Episode

Why is Raven Symone Running Away from the Blackness of Her Show

Podcast
Black on Black Cinema | Black Movie Reviews
Published
Sep 3, 2026
Duration seconds
1626
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Summary

Black on Black Cinema breaks down Raven-Symone's resurfaced comments questioning whether her own iconic character, Raven Baxter from That's So Raven, was actually Black. On her podcast Tea Time, Raven told Kalen Allen, "Take away the color, make them green, and hear the words. What color are they?," challenging the idea that the show's Blackness was inherent rather than just visual. The internet had immediate and strong reactions. Fans pointed to the show's entire episode about racial profiling, Tonya's locs, Victor's soul food references, Cory's Black history paper storyline, and Della Reese's jazz singer character as clear, undeniable markers of Black identity woven directly into the writing, not just the casting. We break down both sides of this: is Raven making a nuanced point about Blackness not being monolithic, or is she minimizing a show that meant something real to a generation of Black kids who rarely saw themselves centered on Disney Channel? The next film to be reviewed is Tyler Perry's upcoming third movie in the "Why Did I Get Married trilogy." We will be breaking our promise about no more Tyler Perry films to review "Why Did I Get Married Again?" which reunites most of the original cast for one last wild time. Black on Black Cinema is a long-running podcast featuring in-depth Black movie reviews and frank conversations that matter to the Black community. We review Black films across every genre — from Black horror and Black sci-fi to indie dramas, comedies, and blockbuster action. Covering filmmakers like Spike Lee, Jordan Peele, Ryan Coogler, Ava DuVernay, and more. Hosted by Jay, Micah, Terrence, and T'ara. Featured on RogerEbert.com. A TNP Studios production. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms. For more TN…