Actor Malik Yoba Declares … I’m No Longer A Black Man

Malik Yoba Says He’s “No Longer a Black Man” — And Everyone’s Like… Sir, What?

In today’s episode of Who Asked for This?, actor Malik Yoba has officially entered his philosophical era — and apparently exited his Black one?

Yep, you read that right. Malik Yoba — the same man who played Detective J.C. Williams on New York Undercover, who starred in Cool Runnings, who’s been visibly Black his entire career — now says he’s “no longer a Black man.”

Instead? He’s calling himself a “non-white man.”

And honestly, social media is in shambles trying to make sense of it.

Yoba made the bold declaration during a recent appearance, saying he’s no longer identifying as a “Black man, a person of color, [or] BIPOC.” Instead, he’s intentionally using the phrase “non-white man,” and says he wants people to “refute” him.

Sir… challenge accepted?

The announcement was vague. There was no TED Talk. No dissertation. No deep explanation on what exactly prompted the shift. Which leaves the rest of us kind of like: “Are you okay? Blink twice if this is performance art.”

Now, to be fair — conversations around race, identity, and language are complex. Especially in a society where labels are often externally imposed. And sure, if Yoba’s trying to reject colonial categories, or call out how terms like “BIPOC” can sometimes flatten nuanced experiences, that’s one thing.

But saying you’re no longer a Black man, without context? In this climate?? Chile, the timing is… confusing at best.

Let’s be real. Being Black isn’t just a box to check. It’s history. It’s culture. It’s joy, resilience, rhythm, pain, brilliance, and swag all wrapped in one. It’s not something you can just… opt out of like a gym membership.

And here’s the kicker: Yoba said he wants people to challenge his claim. So… is this all one big provocation? A social experiment? A cryptic roll-out for a podcast?

Because if this is some avant-garde attempt at making us “rethink race,” we’ve seen smarter hot takes on TikTok — and with better lighting.

What’s wild is that Malik Yoba has been a respected voice in some important conversations — including masculinity, gender identity, and Black mental health. So this sudden pivot? It’s giving “please start a dialogue with me,” but forgetting to bring a point to the table.

And honestly? We want the convo. We just need a little more context, a little less confusion.

Until then, Malik, we’ll let you process this however you need. But just know — Black Twitter, Black aunties, and probably your own ancestors are all side-eyeing you in perfect unison right now.

Because even if you don’t call yourself a Black man anymore, one thing’s for sure:

You still gon’ get followed around in Target.

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