Tyla has addressed the controversy surrounding her racial identity after an awkward moment in a recent interview. During the interview, she was questioned about her past remarks identifying as “Coloured.” This term is commonly used in South Africa for mixed-race individuals but is considered a slur in the United States.
Tyla’s Clarification
The question was met with silence from Tyla, and her publicist intervened, saying, “Can we not? Por favor.”
After the interview, Tyla took to Twitter to clarify her stance. “Never denied my Blackness, idk where that came from,” she began. “I’m mixed with black/Zulu, Irish, Mauritian/Indian and Coloured. In Southa I would be classified as a Coloured woman and other places I would be classified as a black woman. Race is classified differently in different parts of the world.”
Addressing Misunderstandings
Tyla emphasized understanding the different connotations of the term “Coloured” in various regions. “I don’t expect to be identified as Coloured outside of Southa by anyone not comfortable doing so because I understand the weight of that word outside of SA,” she explained. “But to close this conversation, I’m both Coloured in South Africa and a black woman. As a woman for the culture. It’s and not or…with that said ASAMBEEE.”
The controversy began when Tyla identified as a “Coloured South African” in a TikTok video. According to the BBC, this declaration sparked a cultural debate, as “Coloured” is seen as a slur in the U.S. but is an officially recognized identity in South Africa.
Tyla made it clear that her identity encompasses multiple heritages. She respects the different cultural contexts of her identification and embraces being both Coloured in South Africa and Black globally.