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The allure of Black culture, even when it comes to being biracial, is rooted in how diverse it can be. From the different personality types and various ways we style the coils of our hair, to the spectrum of skin colors that represent every shade of melanin, there’s no denying that all Black is beautiful in our eyes.
However, you might be surprised at how often our lighter-skinned brothers and sisters get mistaken for being Caucasian. While some in fact do identify as biracial and have a mix of cultures within their family DNA, unfortunately some people have perceptions of race that are strictly skin deep. We see it in the way Amber Rose was recently called out by MSNBC host Joy Reid for her Republican views, and hip-hop fans have been witnessing it for months now as Drake defended his Blackness (to little avail) in a rap war against both Rick Ross and more notably Kendrick Lamar.
RELATED: Mixed-Ish – “White” Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were Technically People Of Color
Race baiting aside, the recent back-and-forth on various levels made us think about all the other melanated entertainers throughout history who themselves were mistaken for being fully white. It can admittedly be a bit rough having another person remove you from your racial identity with their words strictly due to the color of your skin. In our eyes, it only proves how much work we still need to accomplish as a society in order to live in world that’s impacted by less judgement and more love.
If not for anything else, some people just want to be embraced and accepted by their people. Is that too much to ask?
Keep scrolling for a look at 20 biracial celebrities who often got mistaken for being only white. Some are admittedly a bit more far-removed from the culture than others, but all are invited to cookout of you as us:
1. HALSEY
Italian/Hungarian mother, African American/Irish father
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2. RASHIDA JONES
Ashkenazi Jewish mother, African-American/Welsh father
Source: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Getty
3. PETE WENTZ OF FALL OUT BOY
Afro-Jamaican mother, English/German father
Source: Rich Polk / Getty
4. VIN DIESEL
English/German/Scottish/Irish mother, African-American father
Source: VALERIE MACON / Getty
5. KEHLANI
Caucasian/Native American mother, African American father
Source: David Livingston / Getty
6. TORI KELLY
Irish/German mother, Jamaican/Puerto Rican father
Source: Sarah Morris / Getty
7. LOGIC
Caucasian mother, African American father
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty
8. WENTWORTH MILLER
Rusyn/Swedish/French/Dutch/Syrian/Lebanese mother, African-American/Jamaican/German/English father
Source: Variety / Getty
9. MAYA RUDOLPH
African-American mother, Jewish father
Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty
10. CARLY SIMON
A 2017 episode of the PBS series ‘Finding Your Roots’ found that Carly Simon’s DNA includes 10% African and 2% Native American, likely via her maternal grandmother. Her father was German-Jewish, mother was Cuban/Catholic.
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11. SLASH OF GUNS N’ ROSES
African American mother, Englishman father
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12. HAILEE STEINFELD
African American/English/Filipino/Irish/Scottish/German mother, Jewish father
Source: Eric Charbonneau / Getty
13. SHAILENE WOODLEY
Creole (African/French/Spanish/German/English/Swiss) mother, British Isles father
Source: Kevin Winter / Getty
14. CARDI B
Trinidadian/African/Spanish mother, Dominican father
Source: Gilbert Flores / Getty
15. JENNIFER BEALS
Irish American mother, African American father
Source: Jon Kopaloff / Getty
16. MARTIN GORE OF DEPECHE MODE
Englishwoman mother, African American father
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17. CAROL CHANNING
German-Jewish mother, African American father
Source: Bettmann / Getty
18. CAMERON BOYCE
Jewish mother, African American father
Source: Variety / Getty
19. DEREK JETER
English/German/Irish mother, African-American biracial father
Source: Mary DeCicco / Getty
20. FREDIE WASHINGTON
African American/European mother, African American/European father
Source: Bettmann / Getty