The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-06-23
To Pass Or Not To Pass

host and said to him. Mr.. Patou.
tell Mrs. Vanderbilt that am"
Patou replied. What do you
mean. what you are! You're a
delicious cocktail"
(Fredi explained Patou's calling
her a cocktail was q reference 10
her social mixture)
Call for Mrs. Vanderbilt's Wrap
Tell her whether or not I'm a
Negro" she urged Pstou.
Why. ! don't know" the host
replied. You say it. Everybody
says it. ] suppose you are"
Gwynn Vanderbilt turned red in
the face. says Fredi, and made some
remark.
And Patou rang for the butler
and asked him 10 give Mrs Van
derbilt her wraps
Fredi's two-fold social character
looking white but identifying
herself with the Negro group in
terest-dogged her throughout her
theatrical experience.
In one Of her early vehicles called
Black Boy" In which she playec
the lead role opposite Paul Robe.
son. Fredi performed a. q half.
white chick" as she called il. When
her sutton. played by Robson,
learned that she was Negro. he
cast her aside. Cn personal life
she had no such problem. though.
marrying a brown-skinned Negro)
More notably this characterize
ton was Fredi's role in Imitation
Of Life" where, as Peola, she is
supposed TO face special problems
as a Negro girl who looks white.
That portrayal became so famous
that thereafter the name Peola be-
came current as term in Negro
white relations 10 describe q social
type.
Acts Naturally
Fredi acknowledges that Peola
types in the Negro world may be
found. She serself has had no such
problem. She says:
Personally I don't worry about
the problem of color. am a Ne
gro and am proud of II. I go
where ! want to and do what I
like and enjoy life. ! don't try to
pass nor do | hang a sandwich
sign on me TO warn people that
am a Negro or to explain that ]
am not white. You can see how
absurd that would be. simply
act naturally"
Al the time when Limitation OF
Life" appeared, Fredi's portrayal OF
Peola was so convincing that many
said Fredi must be like that in
real life or she could not portray
the part so realistically. They had
forgotten that Fredi had become
an accomplished actress Speaking
10 both white and Negro she says:
No person who strives TO be
the least bit intelligent should al
low a thing like color. something
for which none OF US is responsible,
to mar his life or influence his
judgment
Same Problems
Fredi does her reasoning in eco
nonic and democratic terms rath-
er than color terms. A few Ques-
lions brought that out
asked her whether she believed
her color" problem. IL any. to be
more complex than that OF the
dark skinned Negro.
She said that any one OF her
color in the dramatic field Of the
theatre had problems because OF a
"Peols" coloring simply because
producers seem 10 concentrate on
that fact II is the producer who
insists that such an individual Is
different and must be treated diff.
ferently. You know" she said.
the old business Of the audience
being pulried as To whether you
are white or cclored"
Mighty Proud"
On the question ~ whether or
not light Negro ear or should
pass for ecororie or other ad.
vsntayes Fredi says
You see, I'm mighty proud
gal and | can't for the life OF me.
And any valid reason why anyone
should lie about their origin or
anything else for that matter.
Frankly. do not sscribe 70 the
stupid theory OF white supremacy
and TO try 10 hide the fact that
an a Negro for economic or any
other reasons, says in effect that.
TO be Negro makes me inferior.
that have swallowed whole hog
all OF the propaganda dished out
by our faseiSt-minded white
citizens.
Il am an American citizen. and
by God. we ell have inalienaole
rights and whenever and whsr.
ever those rights are tamptFsd
with. there Is nothing left ito do
but tSht"
Whs, 7 would Like - ask Is,
how many people do YOU think
thsra ara 4. this eNuWt~N una hc