Danzy Senna discusses the challenges of being biracial, particularly growing up in a time when the term 'mixed-race' wasn't widely recognized. She explores the political and social implications of her parents' interracial marriage in 1968, just a year after the landmark Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court decision. Senna shares her personal experiences with racial identification, the complexities of claiming blackness as a light-skinned person, and Donald Trump's controversial comments about Kamala Harris's racial identity.
Senna's parents married in 1968, a year after Loving v. Virginia.
She identifies as Black, despite often being perceived as white.
Senna uses 'mulatto' to describe her specific Black and white heritage.
She grew up during the Black Power Movement and was bused to school.
Her family now includes Pakistani Muslim, Jewish, and Chinese members.
Novelist Danzy Senna spoke with Terry Gross about racial identity, growing up with a Black father and white mother in an era when "mixed-race" wasn't a thing. "Just merely existing as a family was a radical statement at that time," she says. Her new book is Colored Television.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)