Aaliyah
Aaliyah in 2001, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Aaliyah Dana Haughton
Date of Birth: January 16, 1979
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Death: August 25, 2001
Place of Death: Marsh Harbour, Abaco Islands, Bahamas
Ethnicity: African-Jamaican, African-American, possibly some Native American
Aaliyah was an American R&B singer, actress, dancer, and model. She starred in the films Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned. She was also known as Baby Girl.
Her parents, Diane (Hankerson) and Michael Haughton, are both black. The name Aaliyah is from the word Aliyah, which is of Hebrew origin, meaning “highest, most exalted one, the best.” Her uncle is record producer and music manager Barry Hankerson, who founded Blackground Records, and was previously married to singer Gladys Knight. Aaliyah’s brother is writer, director, and screenwriter Rashad Haughton. She was said to be a cousin of Tek-N-Steele, of hip hop duo Smif-N-Wessun. Aaliyah was killed in a private plane crash.
Aaliyah had stated:
When I wake up in the morning I am African-American, and when I go to sleep at night I am African-American, and I can assure you I love who I am…
Her father is of African-Jamaican descent and her mother is of African-American ancestry.
Aaliyah has sometimes been cited as having a Native American grandmother, or as having a grandmother with some Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented. A photo of her maternal grandmother Mintis can be seen here.
Aaliyah’s paternal grandfather was Franklin Gresley Reid Haughton (the son of Solomon Ehud Haughton and Lilia Margaret Bell). Franklin was a Jamaican emigrant, from Darliston, Westmoreland. Solomon was the son of Robert Samuel Haughton and Judith Richardson. Lilia was the daughter of Joseph Zebulon Bell and Ester Jemima Walker.
Aaliyah’s paternal grandmother was Gladys Lucille Burton (the daughter of Joseph Francis Cato Burton and Adella Adelaide Allen). Gladys was a Jamaican emigrant, from Bagnold Spring, Saint Mary. Joseph was the son of Francis Cato Burton. Adella was the daughter of Henry Staines Allen and Esther Adelaide Anderson. A picture of Gladys can be seen here.
Aaliyah’s maternal grandfather was Ernest W. Hankerson (the son of Waddy/Woddie Myers and Susie Hankerson). Ernest was born in Bullock, Georgia. Waddy was the son of Henry Myers and Andenia/Hannah/Anna Hankerson. Susie was the daughter of Henry Hankerson and Rachel Peeples.
Aaliyah’s maternal grandmother was Mintis L. Hicks (who possibly was the daughter of Daniel Hicks and Anna Scott). Mintis was born in Barnwell, South Carolina. Anna was the daughter of Sam Scott and Millie.
Sources: Genealogies of Aaliyah – https://www.geni.com
https://www.wikitree.com
I’d like to note all of you sound upsurd right about now. The reasoning why is because Aaliyah and her family confirmed what her ethnicity/nationality was. So your confirmation or opinion is not relevant. Thanks for nothing. Moving on Aaliyah R.I.P. you were a talented young lady and a lot of people still miss you too this day! May God rest your Soul!
She’s black white and American Indian it is obvious .She is the best R abd B singer ever .She puts beyonce to shame and Rhiana too they are a joke compared to Aaliyah.Shes the most beautiful woman ever
she doesn’t have white in her she’s african american and partly native.
Most African Americans have European ancestry if you didn’t know this. They have an average of 20-25% European ancestry (Check out the DNA studies done on African Americans) and Aaliyah looked like she had more than the average.
aaliyah wasnt not mix with white, thats not true. her grandmother 100 percent native american. aaliyah is black but, has some indian in her blood. aaliyah is just black with some indian. not white.
African Americans have an average of 20-25% European ancestry (Check out the DNA studies done on African Americans) and Aaliyah looked like she had more than the average.
aaliyah/ali is actually arabic and so his her brothers name rashaad.. according to her mothers interview back in 2001
Yes, a lot of popular African or black names are Arabic.
Yes Misty Jean that is an Arabic name. Unfortunately most people sometimes get mixed up when it comes to Swahili and Arabic- a lot of Swahili(actually 40%)is borrowed from Arabic. It is such a beautiful and intricate mix!
uum rip aaliyah truly a good singer
she is of west indian background trinidian lot of american born dont like to say they are west indian just say american or black
My boyfriend says that he’s black and he says that he’s Jamaican. But to make it simpler for narrow minded folk he says black.
your right, people just don’t understand