Imitation of Life (1934) - Part 9

Part 9 of the original movie based on the Fannie Hurst novel starring Claudette Colbert and Louise Beavers.

As of October 2, 2010, this is now Part 9 that was originally Part 12.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• imitation
• of
• life

[itsmekirstie]

There's no such thing as looking white and being black. Peola is biracial, and they should treat her as such. People act like one drop of black makes the person completely black, but that's not the case. Peola is not "passing." She 's not pretending to be something that she's not. It was hard at that time to embrace both races and cultures so she chose the one that was granted more privileges. Also a light skinned black person and a dark skinned black person cannot make a white baby lol.

[harriettewinslow]

@itsmekirstie First off, genetics can result in two black people being able to produce a white child especially if their white ancestry. Second, in these days the term "biracial" for those who were half-black and half-white didn't really mean anything. These people were just black because of the one drop rule. In Peola's case she wasn't really half and half since her father was a "light colored man" according to Delilah so she was basically black and passing since she wasn't necessarily white.

[harriettewinslow]

@itsmekirstie Also, "passing" in racial terms is when you pretend to be something that you're not fully or not at all. So for example, some one who happens to be black who does look white and some one who is biracial between black and white but looks white can pass because they would be showing the world that they are only white and nothing else. Basically they would be denying that part of them that our society would see them as; black.

[itsmekirstie]

@harriettewinslow welp, if Peola goes with the black people, then she's passing for black. That's "passing." Cuz she's definitely not all black looking like that lol. And I'm sorry but never in my life have I seen a white child come from two black parents. My mom's really dark and my dad's really light. I'm light too but I know I don't look like that white woman Peola lol.

[harriettewinslow]

@itsmekirstie Yeah but it happens on rare occasions to few black couples. A dark skinned Nigerian couple from England I believe had a very light skinned child with blonde hair that wasn't albino. As for the Peola thing, I should have been clear on the "passing" term but I should have said that it applies when you're trying to blend in with something you look like yourself that you're not fully or not at all. So Peola can pass for white since she look white but not black since she is black.

[iamagodX]

so I guess back then people who decided to 'pass' actually did that and had to disown family and everything?

[harriettewinslow]

@iamagodX That's pretty much the case. They didn't want to acknowledge their family either to avoid their secret getting out.

[MsSilentsiren]

I can't pass for white, but if I looked the part, I just know I couldn't turn my back on my mother like that. i just couldn't. It would have killed me to hurt my mother by disowning her like that.

[DudleeProductions]

Really, after her mother told her she likes him she does than...

[7harobed]

steven says hes 37 ...37 my a-- he must be younger than ms bea--or elseshe would have been ten when she had her daughter--she was in colege easnt she or least late hight school

[Altoclarinets]

@harriettewinslow The book Welcome to the World, Baby Girl! by Fannie Flagg also discusses the subject of passing in detail

[jamajo78]

@atkinsgina LOL my thoughts exactly! I wish my mom had worked super hard and struck it rich just for me, and given me the best of everything! These little chickies are so ungrateful.

[jamajo78]

@jamajo78 Yes black people have blonde and red hair too!!

[jamajo78]

@itsmekirstie This makes NO sense. Do you know that black people look very white and even have blue or green eyes? AND they are not mixed! How is that passing as black if you ARE black? You people obviously don't know much about black people or genetics. Please pick up a book some time. It's not as uncommon as any of you think.

[APGifts]

@girl123boy456

Exactly! =D

Plus, the Supreme Court OUTLAWED the racist

ONE-DROP RULE in 1967 (with the "Loving" case).

[athorpe630]

My family on my moms side had indian blood and I had a great-great uncle who passed back in the day and he had a white family.And if he saw us in the store he acted like he never knew us his own blood family.But he would have been killed they if knew he wasn't white back then.So I can truly understand this movie it's so said.

[shanellsplace]

oh Man, I just looked up Fredi Washington on IMD and she was from my hometown Savannah Ga. If I wouldn't have watched this I would have never known :)

[kellmankid1000]

@itsmekirstie  funny that this is brought up since the actress that played peola is black