‘General Hospital’ Star Tabyana Ali Opens Up About Experiencing Racism at 5 Years Old
Tabyana Ali has been playing Trina Robinson on General Hospital for almost a year. She took over the role after Sydney Mikayla stepped down in March 2022.
Trina is the daughter of Portia Robinson and Marcus Taggert (as far as we know) and is the best friend of Josslyn Jacks. The character is also one half of the couple nicknamed “Sprina” alongside with Spencer Cassadine.
Mikayla was very popular in the role, and fans were upset when she left the soap to attend college full-time. They were big shoes to fill, but Ali has made Trina her own.
It is not the first time Ali needed to be strong, as she discussed with co-star Maurice Benard, who plays Sonny Corinthos on the soap opera.
Tabyana Ali experienced racism at just 5 years old
Benard welcomed Ali as a guest on his popular State of Mind podcast, where the 20-year-old told him she grew up in a small town near San Antonio, Texas. She described it by saying, “San Antonio is a very diverse area, and there’s a lot of culture there…but where I grew up, I was kinda like the only black kid.”
She said she grew up with mostly white and Hispanic people and joked that her family was “the Black-ish” family.
“I think my first set of racism was when I was 5,” the actor told Benard. She explained that because she was so young, she didn’t “really know” and didn’t comprehend racism back then.
How Tabyana Ali handled racism in school
Ali said that growing up, she knew she was different but didn’t care. She called herself a “small, feisty, funny kid,” and she didn’t let anyone “push over” on her like that. Ali grew thick skin in that environment.
She did emphasize that she wasn’t bullied. Ali may have been teased a little but not bullied. She made her way and became the popular kid after a while. Ali was strong and didn’t let herself get picked on. She knew how to stand up for herself.
The General Hospital actor said the first time she knew she was experiencing racism was in an Ulta Beauty store with her mom. She noticed she was being followed up and down the aisles by a woman working in the store.
When she and her mom went to confront the worker, she hid in the back. After that experience, she began to “figure out what racism is.”
Tabyana Ali feels ‘Sprina’ is important for ‘General Hospital’
“Sprina” is becoming a much-loved couple on General Hospital. Benard even compared them to the old days of Sonny and Brenda, a huge fan favorite in the ’90s.
“I feel lucky to be in this position, especially for someone who looks like me,” Ali stated. She knows it is important to show diversity on soaps, which there wasn’t until recently. “It means a lot to a lot of little girls like me,” she said in the interview.
Benard credits the change to producer Frank Valentini, who brought characters like Trina and her family to General Hospital.
