Janet Jackson recently found herself at the center of controversy after making inaccurate statements about Vice President Kamala Harris's racial identity. In an interview with The Guardian on Saturday (Sept. 21), Jackson claimed that Harris was not Black, asserting that she had heard the vice president was Indian and that her father was white. These comments echoed similar unfounded claims made by former President Donald Trump during a speech at the 2024 National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Chicago at the end of July.
In response to the controversy, Jackson's manager, Mo Elmasri, issued an apology to Buzzfeed on behalf of the singer. "She deeply respects Vice President Kamala Harris and her accomplishments as a Black and Indian woman," the statement read. "Janet apologizes for any confusion caused and acknowledges the importance of accurate representation in public discourse. We appreciate the opportunity to address this and will remain committed to promoting unity."
Harris was born in 1964 to Shyamala Gopalan, an Indian cancer researcher, and Donald Harris, a Black economics professor from Jamaica, who met while attending UC Berkeley. Throughout her life and career, Harris has openly embraced and discussed both aspects of her heritage. She attended Howard University, a historically Black college, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, one of the first Black sororities in the nation.
In various interviews, Harris has shared anecdotes that highlight her connection to both her Indian and Jamaican roots, including memories of her father taking her to see Bob Marley in concert and instilling pride in their Jamaican heritage.
"So, I was born in Oakland and raised in the United States except for the years that I was in high school in Montreal, Canada. And, look, this is the same thing they did to Barack [Obama]. This is not new to us. And so, I think that we know what they are trying to do," said Harris, then a senator of California, regarding her identity in an interview with "The Breakfast Club." "I'm Black, and I'm proud of being Black. I was born Black. I will die Black, and I'm not going to make excuses for anybody because they don't understand."