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ENTITY shares information about Raven Symone and her career.Photo via Instagram @ravensymone

Everyone seems to have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Raven-Symoné. They miss their favorite pop singer and psychic from Disney Channel’s golden years, but they can’t stand her lack of a filter.

Thanks to her previous outbursts on The View, she’s been dubbed as a controversial talk show host. But aside from being an eccentric character, she’s also achieved some pretty admirable things.

If you need a refresher, here are five things about the best and worst of Raven-Symoné.

1 She taught us some solid life lessons in “That’s So Raven.”

Raven-Symoné has just launched the Disney series “Raven’s Home” as a continuation of the beloved show “That’s So Raven,” which aired in the early 2000s. Talk about nostalgia.

“That’s So Raven” was about more than just physic visions and cheesy catchphrases. In the episode “True Colors,” Raven-Symoné’s character suffers from workplace discrimination. Her friend, who is less qualified than her, is offered a job because they refuse to employ African Americans. Yeah, things got real.

Additionally, she championed body positivity on the show. When her character, Raven Baxter, was not allowed to model her own dress because she wasn’t a size zero, she gave us some powerful food for thought about how every shape and size is beautiful.

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But now, years after the show has ended, Raven’s coming back home.

“There is only one Raven – and for over 25 years, she has blessed audiences around the world with the greatest gift of all – the pure, unadulterated joy of laugh-out-loud funny,” Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer of Disney Channels Worldwide, told Variety. “After being a part of over 20 different Disney projects, we are thrilled to be bringing Raven home to Disney Channel once again.”

“That’s So Raven” was one of the most successful Disney Channel series. It aired for over four seasons and 100 episodes between 2003 and 2007. It was Disney Channel’s first multi-camera comedy and it became the highest-rated Disney show among audiences aged six to 11 years old, reports Variety. We’re hoping “Raven’s Home” does the original justice.

2 She doesn’t like labels.

In 2014, Raven-Symoné had a revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey. She told the television talk show queen, “I don’t want to be labeled gay. I want to be a human who loves humans. I’m tired of being labeled. I’m an American.” She then claimed that she is not, in fact, African American.

She went on to say that she doesn’t enjoy being put into a box because of her sexual orientation.

However, on Twitter she did not hesitate to demonstrate her affiliation with the LBGT community. After gay marriage became legalized, Symoné tweeted, “I can finally get married! Yay government! So proud of you.”

And when asked whether the statement was out of solidarity or personal experience, Symoné shut it down. She indirectly suggested that the tweet was purely a political statement. She claimed that it needed to be said because “people are passing stupid laws.”

And as you would’ve guessed, the fact that she’s gone back and forth on statements have stirred up quite the backlash.

3 She can be pretty controversial.

Raven-Symoné’s comments about labels were not the only remarks landing her in the spotlight.

Her brutally honest comments on “The View” have placed her in hot waters, to say the least. People have criticized her for being insensitive to racial issues. In October 2015, she commented on a YouTube sketch called”60 Most Ghetto Names” and she stated, “I’m not about to hire you if your name is Watermelondrea. It’s just not going to happen.”

Entity speaks Raven Symone

Photo via Giphy

She later apologized for the statement and acknowledged that racial discrimination in the workplace is all too real. Symoné even shared that she experienced this first-hand.

She went on to say that she made the statement in hopes of being part of the solution to this problem, but there was no explanation of how her harsh words could’ve served as a solution.

Then, there was the time she decided to be the body police. She was accused of slut-shaming after making a harsh comment about today’s pop singers, Queen Bey in particular. Symoné shared that she wished Beyonce would “put on some pants when performing.” She went on to say that artists in the public eye should maintain a higher level of class.

The list of poorly stated comments goes on, but you get the picture.

Entity talks Raven Symone

Photo via Giphy

4 Her style is outside the box and she owns it.

Entity talks Raven Symone

Photo via Giphy

In an interview with Keke Palmer, Raven-Symoné shared that she has faced some opposition for her fashion choices. In recent years, she has dyed her hair all colors of the rainbow and worn a few outfits that are worthy of an eyebrow raise.

She mentioned that some brands felt as though her current aesthetic no longer suited their image. But in her mind, her new style was not making her endorsers any money, so they pulled the plug. She stated that what corporate funders want “doesn’t always coincide with who you are as a person.”

She decided to keep on rocking her own sense of style regardless of the pushback. Do your thing, Raven.

Entity speaks Raven Symone

Photo via Giphy

5 She sets an example for women of color in entertainment.

In an interview on Just Keke, Keke Palmer thanked Raven-Symoné for being a beacon of inspiration for women of color.

Entity talks Raven Symone

Photo via Giphy

In “That’s So Raven” and “The Cheetah Girls,” Raven-Symoné played headstrong female protagonists. When she takes on a leadership role in television and film, she is showing young girls what’s possible for them.

It is clear that Raven-Symoné’s reputation has run into roadblocks from recent taboo statements. However, it cannot be denied that her accomplishments have had positive ripple effects in young girls’ lives.

At the end of the day, you can love her or hate her, but it doesn’t matter to her because that’s so Raven.

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