1. beyonce's mother's people are creaoles from new orleans and resettled in texas. tina knowles has always said that she was not black, but creole. therfore beyonce is atleast 1/2 creole

Posted at 7:21PM on Aug 19th 2007 by mary

2. You sound ridiculous everyone knows she is creole. Her last name Beyince goes back years in New Iberia. Her family roots are well known from her grandfather and grandmother. Why should you care anyway?

Posted at 9:54PM on Aug 19th 2007 by Ashley

3. If I may add my two cents, the writer does not sound ridiculous, she asked a question. And Ashley's ASSertion that "everyone knows" is ridiculous.

The information, however, is interesting.

Posted at 2:14PM on Aug 20th 2007 by Syd

4. You can't be "half creole." You either are, or you are not. Creole is a not a specific ethnicity, rather a perspective, a culture, and a way of life.

Quite frankly, Beyonce annoys the hell out of me, whatever she calls herself. Personally, from her public persona, she does not strike me as Creole ... she's much to avant garde to be Creole. Yes, I am a man, and yes I like attractive women, and no, I am not gay.

Posted at 12:03AM on Aug 21st 2007 by CreoleLakerFan

5. First things first:
Creole is NOT a race. It is a CULTURE! People sound completely ignorant when they try to use Creole as a race...the race is BLACK, the culture is CREOLE.

Beyonce has said that her family is from New Iberia, which would mean, her grandparents and great grands, etc probably were involved in Creole culture. However, since about the late 1970's such culture has basically died out.

To say that you are a "creole" would mean:
~You are catholic
~Your descendants were NATIVES of Louisiana during the Ante-Bellum period.
~You speak patois or broken french.
Just to name a few. I dont think Beyonce can say she does anything of that nature, and just because her mom knows how to make Gumbo doesnt mean she is Creole.

She is just a light skinned country Texas girl.

Posted at 3:41PM on Aug 22nd 2007 by Bella Braud

6. Lets cut the crap and get real here. Beyonce gets 100 percent of that beauty from her moms dna-period. And she can be just as Creole as she'd like as far as I am concerned. Dad is a great businessman, but as far as appearances go, he's far from "Denzel" material, and he apparently knows it and stays in the background.

Creole women are legendary for their stunning beauty, class, and legacy. In fact, there were actually laws that were passed against them in old New Orleans, which limited their movements and what they could wear, etc. That is the extent to which the white women of their time despised these exotic dames. That beauty, of course, is due to the fact that their mixed blood gives them their unique complexions, shapes, and features. And here in 07, not a damn thing has changed.

There's a reason why white and black men across the globe were attracted to the Elizabeth Taylor’s and Sophia Loren’s of the world. Even the white powers that be recognized the dark, exotic featured white women were top dog as compared to the "dum blond" entries such as Monroe, etc. Thus the reason why Spain and Italy is chief amongst many guys in terms of where they seek out their "dimes", so to speak.

Are they (whites) so dum that they don’t know that most Italians and women from Spain have that black and Arabian Moorish blood that flows through those women’s’ veins? I would hope not.

I’ll be the first to say that it’s the black blood that gives them that edge and beauty. And most American men will tell you in a heart beat that Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico and all of the other "mixed race" nations in the Americas will produce a woman "head over heels" ANY DAY over any predominately white or black women.

The secret is this people: if your blood is like gumbo, which Beyonce’s certainly is: YOU HAVE A LEG UP-no pun intended. What do you think drew her dad to her mom in the fist place? Dont believe me? Check out all of the women on the videos of today and call me a lie-now what?


Coming from a straight and single guy-those are the facts-and most people who are predominantly black and or white with those unfortunately stereotypical and traditional features just need to deal with it. Most dark, predominately black men have for ages been drawn to the light-skinned woman. Creole? Now they’re onto her like never before!
That’s reality-and everyone knows it.

So in that regard, many blacks are full of it because even within their own race they discriminate-but they still know what’s beautiful and for that they certainly can’t be blamed.

Now, onto the matter at hand:

Creole for some IS A RACE as well as a culture, and definitely was for a long period of time in New Orleans. The entire legacy of the Treme, 6th and especially 7th wards were at one point in time CREOLE WARDS or sections, with blacks occupying the 9th ward.
When the projects downtown went up downtown, the Lafitte-it was dominated by creoles of color.

When they say that Treme is the oldest neighborhood in the U.S. of blacks, they actually mean the free people of color: aka Creoles who were early property owners. This means that this "Race" of people, whose bloodlines were mixed with French, Spanish, Black, and Native Indian blood, dominated those specific areas. The Creoles had and developed their own shops, funeral homes and businesses. They kept to themselves much the way the whites and blacks did for a long time. Those whose blood was predominately black, as well as those whose blood was mostly white all kept to their own sections of the city. Many now will tell you that the 7th ward, whcih eventually became mostly black is but a shell of its former self. The mixed race creole people made that city what it was-period. Do the homework people.

In fact, the city of New Orleans has NEVER even had a so-called black and or African-American mayor-no wishful thinking people, it hasn’t happened. And don’t come on with that "one-drop rule" b.s. -it was all politics. The old money that ran and runs N.O wanted to put a face on the city that, while not white could rep as a black and keep the then pre-Katrina populace happy. This is how the whites, who remain jealous of the original Creole of color populace but still abhorred the blacks dealt with the Civil Rights Movement when it “attempted” to come into New Orleans. With the exception of Nagin, the three "black" mayors before him all could have passed for white or Italian or any other mixed race with no problems whatsoever. To this day you have never had a dark-complected black man with dominant ethnic features in the position of power in that city-and now, after Katrina-believe me when I tell you there never will be. But for the sake of the political machine that had to be run-those Creole mayors played the game and allowed themselves to take on the African-American cause.

The current mayor, as well as the three that preceded him are all from well-known CREOLE families. They all come from the 7th ward-the traditional Creole base in the city. Not just cultural base but an actual race (mixed race peoples). With the whites not wanting to acknowledge their heritage and the blacks wanting to do anything they could to assimilate into their world-the Creole of New Orleans found themselves in a middle ground type of existence. Nagin, the two Morials and Sydney Barthelemy were all of mixed race Creole origin, and can trace their respective lines all the way back to the battle of New Orleans, as I can mine. All were born at Charity Hospital and all have dead buried in at least one of the three St. Louis Cemeteries.

Now of course, for the sake of politics and the civil-rights movement that came along, Creoles of color, or the mixed race-inhabitants of the city were then labeled "blacks and or African Americans. But the reality of the matter is that tons of Creoles, who by the way are almost 100% Roman Catholic (of which most American blacks certainly are not) still lay claim to their original Creole ties and culture. Most never deny their black blood (I know I never have-wasn't raised that way)-but some did, and continue to do so. The largest Creole populace outside of New Orleans lay here in Los Angeles, and unlike some Creoles who now identify as black due to b.s. social pressures, there are a great many here who still see themselves as a culture as well as a race.

The idea that a Creole from New Orleans has (had) to say that they are black as a race yet Creole as a culture is a crock of _hit. You wouldn't go up to Jennifer Lopez and or some Brazilian performer and say..Hey, did you know that you are black? You may well end up with a piece of metal down your throat.

The Brazilians, Puerto Ricans and other mixed race nationalities will all tell you in a hot minute that they have black blood in them, but like the staunch Creoles who still hold to their culture which goes back to when this country was founded, you shouldn't ask them to "claim to be black" as a race when to them being Creole is their culture AS WELL as their genetic make-up-therefore they are a race to boot.

So, at the very least, Beyonce (if she chooses) could say that from her mothers line she is Creole. Just like Jews, Creoles can be BOTH a Race as well as a culture. Those who cannot accept this usually are either non-Creoles, and yet another member of the jealous hater types that wish they were a part of that most unique, beautifully handsome race of mixed people known as Creole with a legacy going back to before this country was started.

Eat your respective hearts out.

Posted at 7:23AM on Aug 23rd 2007 by rfgagnier

7. Hello,I wanted to say both of my parents are creole and i also believe creole is a race and culture.There are alot of people out there who dont actually know what creole is and thats why they are sayin beyonce is not but i know for a fact she is and Rggagnier i agree wit one hundred percent,There are haters out there that wanna be like us.

Posted at 4:23PM on Aug 25th 2007 by shorty

8. I love beyonce! does it really matter if she is creole or not! Not to sound racist, but blacks are always trying to get away from being black.. you will never hear a white person claiming not to be white.. black people love yourselves, be proud of who you are!!! light skin- dark skin your all beautiful people of color!!!!!

Posted at 10:17PM on Aug 25th 2007 by mia

9. ... truly a gorgeous, talented young woman. However, I am hopeful that she will soon invest in a speech coach, so she can truly represent her people whether black or creole. She has too much money not to be more refined.

Posted at 2:49AM on Sep 2nd 2007 by Liz