Actress Thandie Newton broke down in tears while discussing the privilege and advantages she has over darker skinned actresses in Hollywood.
“I’ve wanted so desperately to apologize every day to darker skinned actresses, to say I’m sorry that I’m the one chosen,” she said.
She said her “internalized prejudice” convinced her that she could play a dark-skinned woman on the big screen.
“I just thank God that my light skin didn’t stop that from happening. I’m so, you know, that it didn’t cause more pain,” she said, while choking back tears.
She added:
“My mama looks like you. It’s been very painful to have women that look like my mum feel like I’m not representing them; that I’m taking from them — taking their men, taking their worth, taking their truth… We matter. I was worried about my light-skinnedness, because my light-skinnedness has been more problematic than being Black in my life, literally.”
She continued: “I was BLACK in England — I mean dark-skinned. So then I went to America and I would describe myself as dark-skinned.”
Thandie was surprised when Black Americans told her she was light-skinned, not Black.
“And suddenly I was someone that, you know, ‘F**k you for being light-skinned.’ I got more prejudice from Black people. I didn’t understand. I literally didn’t understand. I thought you’re my brethren? What’s happening?”
Watch the video below.
