Toni Braxton
Braxton in 2011, photo by PrPhotos
Birth Name: Toni Michele Braxton
Place of Birth: Severn, Maryland, U.S.
Date of Birth: October 7, c. late 1960s
Ethnicity: African-American
Toni Braxton is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist.
Both of her parents are African-American. Her father, Michael Conrad Braxton, a Protestant minister, is from Maryland, and her mother, Evelyn Jackson, whose own father was a Protestant minister, is from South Carolina. Her siblings, Traci, Towanda, Trina, and Tamar, were/are also entertainers. Toni has two children with her former husband, musician Keri Lewis.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show The Real (2016) stated that Toni’s sister, Tamar Braxton’s, genetic ancestry is:
*84% African
——–*22% Benin/Togo
——–*18% Ivory Coast/Ghana
——–*17% Cameroon/Congo
——–*12% Nigeria
——–*9% Senegal
——–*6% other Africa
*14% European
——–7% Europe West [including French, British, Irish, Finnish, Scandinavian]
——–7% other Europe
Toni’s paternal grandfather was Francis/Frances Collins Braxton (the son of Oscar Braxton and Mary Robinson). Francis was born in Virginia. Oscar was the son of Delaware Braxton and Malvina. Mary was the daughter of Richard Watts and Harriette/Harriet Robinson.
Toni’s paternal grandmother was named Eva Estine Waters (the daughter of Olive/Ollie Bourne). Eva was born in New York. Olive was the daughter of William Thomas Bourne and Maude A. Hutchens.
Toni’s maternal grandfather was named The Rev. John Jackson. John was born in South Carolina.
Toni’s maternal grandmother was named Beulah Given/Givens/Rumph (the daughter of Catherine Rumph). Beulah was born in South Carolina.
Toni has stated that one of her grandmothers was Jewish (and caucasian). Given the information above, it does not appear that this statement is accurate.
In her 2014 autobiography, Unbreak My Heart: A Memoir, Toni writes:
Dad’s mom, Eva, was nearly 90 percent Caucasian, yet she was considered black in this country, thanks to the one-drop rule… my grandfather, Frances Braxton – a descendant of Carter Braxton, the Virginia Delegate who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776… My grandfather Frances… was half African American and half Native American.
It is not clear if this descent from Carter Braxton, or Toni’s Native American ancestry, have been verified/documented.
Sources: Genealogy of Toni Braxton – https://www.geni.com
Toni’s paternal great-great-grandfather, Delaware Braxton, on a Hanover Co. list of colored voters in 1869 – https://imgur.com
Toni’s paternal grandmother, Eva Estine Waters, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Toni’s paternal grandmother, Eva Estine (Waters) Braxton – http://articles.baltimoresun.com
Toni’s statements about her claimed Jewish ancestry – http://www.accesshollywood.com
http://www.nytimes.com
>of Richard Watts and
>Harriette/Harriet Robinson.
I found Delaware Braxton on a list of colored voters from Hanover Co. in 1869:
https://imgur.com/a/i5xjdtq
Toni’s maternal grandfather was named Rev. John Jackson. John was born in South Carolina.
Toni’s maternal grandmother was Beulah Given/Givens/Rumph (the daughter of Catherine Rumph). Beulah was born in South Carolina.
She and her sisters are very light skinned. I wouldnt guess 84% SSA but 60-70%.
But DNA don’t lie so who cares what u guess. Blacks come in all shades please get that through your heads
Doesn’t look like any native on her genes according to her whole sister…
Tamar’s DNA results are interesting… Toni would get different results if she took the test though. Siblings have varying autosomal DNA.
@savanna
Quote:
(Toni would get different results if she took the test though. Siblings have varying autosomal DNA.)
Well that’s true, but I doubt it would be that big of a difference. I mean it’s not like Tamar testing 14% Euro, and Toni testing 28% Euro, at least IMO. I’ve seen Sibling results before, and so far they haven’t been that far from each other, but who knows.
Her grandmother Eva is listed as “Mulatto” on the census: https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M63H-RLJ
It was common for African-Americans to be listed as “Mulatto” on the 1920 census in particular. The term as used on the census never indicated a direct mix anyway.
Right. Probably some were listed that way by the census taker due to phenotype.