Jada Pinkett Smith
Pinkett Smith in 2003, photo by DFree/Bigstock
Birth Name: Jada Koren Pinkett
Place of Birth: Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 18, 1971
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – African-/Creole-Barbadian, African-/Creole-Jamaican, one eighth Sephardi Jewish
Jada Pinkett Smith, also credited as Jada Pinkett, is an American actress, dancer, singer, songwriter, and businessperson. She has starred in Woo, Scream 2, The Nutty Professor, and The Matrix films.
Jada is the daughter of Adrienne Banfield-Jones and Robsol Grant Pinkett. Her father was of African-American descent. Jada’s maternal grandfather was an emigrant from Barbados, of African-Barbadian descent, while Jada’s maternal grandmother was the daughter of emigrants from Jamaica, who were of African- or Creole-Caribbean descent. Her brother is actor/writer Caleeb Pinkett.
Jada is married to actor, rapper, and musician Will Smith, with whom she has two children, actors and musicians Jaden Smith and Willow Smith.
Jada’s paternal grandfather was Robsol Grant Pinkett (the son of Maslin Frysinger Pinkett and Martha Josephine Dyer). Robsol was born in Maryland. Maslin was the son of Daniel James Pinkett and Sarah E. Peaker. Martha was the daughter of Eli Dyer and Alverta Hackett.
Jada’s paternal grandmother was Shirley Nancy Crystal Holland (the daughter of James P. Holland and Alice Whitehead). Alice was the daughter of Joe Whitehead and Sallie Watkins.
Jada’s maternal grandfather was Gilbert Leslie Banfield (the son of Gilbert Banfield and Ella E. R. Parris/Paris). Jada’s grandfather Gilbert and his parents, who were black, were from Saint Michael, Barbados, in the West Indies/Caribbean.
Jada’s maternal grandmother was Marion Eliza Martin (the daughter of Ralph Nunis Martin and Daisy Maude Costa/Coster). Marion was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to emigrants from Jamaica (Saint Ann and Kingston, respectively). Marion, along with her parents, are listed as “Mulatto” on the 1920 U.S. Census. Marion is listed as “Black” on the 1930 U.S. Census. Ralph was the son of James Wisdom Martin and Louisa Ann McCormick. In her autobiography, Worthy, 2023, Jada writes that her grandmother Marion’s grandfather was of Portuguese Jewish background.
Pinkett Smith in 2010, cinemafJoe Seer / Shutterstock.com
Sources: http://readingeagle.com
Genealogy of Jada Pinkett Smith – http://www.geni.com
Genealogy of Jada Pinkett Smith (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.wikitree.com
Jada’s maternal grandfather, Gilbert Leslie Banfield, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Jada’s maternal grandmother, Marion Eliza Martin – https://familysearch.org
Jada’s maternal grandmother, Marion Eliza Martin, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Marion Eliza Martin on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Actually Jamaicans are mixed, just like people from Hawaii. Blacks were the last people to step on the Island. Jamaicans don’t care about race Americans do and only Americans. People are people no one has the same background unless you have the same parents and even people form the same family can look different. Get over the race issue and move on we’re all human.
I can’t speak much about how Jamaicans think,I do have blood relatives there,however it’s not just Americans that go by race;all of those other countries do to.They may not say it to you face,but they do indeed do it.For a lot of those people who say it doesn’t exist in their countries,means it’s not usually directed towards them,so they might not see it
Some of you folks are really off. If you have a pure African parent and a pure white parent
you can come out looking like any human being we call an African American. As
a matter of fact, very like skin people who call themselves ‘black’ or mixed, are usaully
refering to their already ‘mixed’ black parent. Race in America is very complex.
Most americans are inter-racially mixed.
The ‘mulatto’ from slavery times looked alot different from what is accepted as ‘mulatto’ today.
AA like Jada and Nia Long. Eartha Kit is bi-racial. And I would bet that Pres Obama’s black side of the family has other heritage.
People seem to mix culture with racial background. Although there are African tribes whose genetic make up involve blue eyes and some even have very light skin (Lybian), I strongly doubt that
Vanessa Williams’ blue eyes is from her African ancestry.
My arguement is that African slaves who came to America were from western Africa. They were dark skin with tightly curled hair. Any African American who is even a few shades lighter is most likely of mixed heritage.
And finally I don’t think it’s a matter of anyone wanting to be what there not. It’s a matter of fact. Just as AA are singled out here for being who they are, trust me, our African family can recognize traits in AA that are not African. Other people don’t know how confusing it is to be AA.
Also, lots of AA don’t know their racial background.
Jada Pinkett’s caribbean roots are traced back to Barbados and Jamaica. She and he husband Will Smith vacation alot in Barbados. All Black People are beautiful, we are all made in the image of God, for you all who find that hard to believe and real true beauty is on the inside and not only on the outside.
She’s beautiful.
Jada nor the information stated on this site say that Jada is mixed. Yolanda, get over yourself. No one in America wants to claim mixed for no reason. But it is a fact that MANY black people in America have mixed ancestry and they do NOT claim to be mixed. So just because they may be prodominantly black they should not acknowledge their true genetic makeup? Once more, she did not say she was mixed, she has never even commented on it. The information says
“Some sites claim that Jada is partly Caucasian and Cherokee however these claims have not been supported with a direct quote from Pinkett herself.”
And amen to Lin!
And I’m not done, many of my family members “look” more mixed than mixed people so get it out of your heads that black people are naturally dark with kinky, cottony hair and brown eyes cause its just not true. What? white peopl come in various shades and eye colors but black ppl are only dark brown with dark brown eyes? Probably not…