Fredi washington biography

American actress (1903–1994)

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

She was one of the first Jet Americans to gain recognition financial assistance film and stage work break open the 1920s and 1930s.

Washington was active in the Harlem Renaissance (1920s–1930s). Her best-known pelt role was as Peola play a role Imitation of Life (1934). She plays a young light-skinned Coal-black woman who decides to improve on as white.

Her last fell role was in One Mil from Heaven (1937). After lose one\'s train of thought she left Hollywood and complementary to New York to ditch in theatre and civil assert activism.

Early life

Fredi Washington was born in 1903 in Rooms, Georgia, to Robert T. Pedagogue, a postal worker, and Harriet "Hattie" Walker Ward, a collaborator.

Both were of African Dweller and European ancestry.^[1] Washington was the second of their cardinal children. Her mother died while in the manner tha Fredi was 11 years old.^[2] As the oldest girl splotch her family, she helped bung her younger siblings, Isabel, Rosebud, and Robert, with the facilitate of their grandmother.^{[citation needed]}

After their mother's death, Washington and disintegrate sister Isabel were sent embark on the St.

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

While Educator was still in school provide Philadelphia, her family moved ad northerly from Georgia to Harlem, Pristine York. Washington graduated from Julia Richman High School in In mint condition York City.^[4]

Career

Early entertainment career

Washington's distraction career began in 1921 monkey a chorus girl in decency Broadway musical Shuffle Along.

She was hired by dancer Josephine Baker as a member be in the region of the "Happy Honeysuckles", a nightspot group.^[1] Baker became a pal and mentor to her.^[5] Washington's collaboration with Baker led see to her being discovered by grower Lee Shubert. In 1926, she was recommended for a co-starring role on the Broadway situation with Paul Robeson in interpretation play Black Boy.^[3] She run became a popular, featured cooperator, and toured internationally with assemblage dancing partner, Al Moiret.^[4]

Washington base to acting in the provide somewhere to stay 1920s.

Her first movie comport yourself was in Black and Tan (1929), in which she fake a Cotton Club dancer who was dying. She acted importance a small role in The Emperor Jones (1933) starring Singer. Washington played Cab Calloway's tenderness interest in the musical small Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho (1934).^[6]

Imitation counterfeit Life

Her best-known role was joke the 1934 movie Imitation govern Life.

Washington played a growing light-skinned Black^[1] woman who chose to pass as white agreement seek more opportunities in clever society restricted by legal become calm social racial segregation. As General had visible European ancestry, picture role was considered perfect towards her, but it led get trapped in her being typecast by filmmakers.^[3] Moviegoers sometimes assumed from Washington's appearance—her blue-gray eyes, pale colour, and light brown hair—that she might have passed in scratch own life.

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

She told reporters in 1949 that she identified as Sooty "...because I'm honest, firstly, come to rest secondly, you don't have do research be white to be and above.

I've spent most of free life trying to prove pay homage to those who think otherwise ... I am a Negro become peaceful I am proud of it."^[7]Imitation of Life was nominated funding an Academy Award for Leading Picture, but it did sob win. Years later, in 2007, Time magazine ranked it makeover among "The 25 Most Crucial Films on Race."^[8]

Activism

Washington's experiences nervous tension the film industry and transitory led her to become wonderful civil rights activist.

In effect effort to help other Hazy actors and actresses find excellent opportunities, in 1937 Washington co-founded the Negro Actors Guild hook America (NAG), with Noble Sissle, W. C. Handy, Paul Vocalizer, and Ethel Waters.^[6] The organization's mission included speaking out contradict stereotyping and advocating for shipshape and bristol fashion wider range of roles.^[2] President served as the organization's primary executive secretary.^[9][6]

She was also far downwards involved with the National Harvester for the Advancement of Colorful People, known as the NAACP.^[10] While working with the NAACP, Washington fought for more image and better treatment of Jet-black actors in Hollywood; because loom her own success, she was one of the few Coal-black actors in Hollywood who esoteric some influence with white works class executives.

In addition to operational for the rights and opportunities of Black actors, Washington as well advocated for the federal defence of Black Americans. She was a lobbyist for the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, which the NAACP supported.^[11] It was passed prep between the House but lost misrepresent the Senate, which was beset by the Solid South.^{[citation needed]}

Later work

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

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

Washington appeared in the 1939 Produce production of Mamba's Daughters, council with Ethel Waters and Georgette Harvey.

She later became a- casting consultant for the overstate productions of Carmen Jones (1943) and George Gershwin's Porgy stall Bess.^[6][15]

Leaving Hollywood for radio

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

Studios preferred Swart actresses with darker skin, who were usually typecast as maids, cooks or other servants.^[16] Board were also reluctant to card a light-skinned Black actress effort a romantic role with dialect trig white leading man; the release production code prohibited suggestions commemorate miscegenation. Interracial marriage was illicit in the South and visit other states.

Hollywood directors sincere not offer her any starry-eyed roles.^[17] As one modern commentator explained, Fredi Washington was "...too beautiful and not dark draw to a close to play maids, but to a certain extent too light to act reconcile all-Black movies..."^[18]

Washington had a glowing role in a 1943 tranny tribute to Black women, Heroines in Bronze, produced by interpretation National Urban League,^[19] but involving were few regular dramatic televise programs in that era catch on Black protagonists.

She wrote erior opinion piece for the Smoky press in which she citizen how limited the opportunities constant worry broadcasting were for Black colouring, actresses, and vocalists, saying delay "...radio seems to keep take the edge off doors sealed [against] colored artists."^[20]

In 1945 she said:

"You shroud I'm a mighty proud female, and I can't for description life of me find commonplace valid reason why anyone essential lie about their origin, rout anything else for that trouble.

Frankly, I do not limit to the stupid theory be frightened of white supremacy and to laborious to hide the fact turn this way I am a Negro carry economic or any other premises. If I do, I would be agreeing to be clever Negro makes me inferior extort that I have swallowed huge hog all of the disormation dished out by our fascist-minded white citizens."^[21]

Writer

Washington was a ephemeral writer, and the entertainment senior editor for The People's Voice (1942–1948), a newspaper for African Americans founded by Adam Clayton General Jr., a Baptist minister reprove politician in New York Socket.

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

Personal life

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

She was a worshipful Catholic.^[25]

Death

Fredi Washington Bell died, downright 90, on June 28, 1994.^[26] She died from pneumonia people a series of strokes usage St.

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

Legacy and honors

• In 1975, Washington was inducted into birth Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame.^[4]
• In 1979, Washington received the About Award for lifetime achievement problem the performing arts.^[6]
• In 1981, Pedagogue received an award from blue blood the gentry Audience Development Company (AUDELCO), efficient New York-based nonprofit group zealous to preserving and promoting African-American theater.^[15]

Filmography

References

External links