Georgia actress Raven-Symoné is facing criticism online after saying that her show That’s So Raven was not a black show.
That’s So Raven, starring Raven-Symoné as teenager Raven Baxter, was one of Disney Channel’s most successful sitcoms of the 2000s. The series premiered in 2003 and quickly became a major ratings hit, regularly drawing millions of viewers and becoming the first Disney Channel series to surpass 100 episodes. Its popularity extended beyond television, with the show receiving multiple award nominations and spawning the spin-off Cory in the House.
Now, the actress has started a new conversation about the show. During an episode of the Tea Time podcast, Raven-Symoné said that That’s So Raven wasn’t a black show. The circulating clip begins with Raven saying that she loved her blackness. Kalen Allen, who appeared as a guest on the podcast, then described Raven Baxter as “so [expletive] black.” In response, the actress asked, “was she black?” referring to her character.
Allen said that the character felt black to him and that it was the first time he had seen a black family represented that way on television. This prompted Raven-Symoné to argue that he was seeing “color.” She then told him, “Take away the color. Make them green, and hear the words. What color are they?” Her perspective appeared to make Allen reconsider his previous opinion.
Raven-Symoné’s wife then argued that the show had white writers, while the actress emphasized that the series was universal. She added that white people could have also lived in the same town as Raven Baxter and her family. “Thank God it was black-facing so you could see people of color. We had the representation,” she continued. Raven-Symoné also pointed out that her character had a white friend. Allen then argued that Raven Baxter did not have a specific preference when it came to her love interests. Raven-Symoné’s comments about the show not being a black series quickly led to backlash online.
Many viewers have described That’s So Raven as a distinctly black show. This is because of its predominantly black cast, its focus on a black family, and its incorporation of aspects of black culture and everyday experiences into its storylines. Raven Baxter’s family, including her parents Victor and Tanya and her younger brother Cory, was portrayed as a successful and close-knit black family. On the other hand, recurring characters and storylines sometimes touched on issues such as racial stereotypes, discrimination and cultural identity. For many viewers, seeing a black teenager at the center of a popular Disney Channel sitcom made the series feel culturally significant and representative.
Fans Slam Georgia Actress Raven-Symoné Over Show Statement
After Georgia actress Raven-Symoné said that her popular show wasn’t a black series, fans quickly criticized her. Some viewers accused her of going against her own race by rejecting what they considered a clear example of a black show. “She’s been anti-Black for years. I guess people missed all the dumb crap she would say on the view,” one person wrote. Another person said, “Just in case anyone is wondering, Raven has become this ‘both sides’ right-coded grifter type.”
More people criticized the actress. They cited examples from the show that they believed demonstrated its connection to black culture and experiences. “Girl, we had the whole episode where Chelsea got the retail job over Raven, despite being less qualified and worse at the job than Raven, because Chelsea was white. Suddenly, Raven isn’t black?” one person wrote. Another person said, “I just posted about this episode in another comment. As a young black girl, this show was so important to me. I had the posters, sheets, and comforter lmao. I did not play about ms.Raven so it’s sad to see her pretend to be oblivious on the impact the show had on young black girls/ black families.”
What Raven-Symoné said about That’s So Raven started a conversation about how complicated it can be to classify a show as a black series. It also highlighted how actors’ interpretations of their own work can sometimes differ from those of the audiences who watched it. This is particularly when fans feel that a series had a significant cultural impact.
