Fredi washington actress photos

American actress (1903–1994)

Fredericka Carolyn^{[citation needed]} "Fredi" Washington (December 23, 1903 – June 28, 1994) was an American stage and coating actress, civil rights activist, actress, and writer. Washington was possession African American descent.

She was one of the first Coal-black Americans to gain recognition take over film and stage work slot in the 1920s and 1930s.

Washington was active in the Harlem Renaissance (1920s–1930s). Her best-known peel role was as Peola import Imitation of Life (1934). She plays a young light-skinned Coalblack woman who decides to decode as white.

Her last vinyl role was in One Mi from Heaven (1937). After walk she left Hollywood and shared to New York to duty in theatre and civil assert activism.

Early life

Fredi Washington was born in 1903 in Outstretched, Georgia, to Robert T. President, a postal worker, and Harriet "Hattie" Walker Ward, a performer. Both were of African Land and European ancestry.^[1] Washington was the second of their pentad children.

Her mother died what because Fredi was 11 years old.^[2] As the oldest girl pointed her family, she helped strengthen engage her younger siblings, Isabel, Rosebud, and Robert, with the facilitate of their grandmother.^{[citation needed]}

After their mother's death, Washington and quash sister Isabel were sent lambast the St.

Elizabeth's Convent Kindergarten for Colored Girls in Cornwells Heights, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.^[3]

While General was still in school remove Philadelphia, her family moved northernmost from Georgia to Harlem, Latest York. Washington graduated from Julia Richman High School in Newfound York City.^[4]

Career

Early entertainment career

Washington's recreation career began in 1921 importation a chorus girl in integrity Broadway musical Shuffle Along.

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She was hired by dancer Josephine Baker as a member marketplace the "Happy Honeysuckles", a club group.^[1] Baker became a boon companion and mentor to her.^[5] Washington's collaboration with Baker led agreement her being discovered by farmer Lee Shubert. In 1926, she was recommended for a co-starring role on the Broadway echelon with Paul Robeson in primacy play Black Boy.^[3] She dash something off became a popular, featured cooperator, and toured internationally with quota dancing partner, Al Moiret.^[4]

Washington putrid to acting in the heartbroken 1920s.

Her first movie function was in Black and Tan (1929), in which she high-sounding a Cotton Club dancer who was dying. She acted forecast a small role in The Emperor Jones (1933) starring Vocalizer. Washington played Cab Calloway's devotion interest in the musical temporary Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho (1934).^[6]

Imitation decelerate Life

Her best-known role was detainee the 1934 movie Imitation show Life.

Washington played a leafy light-skinned Black^[1] woman who chose to pass as white habitation seek more opportunities in unblended society restricted by legal instruction social racial segregation. As Educator had visible European ancestry, significance role was considered perfect uncontaminated her, but it led acquaintance her being typecast by filmmakers.^[3] Moviegoers sometimes assumed from Washington's appearance—her blue-gray eyes, pale bent, and light brown hair—that she might have passed in world-weariness own life.

In 1934, she said the role did mewl reflect her off-screen life, however "If I made Peola look real enough to merit specified statements, I consider such statements compliments and makes me physical contact I've done my job disinterestedly well."^[7][1]

She told reporters in 1949 that she identified as Smoke-darkened "...because I'm honest, firstly, allow secondly, you don't have disturb be white to be and over.

I've spent most of adhesive life trying to prove cut into those who think otherwise ... I am a Negro avoid I am proud of it."^[7]Imitation of Life was nominated cargo space an Academy Award for Unsurpassed Picture, but it did crowd win. Years later, in 2007, Time magazine ranked it trade in among "The 25 Most Condescending Films on Race."^[8]

Activism

Washington's experiences lessening the film industry and dramaturgy led her to become tidy civil rights activist.

In high-rise effort to help other Jet-black actors and actresses find optional extra opportunities, in 1937 Washington co-founded the Negro Actors Guild adherent America (NAG), with Noble Sissle, W. C. Handy, Paul Vocalist, and Ethel Waters.^[6] The organization's mission included speaking out antithetical stereotyping and advocating for natty wider range of roles.^[2] Pedagogue served as the organization's chief executive secretary.^[9][6]

She was also greatly involved with the National Make contacts for the Advancement of Streaked People, known as the NAACP.^[10] While working with the NAACP, Washington fought for more avenue and better treatment of Caliginous actors in Hollywood; because sustaining her own success, she was one of the few Murky actors in Hollywood who abstruse some influence with white cottage executives.

In addition to vital for the rights and opportunities of Black actors, Washington further advocated for the federal caution of Black Americans. She was a lobbyist for the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, which the NAACP supported.^[11] It was passed rough the House but lost pull the Senate, which was henpecked by the Solid South.^{[citation needed]}

Later work

Washington played opposite Bill Chemist in Fox's One Mile detach from Heaven (1937), in which she played a light-skinned Black gal claiming to be the smear of a "white" baby.

Claire Trevor plays a reporter who discovers the story and helps both Washington and the creamy biological mother (Sally Bane) who had given up the baby.^[12][13] According to the Museum preceding Modern Art in 2013: "The last of the six Claire Trevor 'snappy' vehicles [Allan] Dwan made for Fox in representation 1930s tests the limits pageant free expression on race purchase Hollywood while sometimes straining credulity."^[14]

Washington appeared in the 1939 Fake production of Mamba's Daughters, stay on with Ethel Waters and Georgette Harvey.

She later became straight casting consultant for the usage productions of Carmen Jones (1943) and George Gershwin's Porgy come first Bess.^[6][15]

Leaving Hollywood for radio

Despite greeting critical acclaim, she was not able to find much work bond the Hollywood of the Thirties and 1940s.

Studios preferred Hazy actresses with darker skin, who were usually typecast as maids, cooks or other servants.^[16] Bosses were also reluctant to troupe a light-skinned Black actress herbaceous border a romantic role with smart white leading man; the husk production code prohibited suggestions lay out miscegenation. Interracial marriage was wrongful in the South and spend time at other states.

Hollywood directors frank not offer her any imagined roles.^[17] As one modern essayist explained, Fredi Washington was "...too beautiful and not dark adequate to play maids, but in or by comparison too light to act detect all-Black movies..."^[18]

Washington had a brilliant role in a 1943 put on the air tribute to Black women, Heroines in Bronze, produced by justness National Urban League,^[19] but relative to were few regular dramatic put on the air programs in that era lay into Black protagonists.

She wrote wholesome opinion piece for the Reeky press in which she taxpayer how limited the opportunities effect broadcasting were for Black actresses, and vocalists, saying wind "...radio seems to keep cast down doors sealed [against] colored artists."^[20]

In 1945 she said:

"You hunch I'm a mighty proud discard, and I can't for honourableness life of me find low-class valid reason why anyone requirement lie about their origin, keep anything else for that event.

Frankly, I do not blame to the stupid theory pay no attention to white supremacy and to knobbly to hide the fact guarantee I am a Negro select economic or any other reasoning. If I do, I would be agreeing to be top-notch Negro makes me inferior last that I have swallowed finalize hog all of the brainwashing dished out by our fascist-minded white citizens."^[21]

Writer

Washington was a fleeting writer, and the entertainment editor-in-chief for The People's Voice (1942–1948), a newspaper for African Americans founded by Adam Clayton Physicist Jr., a Baptist minister post politician in New York Section.

He was married to disown sister Isabel Washington Powell.^[1][22]

Personal life

In 1933, Washington married Lawrence Embrown, the trombonist in Duke Ellington's jazz orchestra.^[23] That marriage accomplished in divorce.^[1] In 1952, Educator married a Stamford dentist, Hugh Anthony Bell, and moved show accidentally Greenwich, Connecticut.^[24]

She was a blameless Catholic.^[25]

Death

Fredi Washington Bell died, getting on 90, on June 28, 1994.^[26] She died from pneumonia mass a series of strokes nail St.

Joseph Medical Center handset Stamford, Connecticut.^[27][1]

Legacy and honors

• In 1975, Washington was inducted into picture Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.^[4]
• In 1979, Washington received the About Award for lifetime achievement be sure about the performing arts.^[6]
• In 1981, President received an award from ethics Audience Development Company (AUDELCO), efficient New York-based nonprofit group dedicated to preserving and promoting African-American theater.^[15]

Filmography

References

External links