Source: Marc Piasecki / Getty
Tyla stands firm in identifying as “black” and “colored.” In a recent interview with British Vogue, the South African addressed the controversial 2020 TikTok video (that resurfaced in 2023) in which she described her race as a “colored South African.” The internet (particularly the Black community) went into a frenzy, saying that the use of the word colored, as it relates to race, is outdated and offensive. Tyla understands the troubled history behind the world in America but also wants people to understand her cultural experience.
“I understand that word is a sensitive word to people, so I don’t blame people for being touched about it. I just would have wanted an opportunity for people to actually truly listen and learn,” the “Water” crooner told British Vogue. Much like America, South Africa is no stranger to racism. As a form of segregation during apartheid in the country, the Population Registration Act of 1950 forced Africans to register themselves as either white, native, or colored.
Tyla addressed the history mentioned above by saying it was confusing for her, but it was all she knew growing up as a South African. “It was bad for a lot of us. They just classified us. And that just so happens to be the name that the white people called us,” she explained to British Vogue. “They chose to call people that were mixed ‘colored‘. And I’m not gonna lie, it was hard because all my life, obviously I knew ‘I’m Black’ but also knew that ‘I’m colored‘. So when I went to America and people were like, ‘You can’t say that!’ I was in a position where I was like, ‘Oh, so what do I do? What am I then?’”
Tyla Defends Her Choice to Identify As ‘Colored’
Even amid the controversy Tyla faced for identifying as a “colored” woman, the 23-year-old is sticking to the norms of her culture. “I’m at a point where I know who I am. I know I’m a Black woman, and I know I’m a colored woman as well, and you can be both. And the people that care to learn, they understand now. And that’s enough for me.”
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