Taye Diggs wants his son to grow up knowing that his mixed heritage makes him special. The actor tells media that he teaches Walker to embrace both his African American and Jewish ancestry.
“The first book I wrote, Chocolate Me, was based on my experiences growing up a little chocolate boy in a predominately white neighborhood, and how I would get made fun of, and how through my mother and father and my own recognition, I was able to develop the power of self love,” says Diggs.
He further explains, “[Mixed Me] is kind of along similar lines for my son, even though in this day and age he’s going to have less of an issue being mixed than I did. It’s a book of self love and self appreciation and knowing that you are special regardless of what people will say about you because people will always say stuff.”
Taye goes on to talk about the black and white manner in which America views race and how many fail to acknowledge biracial children as such. The actor uses the president of the United States as his prime example. “Everybody refers to him as the first black president, I’m not saying it’s wrong, I’m just saying that it’s interesting. It would be great if it didn’t matter and that people could call him mixed.”
Taye Diggs has one child with estranged wife Idina Menzel. Walker celebrated his sixth birthday in September.
