Actor Malik Yoba made a major announcement regarding his identity.
The actor and singer has publicly declared that he no longer identifies as a Black man or a person of color. Instead, he has opted to refer to himself as a “Non-White Man.”
“America? I’ve decided that I’m no longer a Black man. I’m no longer a person of color, BIPOC, none of that s**t,” Yoba stated. “What I am is a non-white man. And I think we should all just start calling ourselves non-white. So, they’re gonna have to figure it out.”
“Let them rebuke that. Let them refute it,” Yoba continued. “Let them come up with something that just says we like all non-whites. Excuse me. We don’t like all non-whites.”
This provocative assertion seems intent on challenging the societal constructs of racial identity and classification, raising questions about the relevance and impact of such labels in contemporary discussions on race.
The remarks also arrive during the current rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in corporate and political spaces.
Reactions
Yoba’s identity declaration sparked discussion online including one from Willie D. “Are you picking up what he’s putting down,” he asked his YouTube audience.
“Malik is trying to say is this Trump Administration has rallied white folks to come together against everybody else and that the only way the rest of us individuals stand a chance is to consolidate our individual powers and make a collective effort to get what we want and what we need out of this Administration and out of this country. I can dig that,” Willie D expressed.
An X user chimed in, sharing the same sentiment with Willie D. “Make sure yall watch the video before bashing. He is being sarcastic towards the new administration,” one user wrote.
“I was ready to say something else until I listened to the video. He’s being sarcastic against the anti-DEI anti-”wokeness” of this current administration. This caption needs a bit more context before folks make assumptions (like I did) without listening,” another X user posted.