Janet Jackson appeared to question the fact that Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is black. In an interview with The GuardianIn an article published Saturday, the reporter asked the pop star “where she stands on the upcoming election,” as “America stands on the cusp of voting for its first black female president,” the author wrote.
“Well, do you know what they supposedly said?” she asked the reporter. “She’s not black. That’s what I heard. She’s Indian.” She seemed unaware that Harris was both black and Indian, which the reporter explained to Jackson.
“Her father is white, that’s what I was told. I mean, I haven’t watched the news in a few days,” Jackson replied. “I was told they found out her father is white.”
This is, of course, not true. Harris's father, Donald J. Harris, was born and raised in Brownstown, Jamaica. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan Harris, was born in Chennai, India, and died in 2009. Harris's parents divorced in 1971. The Guardian He notes that those who question Harris’ heritage “tend to be hardcore QAnon-adherent, Trump-loving conspiracy theorists,” which the reporter concluded Jackson was likely neither. While it’s unclear who the specific “they” were who falsely claimed that Harris is not black and that her father is white according to Jackson, the reporter wondered where Jackson might be getting this misinformation.
In July, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed he did not know Harris was black. “I’ve known her for a long time, secondhand,” Trump said during an appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists. “She was always of Indian heritage, and she just touted Indian heritage. I didn’t know she was black until a few years ago when she came out.” He added, “She came out, she became a black person, and I think somebody should look into that,” implying that she “came out as a black person” for political gain.
The Guardian Jackson was also asked if she thought America was ready for Harris. “I honestly don’t want to answer that question because I really don’t know,” she said. “I think whatever path it takes is going to be messy.”
