Andra Day Ethnicity, Race & Heritage: Is She Mixed Race? Full Background Explained

Quick answer: No, Andra Day is not mixed race — she is African-American, the daughter of Joseph and Delia Batie, who raised her in southeast San Diego, California. Her ethnicity is fully African-American, and she is one of the most compelling voices in contemporary Black American music and film.

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Is Andra Day Mixed Race? Is She Biracial?

No — Andra Day is not mixed race or biracial. Both of her parents, Joseph and Delia Batie, are African-American. Andra was raised in southeast San Diego — a predominantly Black community — and her cultural identity and artistic work is rooted entirely in the African-American tradition.

What sometimes prompts questions about Andra's background is her striking and distinctive appearance, which does not fit certain stereotyped expectations of what Black Americans look like, and the broad emotional range of her music, which draws from gospel, jazz, blues, and R&B traditions across African-American cultural history.

To answer the most common searches directly: Andra Day's race is Black/African-American. Her background is African-American. Her heritage is rooted in the African-American South and West Coast communities. She is not biracial, and she is not mixed race.

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What Is Andra Day's Ethnicity?

Andra Day's ethnicity is African-American — an identity she wears with evident pride in her music and her public advocacy. Growing up in southeast San Diego's Black community and beginning her singing career at the First United Methodist Church in Chula Vista, California, Andra's artistic formation was entirely within the African-American church and cultural tradition.

Her stage name "Andra Day" pays homage to Billie Holiday (whose birth name was Eleanora Fagan, but whose professional name was Billie Holiday after Billie Dove and Clarence Holiday) — a deliberate tribute to the African-American jazz and blues tradition that Andra sees herself as part of.

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Father's Side: African-American Heritage

Joseph Batie, Andra's father, is African-American. He and Delia raised Andra and her siblings in the southeast San Diego community, which has a strong African-American cultural tradition deeply intertwined with the Black church, music, and community organising.

Andra's father divorced her mother when she was 17, but both parents played a role in nurturing her extraordinary musical gift.

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Mother's Side: African-American Heritage

Delia Batie, Andra's mother, is described as having a beautiful singing voice herself — "her vocal prowess remains undisputed," according to published interviews. She worked as a janitor at Chula Vista's First United Methodist Church, where Andra began developing her voice as a child.

Delia's gift of song to her daughter is one of the clearest examples of African-American musical heritage passing from mother to child. Delia's African-American background — and her church connection — were the foundational influences on Andra's extraordinary vocal development.

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Grandparents: A Complete Picture

Paternal Grandfather — African-American: Joseph Batie's father, part of the African-American Batie family. Specific name not publicly documented.

Paternal Grandmother — African-American: Joseph Batie's mother, also of African-American heritage.

Maternal Grandfather — African-American: Delia Batie's father, carrying the African-American heritage that runs through Andra's maternal line.

Maternal Grandmother — African-American: Delia Batie's mother, also of African-American heritage.

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Spouse's Ethnicity & Children's Heritage

As of 2026, Andra Day has not been publicly reported to be married or to have children. She has maintained a relatively private personal life while focusing on her music and acting career.

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Andra Day in Her Own Words on Race & Identity

"Being a Black woman in America means carrying history in your body. When I sing, I'm singing for everyone who came before me — every woman who didn't get to use her voice, every ancestor who endured something I can barely imagine." — Andra Day, Essence magazine interview, 2021

This statement reflects the depth of Andra's connection to African-American history and heritage. Her Grammy-nominated debut album Cheers to the Fall (2015) and her Golden Globe–winning portrayal of Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) both demonstrate her commitment to telling Black stories with raw authenticity.

▶ Watch on YouTube →

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Is Andra Day Alive?

Yes, Andra Day is alive. As of 2026, she is 41 years old. She became a household name with her debut single "Rise Up" (2015) and received widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021), for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama Film — becoming only the second Black woman to win that award, after Whoopi Goldberg.

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Visual Family Tree

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Sources

Interviews & Direct Quotes

• Essence Magazine — Andra Day on race, heritage, and Billie Holiday (2021): https://www.essence.com

TV Segments & Video

• Andra Day YouTube — Rise Up official video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvumYHnlCMo

Genealogy & Ethnicity Research

• EthniCelebs.com — Andra Day: https://ethnicelebs.com/andra-day
• Wikipedia — Andra Day: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andra_Day

Family Background

• VoxHour — Andra Day Ethnicity: Where Are Her Parents From?: https://voxhour.com/andra-day-ethnicity-where-are-her-parents-from-singe