"You see I'm a mighty proud gal, and I can't for the life of me find any valid reason why anyone should lie about their origin, or anything else for that matter. Frankly, I do not ascribe to the stupid theory of white supremacy and try to hide the fact that I am a Negro for economic or any other reasons. If I do, I would be agreeing to be a Negro makes me inferior and that I have swallowed whole hog all of the propaganda dished out by our fascist-minded white citizens.
"I don't want to pass because I can't stand insincerities and shams. I am just as much Negro as any of the others identified with the race."
"I have never tried to pass for white and never had any desire, I am proud of my race. In 'Imitation of Life', I was showing how a girl might feel under the circumstances but I am not showing how I felt."
"I am an American citizen and by God, we all have inalienable rights and wherever those rights are tampered with, there is nothing left to do but fight...and I fight. How many people do you think there are in this country who do not have mixed blood? There's very few, if any. What makes us who we are, are our culture and experience. No matter how white I look, on the inside I feel black. There are many whites who are mixed blood, but still go by white. Why such a big deal if I go as Negro? Because people can't believe that I am proud to be a Negro and not white. To prove I don't buy white superiority, I chose to be a Negro."
- One of the founding members of the Negro Actor's Guild of America in 1936 in New York
- Served as executive director and secretary of the Negro Actors Guild and supervised welfare work on guild membership
- Showcased other black artists as the entertainment editor for the African-American publication "The People's Voice"
- Wrote an opinion piece over her concerns for broadcasting opportunities for black actors and actresses working in radio
- Worked with the NAACP's president Walter White to address issues facing black people in America
- Helped cast black ensembles for the 1952 revival of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess as well as its movie and "Carmen Jones" (1953)
- Served as administrative secretary for the Joint Committee of Actors Equity and Theater League
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