Race Relations Guide Shines a Spotlight on Hollywood Celebrity Halle Berry - Printer Friendly

Race Relations Guide Shines a Spotlight on Hollywood Celebrity Halle Berry - Printer FriendlyHollywood Celebrities Today - Actors & Actresses

From Susan Pizarro-Eckert,Your Guide to Race Relations.
Halle Berry
I came across a quote by Benjamin Disraeli that says "In a progressive country change is constant; change is inevitable."

One need only watch movies from the 30s, 40s, and 50s to note the truth in this statement. Homogeneity in earlier films spoke volumes about the racial and ethnic divisions in the U.S. As we watch these old films from the vantage point of social progress, we realize that wherever non-Whites did appear, a reliance on stereotypes most often resulted in shallow one-dimensional characters that spoke more about how Whites viewed these groups than about the groups themselves.

Since these earlier films, however, the world, the U.S., and by extension Hollywood has changed. Evidence of our ever-shrinking globe can increasingly be found on the faces and in the ethnic/racial heritages of celebrities who now assume the roles of complex, multi-dimensional characters.

This article shines a spotlight on an actress who has been shattering glass ceilings and breaking color boundaries in Hollywood: Halle Maria Berry

DOB: August 14, 1968, Cleveland, Ohio

Career Highs and Lows: She won The Best Actress Oscar for MONSTER'S BALL in 2002--the first African-American to win the Best Actress Oscar. She also won the Razzies Worst Performance for her CATWOMAN in 2005.

Films: X-men 3 (March 2006), Catwoman (2004), Gothika (2003), X-men 2 (2003), Die Another Day (2002), Monster's Ball (2002), Swordfish (2001), X-men (2000), Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), Jungle Fever (1991)

Inspirations: Her mom, Judith Berry, Dorothy Dandridge, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Jodie Foster, Yvonne Sims (her fifth grade teacher)

Racial/Ethnic Heritage: Bi-racial - African American and Caucasian English

FAQ: When asked about her race, Halle responds on her website www.hallewood.com by saying:

"I was raised by my white mother and every day of my life I have always been aware of the fact that I am bi-racial. However, growing up I was aware that even though my mother was white, I did not look or "feel" very white myself...Many times my classmates did not believe me when I said my mother was white. I soon grew tired of trying to prove that I was half-black and half-white and learned not to concern myself with what others thought. I began to relate to the other "all black kids" at my school more because quite simply...I looked more like them...After having many talks with my mother about the issue, she reinforced what she had always taught me. She said that even though you are half black and half white, you will be discriminated against in this country as a black person. People will not know when they see you that you have a white mother unless you wear a sign on your forehead. And, even if they did, so many people believe that you have an ounce of black blood in you then you are black. So, therefore, I decided to let folks categorize me however they needed to. I realized that my sense of self and my sense of worth was not determined by the color of my skin or what ethnic group I chose to be a part of. I decided to go about my life normally, to be the individual I was and let the issue of my race be the issue of those who had a problem with it...the fact that my mother was white, and her blood ran through my veins, made no difference in the face of the ignorance of racism...the question should be, why should it matter what color anyone is or what heritage they identify with? If people would just learn to look at everyone equally and stop trying to label one another the issue of what we are all made of would be null and void...We are all members of the same race, the HUMAN RACE!...I have realized that by being viewed as only BLACK I am in a wonderful position. I can continue to blaze a trail for black women in film and television and help open the minds of those who have been victims of the racist teachings of the past. If through my life I can help obliterate the negative images of black people and help to abolish the negative stereotypes associated with black people...then when I die I will know my life had real purpose."