Normani
Normani in 2013, photo by Prphotos.com
Birth Name: Normani Kordei Hamilton
Place of Birth: Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Date of Birth: May 31, 1996
Ethnicity: African-American, Creole [French, African], possibly Native American and/or Indian
Norman, also credited as Normani Kordei, is an American musician, singer, and dancer. She is a member of singing group Fifth Harmony, along with Ally Brooke, Dinah Jane, Lauren Jauregui, and, previously, Camila Cabello.
Normani was born Normani Kordei Hamilton, and is the daughter of Derrick and Andrea Hamilton. She stated in an interview that she is of African-American, French, and Indian descent. It is not clear if she was referring to ancestry that is Native American, or Indian from India.
Normani spent her early years in New Orleans. Her family moved to Houston, Texas after Hurricane Katrina, in 2005. Normani has two older half-sisters, Arielle and Ashlee. She has been performing since she was three, and was an award-winning dancer and gymnast before recording her first single at age thireen. She also had a role on the HBO series Treme.
Normani’s grandmother was Barbara Bissant (the daughter of Robert Normand “Bob” Bissant, Sr. and Annabel Hymes). Robert was the son of Champion Bissant and Luda Miller. He played baseball in the Negro League. Annabel was the daughter of Mitchell Hymes and Ida Villavaso.
Sources: Obituary record of Normani’s great-grandfather, Robert Normand “Bob” Bissant, Sr. – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Normani’s great-grandmother, Annabel (Hymes) Bissant – http://obits.nola.com
Robert Bissant was the son of Champion Bissant and Luda Miller. He played baseball in the Negro League.
correction: It should say Louisana Creole (African, French, and Native American)
I think what she means by African, French and Indian is Creole, she has family members from Louisiana
and possibly Indian too, unless she does have someone in her family from India.
Not all African-Americans from Louisiana are Creole. Not sure about the Indian part.
True, but if she says she has African and French ancestry, it seems pretty likely that it is Creole. And it’s even already discovered, the surnames Bissant and Villavaso point in that direction. Black person + from Louisiana + Latin surnames = most likely Creole.
And the Indian part should be assumed to be Native American, I think. It’s a bit misleading to just write what she said when there’s such an obvious other interpretation. I’d write:
African-American, Louisiana Creole (African, French), possibly other
I know that, if she said has African and French roots, someone in her family from New Orleans with Creole roots then must be Creole too. Maybe it should say African American, Louisiana Creole [including African, French], possibly other instead.
Speaking as a Creoles, change that to most definitely other ethnic bloodlines. Louisiana was a very popular stop for Europeans and others