EXCLUSIVE: ‘Real Housewives Of Potomac’ Star Gizelle Bryant Opens Up About Racial Identity #RHOP

The Real Housewives of Potomac season one reunion wraps tonight and all season long the ladies get into heated fights about a hot topic — racial identity.

During the season one finale, tensions between cast members, Gizelle Bryant and Katie Rost, came to a head following a fiery debate over Katie identifying as biracial. Katie, whose mother is African-American and father is Jewish, has had friction over the fact that she refers to herself as biracial, not black. Gizelle called Katie out on her perceived racial identity confusion many times throughout the season.

All About the Tea had the pleasure to speak exclusively with Gizelle Bryant to get her reaction to the season’s politicized issue and asked would she do anything differently.

“I wouldn’t necessarily change anything,” Bryant tells All About the Tea.

Bryant continues: “My perspective is—whatever you are— be proud of what you are. If you’re purple— be proud of being purple. Because that’s how I was raised. I thought that Katie was not being proud of the black she is and that’s where all of that came from.” 

Have the ladies moved past their racial identity squabbles? According to Gizelle, if she’s included in Season 2, the ladies would finally put the issue to rest and move on.

“We’ve cleared it up and moved past it”

What makes the daughter of a civil rights activists, Curtis Graves, so passionate about the race topic. 

“I respect what all people are, whether you’re orange, yellow or blue. I respect that. Just be proud of your background, your family and your history, that’s so important to who you are as a person and how you relate to other people.” 

Gizelle comes from a prominent political family. Her father, Curtis Graves, served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1967 to 1973, the first African-American person to have that post since 1899. Graves spent many years fighting for civil rights, alongside the greats of Martin Luther King, Jr. Bryant tells All About the Tea,

“My parents have instilled in me, whatever you do, be proud of who you are and teach that to your children so they can teach their children.”

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Gizelle shared that the sensitive subject of race being discussed on reality TV was not received well by all viewers but she’s happy she had an opportunity, “to go there.”

“Some people didn’t want to go there.” Bryant adds, “I’m happy that we did have an opportunity to go there, however, by no means is the ‘Housewives’ platform—the platform for race relations. But we did touch on it and it’s a hot topic in this country, so we really can’t hide from it. We’re happy we were able to expose it to the degree we did.”

Part 2 of The Real Housewives of Potomac reunion airs Sunday, April 17 at 8:00 pm ET on Bravo.

Additionally, the entire first season of The Real Housewives of Potomac will be available for people to catch-up on via Xfinity during Watchathon week, which begins Monday, April 18. Don’t miss it!

 

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