Sen. Elizabeth Warren: ‘I’m Not a Person of Color’

During a commencement address at the historically black Morgan State University, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) acknowledged that she is “not a person of color.”

“As a country, we need to stop pretending that the same doors open for everyone, because they don’t,” Warren said in the speech. “I’m not a person of color. And I haven’t lived your life or experienced anything like the subtle prejudice, or more overt harm, that you may have experienced just because of the color of your skin.”

In the past, Warren claimed to be of Cherokee ancestry, which sparked outrage across the political spectrum.

In November, Warren released DNA test results that revealed she is only between 0.09 percent and 1.5 percent Native American.

Several media pundits, politicians, and actual Native Americans reacted to the results of the DNA test that revealed Warren to have less Native American ancestry than the average American white person.

Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. reacted to the DNA test results in a statement:

“A DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship. Current DNA tests do not even distinguish whether a person’s ancestors were indigenous to North or South America. Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong. It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven.”