The biracial population is on the rise globally. In the United States, the 2020 Census revealed that over 10% of the population identified as being of two or more races, a significant increase from 2.9% in 1970. Recent estimates suggest that this trend continues, with projections indicating that by 2040, nearly one in five Americans will be of mixed race. In a recent interview with People Magazine, actress and producer, Tika Sumpter opened up about raising a biracial seven-year-old daughter, telling the outlet that, “she doesn’t have to choose at all.”
“We’re already talking to Ella about race,” Sumpter told the outlet in her interview. “Nick actually went to the library the other day and got a bunch of books on Pharaoh and Africa, and then one on civil rights. He’s reading this civil rights book out loud and he’s like, ‘This is infuriating!’ And Ella can’t even imagine that time. She’s like, ‘How could people do such a thing?'”
Sumpter said that she and her husband, 41-year-old actor Nicholas James Muscarella, are committed to ensuring that Ella-Loren appreciates all sides of herself.
The Knuckles actress also told the outlet that she is very open and honest when it comes to answering her daughter’s questions about being a biracial individual.
“I’m just like, ‘You are both,’ ” Sumpter said. “I’m super grateful that she feels like she’s a part of both of us. She doesn’t have to choose at all.” The 44-year-old mother believes that we are as moving in the right direction with Gen Alpha in terms of being more open and accepting of diversity.
“I just feel like they’re growing up in such a different world. They’re just more accepting, for everyone to be whoever they are. And they’re so loving.”
Being biracial in 2024 encompasses a broad spectrum of experiences shaped by changing demographics, social dynamics, and cultural shifts. While challenges remain, the growing visibility and recognition of biracial identities offer a hopeful perspective for a more inclusive and understanding future.
With parents like Sumpter and James, it seems as if we are definitely moving in the right direction.
Sumpter and her husband met while on the set of Tyler Perry’s The Have and the Have Nots. The couple welcomed their daughter in 2016 and were married in 2022 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
Photo: Tika Sumpter Instagram; Nicholas James Instagram; Jana Williams Photography via Brides.com
