Black actress Nia Long speaks out after questions over being 'Black famous'

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Black actress Nia Long speaks out after confusing ‘Blackfamous’ comments

Hollywood actress Nia Long clarified her controversial "Blackfamous" comments from last month on a recent episode of "The Daily Show."

Hollywood actress Nia Long clarified her controversial "Blackfamous" comments from last month on a recent episode of "The Daily Show."

The Black actress, who co-stars in the Netflix show "You People" alongside Eddie Murphy, explained to "Daily Show" guest host Wanda Sykes that she was trying to say that common cultural references to "Black movies" "continue to divide" the society along racial lines.

Long noted she is proud to be a Black actress and that she understands "the experience" of being Black in America, but she urged "unity," understanding and acceptance across racial lines.

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Actress Mia Long sat down with "The Daily Show" guest host Wanda Sykes and explained her "Blackfamous" statement from December. (Screenshot/YouTube)

Towards the end the Long’s interview, which aired on Comedy Central, Wednesday night, Sykes stated, "Okay, I have to ask you something real quick. I have to ask you something because I know how it goes. So, recently there was a headline right? Where you said, ‘Black movies and Blackfamous only hold us back.’"

In a pointed tone, the comedian asked, "You wanna clear that s*** up?" An amused Long laughed and responded, "Well that’s not written correctly." Sykes added, "You know how it goes ‘cause they take one headline and turn it into something."

Long’s original comments appeared in a December interview with BuzzFeed. The outlet reported, "Films with a predominantly Black cast are often categorized as ‘Black movies’ instead of according to their genre (like drama or comedy), while other films — excluding international films — aren’t subject to the same categorization."

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Nia Long speaks onstage during EBONY Power 100 at Milk Studios Los Angeles on October 29, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images for EBONY MEDIA GROUP)

BuzzFeed noted how Long expressed issue with that notion, saying, "I think terms like that hold us back. And I have to catch myself sometimes too, because I'm very proud of who I am."

Long added, "When I use the word 'Black,' I don't use it as a way to separate ourselves from anyone — I use it as a way to put an exclamation point behind our greatness, because I don't think that it's always been celebrated and recognized."

Sykes invited her to explain things again in front of cable TV audiences. Jokingly, Long turned to the crowd and said, "For the White people in the audience!" She then said, "What I mean by that is, if we continue to practice this idea of separatism, we continue to divide." The audience applauded her statement. 

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The actress added, "And I will always and forever hold my fist up because I understand the experience, but I also believe that the more we understand about one another, and the more accepting we are of one another, this thing called art should be representative of all of us."

Satisfied, Sykes thanked the actress and ended the interview.

Nia Long and Ime Udoka attend the BET's 2017 American Black Film Festival Honors Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 17, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Tommaso Boddi/WireImage)