Was René Lacoste Black?

Updated: March18, 2024

One of the most popular queries that drives traffic to this site is whether René Lacoste was black or was Rene Lacoste a black man? Before 2016, when an internet meme surfaced claiming that he was Black due to his mother having Jamaican ancestry, this query was nonexistent and drove no traffic to this site. It is generally agreed that this claim is incorrect, but numerous posts on social media keep the rumors of René’s African ancestry alive.

There is no evidence that René’s mother had any Jamaican ancestry. Which is not surprising considering that she was French and Jamaica was an English colony. His mother’s family was actually from Monein, in South-West France. Her family genealogy has been traced  as far back as the 1700s, and shows no Jamaican ancestors. You can see his mother’s genealogy online at Geneastar.  Although many people in France have North African ancestors, this would usually be considered Arab rather than Black ancestry. In any event, Monein is a part of Southern France where Basque ancestry is more common than North African. According to a recent study, genetic analysis of the Basque people show that they have more genes from indigenous hunter-gatherers than their near neighbors in Spain and France, but less North African ancestry.

There has never been any claims made about René’s father having any Black ancestry.

In conclusion, the evidence for René Lacoste being a Black man is essentially non-existent.

Other popular searches that bring readers to Lacoste, are “How to Spot a Fake Lacoste Shirt,” “The Lacoste Crocodile Logo,” and “How To Detect A Fake Lacoste Bag