THE KODJOES: A JET-SETTING FAMILY
The Kodjoes-actor Boris Kodjoe, actress Nicole Ari Parker-Kodjoe, and children Nicolas,3, and Sophie,4- are featured on the cover of this month’s Jet magazine. In the issue, the Kodjoes talk about their simple life away from Hollywood and much more.
The following is a snippet from the issue:
“We live for our family,” Boris tells Jet during a break on [a] movie set in Toronto. “That’s our priority-my kids and my wife, that’s my life.”
The Kodjoes moved away from the bright lights of Hollywood four years ago in search of a simpler, family oriented life in Atlanta.
“The pull of Hollywood is so strong that sometimes your priorities are not in the right place,” says Nicole. “We wanted to make sure that we focused on our children during these delicate years.”
Boris explains, ” The first four years of a child’s life are the most important. We chose Atlanta because it’s a very professional town in terms of African-Americans. The kids can run around outside in the yard and grow up as regular kids.”
Read more in the November 16th issue of Jet Magazine.
Click to enlarge
Photos: Chris Brown
70 Comments to “THE KODJOES: A JET-SETTING FAMILY”
Leave a comment!
this in one of the most beatiful inspirational family i have seen
love the kodjoes makes me proud to be biracial
Flag this
Oh boy. Boris himself said his family is African American. And besides, only Boris is biracial, Nicole has said numerous times that both of her parents are black!
Flag this
Why did you even have to mention the biracial part? Just comment on their family. You can say they are a beautiful black family and that will suffice. Goodness, that is the problem with our race.
Flag this
Your problem is that you believe in different races, besides the human race! Brainwashed? Americans have serious issues…
Flag this
Can you define human race and different other races?
Flag this
to Janae:
Genetically speaking, we did all come from one family. We all originated in Africa. More than 99.9% of human DNA sequences are the same in every person – that’s extremely homogenous compared to other species! Every human DNA, traces all the way back to the continent of Africa. Literally everyone is African – not because of culture, but because of DNA! We all belong to the same race, the human race!
“Race” in the human context is a social construct to seperate and discriminate people based on some vague optical attributes!
Genetically, no human being is “biracial”, “multiracial”, “black”, “white”, “asian”, “hispanic” etc. That inhuman, (purely) social concept of “race” is the product of mass deception, ignorance, and bigotry. There is no such thing as “race” when it comes to humans. We are not animals! A concept (race) of animal husbandry and breeding does not belong to us humans! Humans cannot be subdivided into “races” – there isn’t a single characteristic, trait or even one gene that can be used to distinguish all members of one “race” from all members of “another”. People are brainwashed if they believe someone can be “black” or “white”, because humans are not “black” or “white”… neither physically, nor on the level of genetics! All of you that have subscribe to this line of thinking have been fooled by the very people that want you separated to keep them in power over you. It leads to a systematic opression of “minorities” based on optical attributes or differences and to a socially/politically constructed concept to fit people into a classification system – only for the purpose of excluding certain groups!
“Race” is a game played by people who believe they are better than other people because a small variation of skin colour. We shouldn’t throw ourselves under a label that was set up to create division/segregation or so called “racism”! That’s pure ignorance and discrimination, mental poison – especially for upcoming generations! Anyone who believe, use or accept that man-made concept called “race” is responsible for passing on this mental poison from one generation to the next…
Please watch the documentary “Race: The Power of an Illusion” from California Newsreel – including the chapters “The Difference Between Us”, “The Story We Tell” and “The House We Live In”. That’s great stuff!
Flag this
Nneka, you are both right and wrong. It is human nature to classify and to want to affiliate with familiar things whether it is something as seemingly trivial or not as appearance, community, shared social experiences, economic backgrounds and the like.
Humans are animals we belong to the ape family. Just like there are poodles, dobermans etc in the canine species, there are classifications of race among humans even though I admit, defining the categories in humans is more complicated and not at all concrete.
Lastly, I like differences and celebrating them. What a bland world it would be if we were all the same. I am not racist but I do take pride in my “black” heritage and do not see my identification as black as simply a social construct used to denigrate me, I know some people do abuse and make huge and absurd leaps in their thinking with regards to classifying and take it to base extremes, but I think parents take the wrong approach by teaching total “color blindness” —one can teach of differences without making it a “we are better than them” contest.
Flag this
Sorry, but I’m amazed that there is still such backward thinking around… what is wrong with you guys over there? I don’t want to offend anyone, but it’s not the human nature to be subdivided into “races” – it is a sick illusion and nothing else – disgusting labels made by evil people – a fascist ideology…
Ethnicity and “race” are two different things! Culture is your choice, but “race” is a social construct to seperate and discriminate people (social and crime statistics etc…) based on some vague optical attributes, and most of you guys over there really buy into and hold tight to this old eurocentric sh**… and how can you compare different animal species to us humans? That’s beyond disgusting! Does skin colour define a person? No, the character does! There are bad and good people in every culture, society and with any skin colour. The worst thing is, that people are born and raised with this illusion around “race”. Many people (especially in the US of A) limit themselves to what they can do based on their thinking of “race”. That is a slave mentality – a SICKNESS!
The problem is this: social constructs like “race” divide people, and that’s exactly what the so-called Elite want. Divide and conquer at the cost of isolated “minorities”! It makes all the wrong people strong (those who profit by the mistakes of fools). It will also lead to a massive segregation and division between or within the “minorities” itself… based on skin colour for example: “Who is better – the one with the lighter complexion or the one with the darker complexion? Who belongs to us, who is “black” enough and who isn’t? Good and bad hair!
It’s not really your fault though, your ignorance, it is your parents and your pastor and everybody that thinks “race” is important. But people like you are responsible for passing on this mental poison from one generation to the next… you maintain the status quo – the root of so-called “racism”!
It’s not the colour of your skin that defines you, it’s the colour of your heart and soul!
Flag this
Girl please why are you so up in arms about the race issue with all these super long stories about nothing. Now I will say this we are all of the human race, but the human race is not on anyone I know birth certificate. We all go into some type of category regardless. So just accept it and deal with it. You say your parents are from Germany and Nigeria. Thats great so what do you identify as? Because i know the human race is not on your birth certificate. You say you never had to worry about race as an issue in Germany and that Americans have issues. Well I beg to differ with you. I have lived in Heidelberg Germany for two and a half years and I cant get out of here fast enough. I have worked with Germans and i care not to. They are downright rude as hell.They are just plain rude. They make you feel like they dont want you in their country, but when in reality if the military pulled out of here and took all the jobs with them they would lose their minds. They want our benefits, but act like they dont want us here. Maybe where you live you havent experienced issues with race, but it is alive and well in Heidelberg Germany. It was great to come over here and have my kids experience another culture, but i came, i saw, I conquered, and July 2010 cant get here fast enough so i can get the hell out of here. Stop attacking othere and look within youreself becuase obviously as much as you try to preach about the human race. Race uis definitely an issue for you. So just deal with it and stop trying to push your garbage off on others.
Flag this
Nneka, it’s both enlightening and refreshing to read your point of view. I hope you start a blog or movement of some type to help dispel the myths and ignorance. I would so subscribe!
Flag this
Sophie looks like Boris, Nicolas like Nicole. Cute.
Flag this
Nicole Ari Parker is not biracial.
Flag this
No one is biracial, multiracial, black or white! It’s only in your head…
Flag this
You are so right. But you can talk until you are blue in the face and there are those who are so brainwashed that you will never be able to make them understand what you have said. It is so sad, but this is true. You will only drop the conversation because you will end up with a terrible headache trying to get your point across. None are so blind as those who will not see.
Flag this
Thank you, Krish. I agree with you, some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Arguing with them is a waste of time, but I find it really strange that many people on this website seems to be so obsessed with skin colour, hair or even “race”. That’s not my daily experience here in Europe. I’m a little bit shocked, because my father is from Nigeria and my mother is from Germany, and growing up in Germany was never a problem for me.
Flag this
If you feel so strongly about there not being any races, how did you end up on a website called BLACK celebrity kids? Lol. Were you looking for websites that had to do with the Black race or was it accident? You can preach color blindness all you want, but the world is not color blind. Barack Obama is President of the United States and is still reminded everyday of his race. I am proud to be BLACK!!!
Flag this
I’m a Black South African and really think this family is cute, they are absolutely beautiful. They are in fact not Black but Coloured(a race of mixed people). Everyone should be proud of whatever race they belong to and no one should force others to call themselves their race. If a person is Coloured and not Black then that person is Coloured and not Black. Yes Coloureds are beautiful because they have some Black blood running through their veins. Black South Africans are absolutely beautiful, i doubt that Black Americans feel that they are beautiful because they always fight to call American Coloureds “Black”. I am really proud to be a Black South African and my Coloured friends are happy to be called Coloured, it’s who they are.
Flag this
I’m a Black South African and really think this family is cute, they are absolutely beautiful. They are in fact not Black but Coloured(a race of mixed people). Everyone should be proud of whatever race they belong to (are) and no one should force others to call themselves their race(in this case Black). If a person is Coloured and not Black then that person is Coloured and not Black. Yes Coloureds are beautiful because they have some Black blood running through their veins. Black South Africans are absolutely beautiful, i doubt that Black Americans feel that they are beautiful because they always fight to call American Coloureds “Black”. I am really proud to be a Black South African and my Coloured friends are happy to be called Coloured, it’s who they are. So Black Americans with low self-esteem bringing shame to our beautiful race leave Vanessa alone, and Vanessa you tell all bi-racial Americans to marry amongst themselves so that Coloured Americans can have a louder voice. You do belong to a race, there’s no reason why you should be forced to choose one race “Black” over the other. When you are Black and another race you belong to the 3rd largest race group here in South Africa “Coloured”. Let others know and make them embrace their own race “Coloured”.
Flag this
Don’t see what being bi-racial has anything to do with it. Lovely family none the less and love the photos. Sophie looks great!
Flag this
OMG, Sophie looks so grown up in the first pic, and Nicholas looks like a little man in the second photo!
So cute!
And Nicole’s comment about Atlanta being a professional city in terms of AA made me laugh, b/c I remember when my cousin came to visit me here in ATL and she jokingly said to me as we were driving from the airport “OMG, look all these black people…in suits!” LOL
Flag this
They are beautiful inside and out! I always wanted them to end up together when they were on Soul Food. lol
Flag this
Sophia looks so grown in the first pic for sure WOW!! the kids have grown so much!! her son is so handsome. What a beautiful family!!
Flag this
Okay, Mrs. Nikki Kodjoe looks STUNNING here. And Boris IMO is one of the most handsome men in Hollywood. Nicolas is a cute little guy. And Shophie is a stunner. I too really like this family, and even more so as I learn how humble, grounded and dow-to-earth they are. Beautiful family inside and out.
Flag this
Beautiful Family
Flag this
Vanessa shouldnt u be proud of whom u r, no matter what? That is why I want my son and grandson to marry a queen. I do not want my grandkids confused as to who they are. I want them to be black and proud. Not meaning that to sound racist, just how I feel. Yes they are a beautiful family indeed. I luv how they support and put their children first. Hint Vanessa……everyone light with light eyes isn’t biracial or latino,lol.
Flag this
Nicole is probably not immediately(parents and granparents) mixed.
Flag this
Beautiful family…cute pix
Flag this
to luvbug…
— “That is why I want my son and grandson to marry a queen. I do not want my grandkids confused as to who they are. I want them to be black and proud.” —
Congratulations for spreading on this mental poison to your kids and grandkids… well done! Your backward thinking (brainwashed!) and poisoned mind confuse kids as to who they really are = humans! Damn, some people should never have kids!
Flag this
Wow!!!! Love the pictures!!! What a beautiful family!
Flag this
LOVE THE PICS!!!
Flag this
Gorgeous family!
Flag this
this is a gracious and beautiful family, the little one Sophia is getting so big. i noe i could google this but can some1 explain her disease to me??
Flag this
MAY GOD KEEP BLESSING THIS BEAUTIFUL FAMILY
Flag this
[...] The Kojoe’s cover JET with their two beautiful children. Ya’ll look at the daughter’s face, she looks exactly like Boris lol. Now look at the son, he looks exactly like Nicole. Strong genes. Find out what they had to say in this issue by clicking here. [...]
Flag this
I don’t understand why Vanessa is being put down for her comment. She is biracial. Why shouldn’t she be proud of who she is. No matter what anyone says she has two races in her blood. Just because you guys want to say she should just say she is black doesn’t mean she has to. I have family who is biracial. I want them to be proud of who they are all together not just one side. I think it is wrong to attack her for being proud of who she is. If we can be proud of being black why can’t she be proud of being biracial. I rarely comment on here because some of the comments shock me to where if I comment I would be really nasty. I know you guys are going to say I don’t have to like what is said but some really ignorant stuff is said on here about children. Anyway Vanessa I say continue to be proud of who you are. Don’t let people tell you to choose one side. What they need to know is that is not possible. It is ridiculous that this conversation is happening on this board. If you go back I think a few months you will find a clip of a documentary where biracial children and adults feel about society trying to force them to choose one race or another and how hard it is for them to be accepted and fit in. I think we need to stop being ridiculous and let people of all races be who they are.
Flag this
Can we once again impart that there is only the HUMAN RACE. Unless you are other than human, you cannot be iter, bi or multi racial. Do you understand that? To be interacial one would have to be a person and one a dog or something that is not human.
Flag this
Lol i’d love to see you come down south where I live and give your “one race” speech to a few of these rednecks!!! Lmao. Better yet, why don’t you go to one of the Republican town hall meetings with the Barack Osama/Hitler/Kenyan/Not An American/Swastika signs, grab the mic and convince them to be color blind. If you can do those things i’d gladly sing Kumbaya with you.
Flag this
Hey, I’m southern too. Of course they don’t want to hear that one race spiel because all many of them have is the color of their skin that makes them feel above. Chris Rock explained that one some while back in one of his standups. Because they use this stupid system to feel better than doesn’t make it acceptable. I really don’t care what they think or feel; I care about FACT. And it is a waste of time to argue with stupid folk, as most of that ilk are.
Flag this
TOO CUTE AND IM GLAD SOPHIE IS DOING WELL.
Flag this
NNEKA AND I AM GUESSING THAT IS WHY SO MANY WHITE KIDS HAVE THOSE THOUGHTS THAT BLACKS R LAZY,THUGS,BABY BREEDING,ON WELFARE,NO GOOD NI!!!!S,ETC. LET ME SEE, WHY WOULD THEY THINK SUCH THINGS? COULD IT BE FROM THEIR PARENTS,FAMILY,MEDIA OR WHITE AMERICA IN GENERAL? NOW WHO IS THE DUMB ONE? ILLITERATE LOUSE. GUESS PRESIDENT WAS BRAINWASHED INTO MARRYING A BEAUTIFUL BROWN QUEEN INSTEAD OF A WHITE WOMAN,HUH?LMAO. GIRL, WHEN U LEARN SUMTHIN, THEN SPEAK ON IT. AS FOR WHAT AND WHOM I WANT MY BLOOD TO DATE/MARRY IS MY DAYUM BUSINESS.
Flag this
your damn business, but yet you posted it on a public forum. why do you ignorant people come to this website that is supposed to be about children to spread your stupid logic? please stop. comment on the pictures, keep it positive, and go on about your day. i feel like a lot of you women wait for an article about a biracial child or family so you can have a therapy session about how you feel about the black experience. talk to someone who cares or is paid to care. THIS IS A WEBSITE ABOUT CELEB KIDS!!!
Flag this
Anonymous, I stay out of people business on this site and any other site. That was between Luv and Neka. They both had their say and I respect them both on their views. People need to learn that this is a country that have freedom of speech. People are allowed to say whatever they want. Now I agree some things Luvbug say are harsh and might not make sense,lol. I leave it at that. Not directed at me or mines and besides, these rich folks aren’t thinking about you,me, nor Luvbug.
Flag this
Does it matter who is biracial and who is black or white, They are a beautiful family regardless of all that mess
Why make a big deal out of something so irrelevant…The 1st lady that commented just stated that the family makes her proud to be biracial, why should that comment cause such fued. :S
Wasting energy
Flag this
I love the photos of Kodjoe family and I hope God continues to bless them.
Flag this
@Nneka–Why are you so heavy handed in your reply? I don’t get it when I conceded that some of what you noted is true….but that does not dispute some of the equally valid points I have made. Science and sociologists bare out much of what I noted….
Also, culture is not a choice, it is something one is brought up in. I understand you do not wish to ‘choose’ a racial affiliation as a biracial person, but the reality is you are still looked upon as black EVEN over in Germany if that is what you look like, as “shallow” as that may seem–its human nature–people have eyes, ears, nose for a reason and sometimes it goes into overdrive, but the classifications will go on until man is no more like it or not—I didn’t make this world. I myself am not hung up on race, but simply acknowledge what is, in the world I live in today.
And as far as social constructs, many things can be deduced to that and dismissed, but at the end of the day Humans are social beings—social constructs, like them or not are part of the “dance that we do” as social beings.
Side note, my factual comment that humans are animals, I knew you would not get my point and take it and run with it. But that is an argument for another day, will say this–many of us need to get off high horses assuming that we are that much removed from all of other creatures of this planet.
Flag this
It is amusing to see the many differant opinions of others on here, b/c instead of just saying there family is bueatiful and moving on you all have made this a power to the people monologue. @ NNeka your disrespect towards luvbug was truly uncalled for you brought her children in the conversation by calling them backwards mind and confused but it seems that you are the most confused on this forum yes we are all a Human race but it is clear that you don’t know the first about being biracial and your put downs towards a person who consider’s themselves as such is completely mindless. Speak with an individual who comes from a multiracial or biracial family and share there story then will your ignorance be lifted. When you walk into a store or someone has to describe you Im sure they don’t say oh there human race NO!…God forbid something happens to you where you have to give a description of a person I seriously doubt you will tell the police they were human race the first thing that will come out of your mouth is there color or there race b/c you know for a fact to say they are of human race would be every person in this world. Our color is what makes us differant humans sometimes it is was makes us as a person especially if you are of more than one race the young lady that origanlly started the statement to say that she is proud to be biracial should not be made to feel like her comment is being torn apart by some right of passage, ignorant human individual who is so stuck up there own nonsense that they cant see the world moving around them. WAKE UP! sweetie this is life!
Flag this
We also must admit that this is a learned response. Given that you or some would answer that way does not make it correct. This is so deeply enrooted in society that it is hard for those who know better to correct this misnomer. There are many who try every time they have the opportunity to speak at roundtables and media interviews. It is so hard to crack such a deeply rooted belief. Albeit many of us still feel obligated to TRY.
Flag this
AMEN!!! I am Native American and African American and I AM PROUD OF IT!! LOL..
Now.. My comment on the article.. They are a beautiful family. Point blank, end of story. Beautiful children.. Beautiful couple.. Just BEAUTIFUL!! This is what we want. Positive families that stick together. Love each other and their children unconditionally. I’d give anything to have a beautiful family like this and I WILL HAVE IT TOO!! Bless their hearts!!
Flag this
looks like i created a big stir up on this post. i find it difficult to understand if we are all wanted to be identified as the human race why are you on a website that is created for one race. secondly i have read many of times comments on this site stating how happy they are to see a dark skinned family and how happy they are to see a dark skin women with a dark skin man and having a family but no one criticizes their comments infact they are praised. sorry my bad i had read that nicole ari parker was of a mixed heritage and taking her green eyes and light skin into consideration i thought she was as in most cases those are the characteristics of a person who has a mixed background. and the majority of people would look to this family and think they were of a mixed race background.
my comment was a personal opinion which i will not be taking back and i will say it agian. I AM PROUD OF BEING BIRACIAL.
Flag this
First off the Kodjoe family are gorgeous and seem to be so happy.
Vanessa, you had every right to state that you are proud of your heritage. If blacks like myself can say “it makes me proud to see a Black President, why not others? One can do that without being racist–just like most are able to walk and chew gum at the same time. Lets face it, sometimes it does uplift or endear us to see others presumed like ourselves or who share similar experiences. Boris is bi-racial and I also thought his wife was too.
You have addressed both sides of the arguments that have been stirred up here: the pro-black one and the pro-I am just a human race one–lol.
Flag this
Adorable family.
As far as everyone getting worked up about the biracial comment; as long as people come in different colors with different types of hair, there will be separate categories for them. It’s neither here nor there. Humans simply have the urge to categorize everything in existence into neat little groups, including people. This hasn’t changed since history began. Life continues regardless.
Flag this
Mixtry Mama, you are so right. We humans are masters with “descriptors.” Classifying is hardwired in our DNA–at its root a survival mechanism to decide safe from unsafe, good from bad, so on and so forth that carries over into other sectors of our lives and is hard to shut off, but do we really need to since it so innate & is mostly there for good reasons and helping to order our world?–I only see a real need to when it has the power to cause real harm to another person.
Flag this
CELEBRITY KIDS…NOT BITTER PEOPLE HUNG UP ON COLOR! HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED THAT EVERY TIME THERE IS A POST WITH BIRACIAL PEOPLE ON THIS WEBSITE (OR INTERRACIAL COUPLES) THERE ARE 40-50 COMMENTS. WHY IS THAT? AND THE BAD THING IS, NOBODY IS EVER TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING! SEEK HELP! ALL OF YOU…PLEASE SEEK HELP!
Flag this
Why would one be considered “bitter” for engaging in a discussion that affects all people?
Sure , the site is called Black Celebrity Kids but many of the posts feature interracial couples and their offspring.
Flag this
wow…i will stop commenting because trying to explain something to the people on this site is like teaching poetry to a horse and asking them to analyse the author’s tone. continue on with your “in depth” conversations about race. i look forward to seeing the exact same comments the next time you all feel the need to talk about who in your family is mixed, or how you are mixed, or how you don’t want your sons to marry out of their race and whatever other crap that should be saved for a website for that purpose. as i previously stated, this is a website about kids. stop bringing your skin color issues here! out.
Flag this
Good! Stop commenting and reading then. Believe me, nobody will care, especially since you are anonymous.
Flag this
WAT!!???THE DOUBLE HOCKEY STICK (H##l)IS GOING ON…PPL..PPL U ALL NEEDS… YOU ALL FORUM AWAY FROM BCK U ALL JUST TOOK AWAY FROM THE BEAUTIFUL STORY…BUUUUUUUUUUUUUT VANESSA I HAVE NEVER HEARD IT SAID:makes me proud to be biracial..SO TO TRANSALTE I’M PROUD TO BE TWO RACES, WHICH HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE KODJOE’S…BUT HEY DO YOU..PEACE OUT…
Flag this
Whether the original comment was necessary is maybe debatable. But anyone with a grain of sense could see from looking at Nicole that she is biracial. She just identifies herself as black. I do the same. My father and mother are biracial and pretty much everyone in my family look Puerto Rican, but it has always been much easier to say we were black. Our family would never be excepted as white. So many “black” people in the past have done this, Adam Clayton Powell etc. If you go to Africa where we originally came from there are no Nicole Parkers, Vanessa Williams etc. Let them take the Henry Louis Gates genetic test and I guarentee they have majority European blood.
Flag this
Vannessa, I am 46 years old. I’ve been on this planet for a long time, and sometimes those whom you assume are biracial are not. You can’t always pinpoint someone’s race by looking at them. My mother’s best friend was so light, she looked like a white woman and had sandy colored hair, but she was a black woman. Yes, somewhere in her lineage, there was European and other blood (that’s true for a lot of blacks), but she was a black woman (both parents were African-American).
Tyra did a show on this very subject. She had a panel of women whom people thought were biracial. Guess what? All the women had both parents that were black – not biracial calling themselves black, but black. You see? You just can’t always tell. From what others here are saying, Nicole said both of her parents are African American. Can’t we just leave it at that?
I don’t understand the fascination with the whole racial identity trip. It boggles my mind because I take people at face value, and I don’t give a rat’s behind what racial makeup they have. People are people. Isn’t that what we are always preaching? I hear people talking about how proud they are bo be a certain race as though they had a choice in the matter. We should all be proud of who God (I believe in God, so I’m saying God) made us and call it a day. It’s too bad we are so proud of our racial makeup/ethnicity and not proud of whom we are in society and if we are a contributing member of it. It’s too bad we aren’t proud that we have made a difference in other’s lifes. Again, I’m not saying we wouldn’t love whom we are, but again, we didn’t pick the race/ethnicity or nationality we are so we might as well be proud.
Flag this
Oh, and Vannessa, did you know there are dark-skinned people who look “completely” for a lack of a better term, black, but are biracial. There’s a model that I saw the other day on a website. I swear, she looked like a full-blooded sista to me, but she was mixed (black, Indian, and French) so you really can’t always tell. Again, why does it even matter?
Flag this
Nneka, you are so right.
Race has no genetic basis!
Race is a modern idea. Ancient societies did not divide people according to physical differences, but according to religion, status, class, even language.
Slavery predates race. Throughout history, societies have enslaved others, often as a result of conquest or war, but not because of physical characteristics or a belief in natural inferiority. In America, a unique set of circumstances led to the enslavement of peoples who looked “similar”.
Race and freedom were born together. When the US was founded, equality was a radical new idea. But our early economy was based largely on slavery. The concept of race helped to explain why some people could be denied the rights and freedoms that others took for granted.
Race justified social inequalities as natural. As the race concept evolved, it justified extermination of Native Americans, exclusion of Asian immigrants, and taking of Mexican lands. Racial practices were institutionalized within government, laws and society.
Human subspecies don’t exists. Unlike many animals, modern humans have not been around long enough, nor have populations been isolated enough, to envolve into separate subspecies or races. Despite surface differnences, we are among the most similar of all species.
Skin color is only skin deep. Most traits are inherited independently of one another. The genes for skin color have nothing to do with genes for hair texture, eye shape, blood type, musical talent or athletic ability.
Race is not biological but racism is still real. Race is still a powerful social idea that gives different people different access to opportunities and resources. Our government and society have created advantages to being “white”. This affects everyone, whether we are aware of it or not.
to Vanessa:
They have majority European blood? You have no clue…
Human DNA consists of more than 3 billion building blocks whose sequences form genes, just like letters spell a word. For any two unrelated people, these letters are 99.9% the same, meaning that only 0.1% of our DNA is unique!
Most variation is within, not between “races”. Of the small amount of total human genetic variation (0.1% of our DNA), 85 percent exists within any local population, be they Germans, Nigerians, Kurds, Koreans or Cherokees. Two random Koreans are likely to be as genetically different as a Korean and a German. Two random Nigerians are likely to be as genetically different as a Nigerian and a German. Two random Cherokees are likely to be as genetically different as a Cherokee and a German… etc.
The distribution of genetic variants within and among human populations are impossible to describe succinctly because of the difficulty of defining a “population”, the clinal nature of variation, and heterogeneity across the genome. In general, however, an average of 85% of genetic variation exists within local populations, ~7% is between local populations within the same continent, and ~8% of variation occurs between large groups living on different continents.
Because skin color has been under strong selective pressure, similar skin colors can result from convergent adaptation rather than from genetic relatedness. Sub-Saharan Africans, populations from southern India, and Indigenous Australians have similar skin pigmentation, but genetically they are no more similar than are other widely separated populations.
Flag this
hahaha this discussion is actually turning into a comedy all from one comment from a lady who i believe was only saying that she is proud of seeing people, she can identify with, shown positvely in the media as a loving, strong couple.
people need to let people live and let people express their opinions. and stop getting so technical about silly issues. i took the 1st comment as a positive one and if i was the kodjoes i would be happy to read such a comment on how i have made an individual be proud of who they were.
anyways boris and nicole look stunning and their children are soooo cute and i hope they continue to inspire others just like the first lady
Flag this
Kels, as you can see, racial issues can get very heated, especially on BCK. The Kodjoes inspire me and encourage me not because of their race or ethnicity, but because they are a loving couple. They are a good look to countless of people who believe that marriage is dead or “just a piece of paper.” They make me proud because they are dedicated to one another and their children. I could care less about their racial makeup, but that’s just me.
As far as Vannessa is concerned, if they make her proud to be biracial, so be it. I just wish people would see beyond the color of someone’s skin and take people at face value. JMO.
Flag this
@Vannessa, ARE YOU O’K GURRL!? YOU KINDA CONTRADICTING YO SELF AGAIN
PROUD TO BE BIRACIAL, BUT NOW….much easier to say we were black.(CHOOSE 1, BLACK OR BI)??? NICOLE SAY SHE BLACK SHE BLACK! THEY,RE THE LIKES YOU MENTION IN WEST AFRICA.. GURRL STOP THE MADNESS..CHECK YOUR SOURCE AGAIN..
Flag this
that third comment was not made by me thank you ver much there are more the one vanessa in this world
Flag this
[...] FG2BH Buzz: Kodjoe Family Covers Jet Posted on November 14, 2009 by 2bchoopla Boris Kodjoe pose with his wife Nicole Ari Parker and their two children – daughter Sophie (4) and son Nicolas Neruda (3) for the November 16, 2009 cover edition of magazine. (scans courtesy of BLACKCELEBKIDS.) [...]
Flag this
Gosh I just love seeing this family.. Good looking, low keyed, and just a genuine set of folks. It’s amazing how their daughter looks exactly like Boris and their son looks exactly like Nicole. Could anything be anymore adorable! Bless this Em
Flag this
The Kodjoes have a beautiful family. They are very blessed. Race should never be an issue but it is whether people want to admit it or not. I am so glad that my children have the opportuniy to live and travel all over the world and be around so many different people of so many different backgrounds and lifestyles. It teaches them to be more open minded and accepting of people. My family is a military family and we are currently living in Germany and have been for the past two and a half years. The experience has been an ok one. Nothing to run home and tell mama about. Nneka this is to you: Germans are extremely rude and this is not a place i would ever come back to and live. You would say Americans have issues maybe you have a few of your own. So what is your background? You said your mother is from Germany and your father is from Nigeria. So what does that make you? Of course a human being but lets face it Everyone fits into a catetgory whether we like it or not. because human race or human being doesnt go on your birth certificate. What does your birth certificate say for race? Im just curious. Anyway. You seem to be somewhat angry about your own situation. This semms to upset you tremendously for you to go on and on like you have with your posts. I think its mainly the females in Germany. I think they are intimidated by black women, but they seem to love the black men though. Anyways Back to our regularly scheduled program……………………. The Kodjoes I am sure are going to raise their children not to be focused on the color of someones skin.It just makes no sense to make this a race issue the comments should be about how beautiful their family is and keep it moving. Once you have the opportunity to get to know a lot of different people and expand your horizons. You will definitely have a different way of thinking. God bless the Kodjoes and may they continue to raise their kids in a positive manner and steer them in the right direction.
Flag this
The kids are growing and becoming more beautiful. I think Boris is such an unattractive name for such a handsome lad as this young man is. Maybe if he had been named a name that became him, he would not have turned out so striking. Oh, well, that is how it goes sometimes. Anyway, such a great family portrait.
Flag this
I love this familt they are so cute. There kids are adorable just like there parents
Flag this