Rihanna
02/24/2016 – Rihanna – BRIT Awards 2016 – Arrivals – O2 Arena – London, UK – Photo Credit: Landmark / PR Photos
Birth Name: Robyn Rihanna Fenty
Place of Birth: Saint Michael, Barbados
Date of Birth: February 20, 1988
Ethnicity:
*father – mix of African-Barbadian and European-Barbadian [Scottish, English, Irish]
*mother – African-Guyanese
Rihanna is a Barbadian singer, songwriter, businessperson, dancer, record producer, and actress. She has been Barbadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, since 20 September, 2018.
She is the daughter of Ronald Fenty, who is from Barbados, and Monica (Brathwaite), who is from Guyana. She has two children with her partner, American rapper, songwriter, and record producer ASAP Rocky.
Rihanna’s paternal grandfather was African-Barbadian. Rihanna’s paternal grandmother, who is white, has Scottish, English, and Irish ancestry. Rihanna’s mother is of African-Guyanese descent. In an interview with Allure magazine, Rihanna stated that she was bullied in school and called ‘white’ by the other kids while growing up in Barbados.
Rihanna’s paternal grandfather was named Reginald Leslie Forde (the son of Helen Forde). Helen was the daughter of Joseph Nathanael “Joe” Forde and Louisa Jane Bascom.
Rihanna’s paternal grandmother is Elizabeth “Betty” Fenty (the daughter of Stanley Fitzherbert Fenty and Hilda Olga Coppin). Elizabeth is white. Her parents were born in Barbados. The surname Fenty is usually Scottish and the surname Coppin is usually English. Rihanna’s grandmother is also cited as having Irish ancestry. Elizabeth is from a family of “Red Legs,” descendants of slaves from the British Isles who were sent to Barbados. Stanley likely was the grandson of John Fitzherbert Fenty and Mary Louisa Jane Fenty.
Rihanna’s maternal grandfather is named Lionel Brathwaite.
Rihanna’s maternal grandmother is named Clara “Dolly” Viola Venetta Johnson.
Rihanna in 2011
Sources: Genealogy of Rihanna – https://www.geni.com
Death record of Rihanna’s paternal great-grandparents, Stanley Fitzherbert Fenty and Hilda Olga Coppin – http://www.findagrave.com
Obituary of Rihanna’s maternal grandmother, Clara Viola Venetta (Johnson) Brathwaite – http://downesandwilson.com
What people don’t seem to understand is that the black race as a whole is a mixed race. You have people who range from cream to dark chocolate. There hardly exists a person of African descent that isn’t mixed with something. Even people in Africa are mostly mixed (Did you know that Nigeria has the largest amount of people of African decent followed by Brazil? The second largest population of black people isn’t even in an African nation). So to say that someone is “completely black” is not even accurate. There is no such thing as someone who is “pure black”. I am a multiracial person but I consider myself black (I’m West Indian, Jamaican) because that’s how i appear to the majority and its simpler than saying that i am black mixed with chinese, irish, english, east indian, and native american. I see being black as being of recent African descent (i’d say from slavery to the present) and i could care less to have to specify mulatta or octamaroon or whatever. It’s silly. As Barack Obama said, we black people are “a hell of a mixed up race.” Let’s embrace it and stop trying to subdivide. We’re stronger as a united front anyway.
Yeah and Wikipedia also says that Brazil has the third largest White population in the world, only Russia and USA have more Whites. And we’re not in Europe and neither is USA (or most Russia). The country is bigger than European and African countries, it’s not surprising that there are more people.
‘Scuse me. I wrote “I think the problem is…” because I went to older comments and saw that people were discussing over if she was Black or not and someone said that they weren’t American, so they didn’t understand why she was considered Black in USA, so that’s what my previous comment was about.
I’m explaining so no one thinks that I’m saying that Rihanna is a problem or something.
And I’m sorry if someone couldn’t understand my English, I’m trying to improve it.
I think the problem is that not every country would see her as Black. In Barbados she was teased for being “White” and I’ve read some things about Barbados and they usually consider lighter skinned people of African descent “Caucasian” or “White”.
It’s in the Unites States that people who obvioulsy have African blood are considered “Black”, no matter how light they are.
Where I live, Brazil, she wouldn’t be considered Black by the majority, perhaps someone would say that she’s Black, but what I see and what I grew up with is that people like Akon, Wyclef Jean, Li’l Wayne, Jay-Z and others are Black or the Portuguese word that is more appropriate and polite: “negros”, while Beyoncé, T.I. and Rihanna would be “mulatos” or “morenos”, but the problem with the word “moreno” is that it also means any person of any race with brown hair, even if it’s light brown, so it can get confusing, but when discussing race, Rihanna would be “morena” or “mulata”, not “negra” or the English word “Black”.
To Juli
They actually saw her as white?Also Why is would Jay Z be seen as black down there,wouldn’t he be (pardo)?Also “negros” is polite down there?Because up here if the wrong person says it,they could get beat down.Also what if you have the same background as Beyoncé,but you skin color looks like Akons,would they still be seen as “mulatos” or “morenos”?
Negro means black in Spanish. So it’s like saying black in english.
To Jasmine
Thank you jasmine,I know what negro means in spanish.I’m just saying,I can’t believe calling someone negro is more polite than calling someone black in that country.
To Jasmine
Looking at my reply to you,it reads like I’m getting smart with you,but I’m not.Sorry if it’s comes off that way to you
I was surprised when an American classmate told me that saying “Negro” would make me “get shot on the face” (her words) in USA, because here that’s the word that we use, we just pronounce it differently and we don’t spell it with a capital letter, because races don’t need capital letters in Portuguese, neither do nationalities, days of the week or months.
I was 14 when she told me that, but I have watched a lot of movies since then and even on movies the characters reacted badly to that word.
Jasmine, we don’t speak Spanish in Brazil, like I’ve said, it’s Portuguese. I wouldn’t know how other Latin American countries categorize.
“They actually saw her as white?”
Yes, I’ve read about it. In Barbados, light skinned people of African descent are considered “White”. A Barbadian woman wrote that it’s even possible for a Barbadian to get surprised when going to the US, because they would be perceived as “Black”.
“Also Why is would Jay Z be seen as black down there,wouldn’t he be (pardo)?”
Just so you can get a better picture, only people with a beige colored skin are “pardos”. If it’s brown, they’re “negros”. Beyoncé is “parda”.
“Also “negros” is polite down there?”
Yeah, and it was even the word used on the Census, until they changed it a few years ago to “afro-descendente”, but “negro” is still very accepted, no one needs to say “afro-descendente” instead of “negro”, it’s only on documents that it shows “afro-descendente” instead now.
“Because up here if the wrong person says it,they could get beat down.”
I don’t know if we have a word that “powerful”, unless someone is called something really racist, like “monkey”, for example. Because even the word “preto” (it literally means “Black”) is accepted, even though I don’t use it and most people don’t, because it’s less polite. That word might be offensive, depending on how you say it, so it’s better not to use it, but “negro” is better accepted, it even sounds better.
“Also what if you have the same background as Beyoncé,but you skin color looks like Akons,would they still be seen as “mulatos” or “morenos”?”
No, because in Brazil, being “negro” or “mulato” depends more on the skin tone. Even a White looking person with a maternal grandmother that is Black would be considered White. There is an actress with light brown hair and blue eyes that is like that and she’s considered White, I don’t know if someone with a Black grandmother would be considered White everywhere.
To Juli
Why is ronaldinho call pardo-brazilian,is it because of his hair?
No, “pardo” is one of the many words we use for a person of both African and European descent, but I doubt a dark skinned person would be called “pardo” even if they are of European descent, because in Brazil, we categorize more on the skin color (I know it’s a bit strange, it can get confusing).
I assume you are talking about Ronaldinho carioca (we call him “Ronaldinho carioca” because “carioca” is a person born in Rio de Janeiro and there is another soccer player with the nickname “Ronaldinho”), not Ronaldinho gaúcho (from Rio Grande do Sul), because Ronaldinho gaúcho is darker.
My bf is lighter than Rihanna. Guess why? His mom is albino!!!! His great grand dad is half white too. I’m from the Caribbean. My grand mother is extremely dark but has light brown hair and hazel eyes. Its unfortunate that I only inherited the blondish hair. I am still dark though. The crazy thing about being from the Caribbean is there is such a mixture. There are a million ppl there who look like Rihanna. The thing is that ppl are so molded there and the genes can pop sup in any generation going back years. I think the sane applies to ur girl right here. And like another poster said, there is rarely a black person in the western world who doesn’t have some form of mixture. None form ur own conclusion with that.
@ jaqy – Exactly. People would have to be in or be familiar with a black family to know that. Some looking fro the outside assume blacks all look alike with the same hues and tones. We are a mixture.
Look at Tyra Banks, for instance. She looks nothing like her direct parents nor brother, but more like her grandmother. She inherited a throwback gene.
Die BLACK BITCH!!!!!!
lmao wtf?