Together We Read

How do you think Hattie, actors like her, and their work impacted the work of later Black performers?

I remember watching black actors portray characters that were demeaning and even as a young white person, often embarrassed me to watch. And yet change is often incrementally slow, I did see the change over time. I credit those actors who stuck it out and gradually portrayed characters with depth.

They paved the path for all that came after. They endured things others would not have to. Not to say those who came after did not endure their own challenges, just new ones as they paved their own paths.

I think they all planted the seed for future black artists. Had they not fought through the pushback, and started insisting on more important roles, we wouldn’t have the black actor led TV shows or movies that we do today. There is definitely still room for improvement, but I do think they would all be proud of the advances made compared to what they were given as options.