South African singer Tyla is facing an interesting controversy—not over her music but her racial identity. Accusations of cultural appropriation have swirled around her use of the term “Coloured,” sparking a heated debate. However, this debate misunderstands the complexities of race in South Africa. It is another reason why many Black folks need to brush up on history that doesn’t revolve just around America.
During her interview on The Breakfast Club, Tyla wasn’t directly subjected to negativity, but her response to a question about her identity caused a stir online. Charlamagne tha God, the show’s host, asked Tyla to explain her decision to identify as a “Coloured woman” from South Africa. This was framed in the context of existing debates around her racial identity. Instead of answering herself, Tyla looked away, and someone off-screen (likely a publicist) politely declined to answer the question. Charlamagne respected their wishes and moved on but included the exchange in the published interview.
In South Africa, “Coloured” carries a distinct meaning. It signifies mixed ancestry, often including Black heritage, but also encompasses other ethnicities like indigenous African and European. It’s also a sociopolitical term, reflecting a group subjected to oppression under Apartheid, similar to Black South Africans. Apartheid, the system of racial segregation that dominated South Africa until the early 1990s, enforced a rigid racial classification system.
“Black” and “Coloured” were distinct categories. Members of both groups faced oppression under Apartheid and were denied basic rights and opportunities.
Consider the term “Mulatto,” which describes a group of people with mixed African and European ancestry. In the US, it is deemed disrespectful; nevertheless, in regions of the world that speak Portuguese, Spanish, or Italian, it is not. Being a “mulatto” is also seen as a source of pride in South America.
The term “Coloured” in America has a racist history, used dismissively towards Black people during the Jim Crow era. Terms like “Coloured” have specific meanings within South Africa that don’t necessarily translate directly to American racial categories. Black Americans have long been a source of inspiration for South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement. Figures like Martin Luther King Jr. were celebrated.
Tyla identifies as both Coloured and Black. She embraces her Zulu heritage while acknowledging her Blackness.
For her, it’s an “and” situation, not an “or.” Despite all of this, ‘woke’ Americans are still criticizing Tyla on X (formerly Twitter) for identifying as “Coloured” rather than “Black.” And honestly, it’s giving IGNORANT. I can’t stress enough why it’s important to take Black history seriously, and I mean it from a global sense, because why is this even a debate?
Why should Tyla have to conform to America’s racial identity or risk being ostracized by Black folk themselves? I guess she has to be the one to “catch a stray” in this debate as hopefully a learning lesson for Black people who aren’t aware of the Black struggle outside of American borders.
Tyla is a talented musician. We should celebrate her achievement and her rise in the music industry. We should support that instead of trapping her in identity politics.
