Why Raven Symoné’s comments on Raven Baxter’s Blackness hit a nerve

 Raven-Symoné’s viral comments about “That’s So Raven” have fans revisiting what made Raven Baxter such a meaningful representation of Black girlhood, family, style and joy.

 For years, Disney’s hit show “That’s So Raven” raised a generation, and this week, social media has spiraled into a discourse even Raven Baxter would not be able to predict. When a clip of Raven-Symoné discussing her iconic Disney character on a podcast episode with Kalen Allen resurfaced online, social media users and fans of the show found themselves doing a double-take. 

In a discussion about how Blackness is not monolithic and can “look so many different ways,” Allen brought up the cultural impact of “That’s So Raven,” particularly for Black audiences. When the actor and comedian proclaimed that Raven Baxter was so “f—ing Black,” Symoné responded with the question: “Was she Black? Why did she feel Black to you?” 

As Allen went on to explain the impact of seeing the representation of a Black family on Disney, the actress argued, “So you saw color. Take away the color. Make them green, and hear the words. What color are they?”

The exchange triggered a new wave of responses across social media. 

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Amid the shockwaves that Symoné’s questions sent through the internet, many fans of the show pointed to numerous examples in which race was discussed on the show. Though race was not the crux of the show’s plot, the majority Black cast, style choices and subtle mannerisms and expressions in the show made the show feel rooted in Black culture. And fans are particularly pointing to moments in the show’s four-season run where Symoné’s character either directly talked about being Black or episodes that confronted Black history and discrimination.  

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And while he agrees with the internet’s collective belief that Raven Baxter was a Black girl, Allen shared his understanding of what the actress was trying to explain in the now-viral clip. 

“What I think is getting lost is the distinction between the origin of a character and the character that ultimately exists on screen. We had a larger conversation about the fact that the show began as Totally Psychic before Raven was attached, and my understanding of what Raven was explaining was that the character, at conception, did not necessarily have to be any particular race,” he wrote in a series of posts on Threads. “But once Raven-Symoné became Raven Baxter, the show was built around HER. And the Raven Baxter we actually received was undeniably a Black girl. She existed in a Black family. The show explicitly addressed anti-Black discrimination. Her mannerisms, comedy, music, references, and cultural touchstones were influenced by the Black woman playing her.”

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And that’s the thing. For so many Black viewers, myself included, Raven Baxter’s presence and celebrity on Disney Channel, at a time when most shows were led by white characters, was not only inspirational but comforting. In a show that portrayed a Black actress and her Black family navigating the ups and downs of coming of age and unapologetically expressing themselves through fashion, Symoné’s character put Black girl joy and whimsy at the forefront.  

So while the argument about the universal appeal of “That’s so Raven” is warranted, given the show’s success across demographics, the attempt to dismiss her Blackness feels hurtful to the thousands of viewers who saw themselves in the many layers of the show.