Fredi Washington Video | Celebrity Interview and Paparazzi

Fredericka Carolyn "Fredi" Washington (December 23, 1903 – June 28, 1994) was an accomplished dramatic film actress, most active in the 1920s- 1930s. Fredi was a self-proclaimed Black woman, who chose to be identified as such, and wished for others to do so as well. Because of her features, and because she didn't fit people's stereotypical views of what black is supposed to look like, she faced limited acting opportunities for being "too light or not black enough." There were limited opportunities for mixed-race actors and actresses who showed so much European ancestry. She was often... MORE

Fredericka Carolyn "Fredi" Washington (December 23, 1903 – June 28, 1994) was an accomplished dramatic film actress, most active in the 1920s- 1930s. Fredi was a self-proclaimed Black woman, who chose to be identified as such, and wished for others to do so as well. Because of her features, and because she didn't fit people's stereotypical views of what black is supposed to look like, she faced limited acting opportunities for being "too light or not black enough." There were limited opportunities for mixed-race actors and actresses who showed so much European ancestry. She was often asked to "pass for white" for better opportunities, but she refused, because she said, "I'm honest and you don't have to be white to be good." She did not want to deny her black heritage to live a lie as white, as she had grown up in a black community. In the black newspapers of the period, Washington discussed wishing that she had darker skin. She faced discrimination from whites and, because of her appearance, sometimes resentment within the black community, which had complex feelings about obvious mixed-race people. Washington expressed her opinions about race and color prejudice; after she retired LESS