki, it said that she was African & Native American, that’s why I thought they should add Native in the ethnicity
She honestly looks mixed to me, I’ve always thought she was mixed.
All African-Americans are mixed to a certain degree.
The avg,I wouldn’t say all
I’m talking about like black & white (this gen) not from slavery..
@tinasheeeeee, no she does not look black/white mixed at all.
Do you consider Jessica Szohr mixed? Or just a while girl even though her nose side profile and hair texture all show signs of black blood?
Cause essentially that’s what Sanna is. She doesn’t look half white (though since Halle and Kat Graham are here she can pass) but she has obvious signs of other.
She looks like a basic regular black American girl. I dont see a mixed girl. Im talking about one with a white parent. All peoples are mixed in the past. She has afro hair texture and she looks basic black. I think you want her to be mixed cause she is pretty.
And many African Americas are mixed. She has a very white looking nose bridge and side profile imo.
For all intent though, she’s black. Doesn’t mean that her features can’t scream “other”.
@Alexgro both of her parents are BLACK she is black. Nothing about her looks half white. Sorry but she looks basically African American. Stop trying to make everyone mixed its stupid and annoying. .
she reminds me of a black version of vanessa hudgens, but sanaa is prettier
and i always thought sanaa looked mixed. probably is
Both of her parents are black people. Why does this site like overmixing attractive black people???????
She’s African American so she could have some British or French blood.
And they’re only “black” in self identity and the way society sees them. Doesn’t mean that they can’t have “white” blood in them.
Just because her skin is light does not mean she has White in her she could possibly have N8tive blood
Most AFRICAN AMERICANS have WHITE blood. None of them are 100% African.
She’s actually not that light. Light skinned would be Rihanna, Beyonce (now that she bleached her skin, she used to be darker), and Alicia Keys. I consider Sanaa to be brown skinned.
Are you nuts? Beyoncé was light brown as a kid, with long beautiful thick hair. Stop it with the bleached skin bull…. If you don’t believe me, check out childhood photos of her. There are several out there.
Beyonce was a golden light b
Not the high yellow color she is now. Beyonce uses skin bleach, yes she does.
Rihanna actually has Irish in her (from her father’s side) she is Bajan, Guyanese & Irish mainly. I don’t know about Beyonce, I think she’s African-American but Rihanna has always been light, sometimes it’s the lights that make them look even more light.
Nope not true Rhianna was medium toned golden brown. I saw her at a club seriously in DC before she became popular. Rhianna definitely uses skin bleach.
She probably has some Caucasian ancestry
As do most black American people.
i don’t think one could have “caucasian ancestry” i believe you mean some “european ancestry”
Of course you can have Caucasian ancestry, it’s just not the same than European ancestry. “European” refers to the geographical or cultural origin, but the “white” phenotype doesn’t stop at Ural/Caucasus/Marmara Sea – it reaches to Siberia, Afghanistan/India/Yemen/North Africa.
There’s another term for Caucasians, what means that roughly simplifying “white” phenotype: “Europid”, but that’s still not “European”.
Who cares. She does not have a white parent so she is not mixed. All people have other ethnicities at some time.