| When I was fourteen, I traveled to North Carolina with | | | | Fredi Washington, (b.1903-d.1994) a very fair-skinned |
| my mother to her home town in Greensboro and | | | | woman with light eyes, was disliked by both blacks |
| experienced a kind of racism that gave me a serious | | | | and whites even though she was actually a black |
| wake up call about discrimination. I was angry, | | | | woman. Because she didn't look black enough, |
| confused and hurt that we could have been arrested | | | | Hollywood directors often encouraged her to pass for |
| just for shopping like normal people and the experience | | | | white because they could make her a bigger star. The |
| affects me still today. This was in 1968, the same year | | | | role that was most significant was the movie "Imitation |
| that Martin Luther King Jr, was murdered, and I felt | | | | of Life" in which she played a black woman passing |
| strong in my Blackness due to the achievements of | | | | for white. |
| the Civil Rights movement taking place up to and | | | | Dorothy Dandridge, ( b.1924 - d.1965) appeared in |
| during this time. In this Five and Dime discount store, as | | | | movies from 1930 to the end of 1962 was born during |
| I browsed and touched things I was followed by a | | | | the Depression Era in America, was the first Black |
| white clerk and warned by my mother to not put the | | | | actress ever nominated for and an Academy Award |
| hat I was looking at on my head. | | | | for Carmen Jones in 1954. |
| Defiant, fourteen and coming from Ohio where white | | | | Although we did not have cable during that time, |
| people were a little more subtle about their racist | | | | movies and television were a prominent channel of |
| attitudes, I felt the injustice of that moment and we left | | | | entertainment and a powerful method of influence on |
| the store before I caused us to get arrested. Outside | | | | the belief system of Black people. Representing your |
| the store I decided to get a drink of water from the | | | | race during the 1950's and 1960's was extremely |
| public fountain until I noticed the fountains were | | | | significant to black actors due to how racism was |
| separately marked "Whites" and "coloreds". The white | | | | reflected and reinforced on television and on the big |
| fountain was chilled with electricity but the Colored | | | | screen. |
| fountain was a small porcelain fountain with warm | | | | The November issue of Ebony Magazine features the |
| water. This was traumatic to my young revolutionary | | | | stars of the movie coming out this month called "The |
| Spirit, which had been slowly getting stronger and | | | | Secret Life Of Bees" in an article by Lynn Norment |
| developing as I learned more about myself in a climate | | | | discussing how the actresses connected the past |
| of social injustice. The examples of self pride and | | | | events of the Civil Rights struggle with American |
| strength were the people in my family and the | | | | history today. This is the reason this magazine is about |
| community around me, both the men and women who | | | | connection, because it is through connection that we |
| raised me taught me to be proud of who I am as an | | | | learn to broaden our frame of understanding about life. |
| African American. | | | | Connection to the accomplishments of our |
| African American women in my formative years were | | | | predecessors is the key to making sense of the |
| portrayed in low profile parts that did not stand out. | | | | historic events taking place today. It is important that |
| Influenced by the traditionalist of the 50's the images | | | | we are aware of our history and the role of the |
| we saw on television and in the movies consisted of | | | | individuals whose determination and tenacity opened |
| Black women as a vixen, a housekeeper, a maid, or | | | | the door for us in television and film to express |
| mammy and as slaves or bare-breasted indigenous | | | | ourselves in the many ways we do today. |
| women in Tarzan movies. | | | | During the shooting of the movie, the director Gina |
| Fortunately the women in my life were strong, | | | | Prince-Blythwood chose to immerse two two of the |
| educated and challenged those stereotypes for a little | | | | actresses in a real life situation of racism to sensitize |
| black girl to seek out other definitions of my | | | | them about the climate of the times. The story takes |
| womanhood. Early television and film images of | | | | place in 1964 during a time of openly demonstrated |
| women of color were censored representations of | | | | racial and social hatred. Exposing the actors to this |
| talented actors that were held back due to racism. | | | | experience allowed them to feel actual discrimination. |
| Artists like Nina Mae McKinney, Fredi Washington, | | | | No one can describe it to you and give an accurate |
| Dorothy Dandridge and Lena Horne broke through the | | | | account of how it deeply it hurts. I felt completely |
| barriers of the industry to make it possible for us to | | | | stripped as a part of me wanted to fight and another |
| witness the talent of today. | | | | part of me wanted to cry out loud when I was |
| Consistently, Black women showed up in roles as | | | | fourteen in that North Carolina store 40 years ago. |
| caretakers and servants of their white counterparts | | | | Today the same attitudes show up every day in the |
| because the white actors could not be upstaged. | | | | media. There is so much social injustice today, we still |
| Many blacks had to reject their own blackness and | | | | have a lot of work to do yet I am grateful for movies |
| compromise the creative integrity of their skills as | | | | like this to show us the today the connection to the |
| actresses because the images they were allowed to | | | | past and the present. |
| portray was controlled by the studios bosses who in | | | | I am also grateful to the women of color who were |
| that era were white. | | | | brave enough to not give up or give in being told they |
| Nina Mae McKinney, (b.1912 - d.1967) was the first | | | | were not good enough or talented enough to |
| Black movie star and actress in Hollywood, but we | | | | represent their race. The grace and determination they |
| know nothing about her. All of the attention has been | | | | demonstrated is the strength that fuels and motivates |
| given to the choices of the industry as the front | | | | us today. Gives Thanks for the ancestors on whose |
| runners. | | | | shoulders we stand, Ashe', Ashe', Ashe'. |