Tyla responds to claims of denying her black heritage and clarifies her racial identity

 Tyla responds to claims of denying her black heritage and clarifies her racial identity

Tyla, a Grammy-winning South African musician, has addressed accusations of denying her black heritage, asserting that she does not identify as white.

 

In a statement on her X page, Tyla emphasized that she has never rejected her black heritage, despite misinformation circulating on social media.

 

The 22-year-old artist explained that her ancestry is a beautiful mix of black/Zulu, Irish, Mauritian/Indian, and colored roots.

 

Tyla acknowledged that in South Africa, she is categorized as a Coloured woman, while in other parts of the world, she is recognized as black. She also recognized that racial classification varies by location and culture.

 

Furthermore, Tyla emphasized her understanding of the significance of the term "Coloured" outside of South Africa and clarified that she does not expect to be labeled as such by anyone uncomfortable with the term. She expressed her acceptance of being identified as both Coloured in South Africa and a black woman elsewhere.

 

Summing up her stance, Tyla expressed, “I’ve never denied my blackness, idk where that came from… In South Africa, I would be classified as a Coloured woman, and elsewhere I would be recognized as a black woman. Race is classified differently in different parts of the world. I don’t expect to be identified as Coloured by anyone not comfortable doing so because I understand the weight of that word outside of SA. But to close this conversation, I’m both Coloured in South Africa and a black woman.”