Was I wrong for telling my sister to give up the want to be an actress because shes black?

Question

Ok before replying I beg PLEASE read!!

I am no way a rude or hateful person. But I am very blunt. She is 15 years old and had this dream of becoming an actress since the age of 10. Problem is like me she is black. I can find all of you many of studies proving blacks unless very light skin can not find any parts. America is just like that. Or she could get a part if she is a very fat black women...oddly the media likes fat or light skin blacks.

Like asians, Hispanics, and blacks we come in brown or darker....yes unmixed asians too its just the media loves white or light.

My sister went to see if they would choose her, but Disney picked all ten white kids and no blacks at all. And my sister is not ugly at all and I know she has low self esteem and a hidden dislike being black because being black studies have proved it will be harder for us in anything we do. Even Tyra Banks and the few other black models admitted that they were not given a chance in the past because they were black. A lot of blacks are fighting back because of the lack of black models and a lot of things have been uncovered that companies keep a hush on saying no hispanics and more of blacks.

I read a women who lied and said she was biracial just to be put in a magazine cover....just saying black you lose.

I can show her all the studies in the world, she can keep being put down and others who are non black will always get a chance over her. There are blacks in the media either rappers, fat black women, or ultra light women. Maybe in heaven she can get a chance, but it upsets me to see her still try years later and pretty stupid.

I am trying to talk her into being something thats more possible like, doctor,nurse,fireperson, ect.

I had dreams of becoming a model, but I said be real I live in America and am black. So I gave it up and moved on. I wish she wouldn't be so angry with me..............right now she is crying, but its so annoying she won't move on.

What can I say to let her come to her senses?

-From a worried sister

Answer 1

That is no reason for her to give up. Encourage her to keep trying.

Answer 2

I did not realize it was more difficult for black actresses. That is a mystery to me. However, I think your sister should keep on trying and never give up. A lot of actresses have to do that no matter what color they are. I wish we could just be talking about actresses period, not black or white actresses. Maybe someday it will be such. Your sister should keep trying.  what about Phylicia Rashad? She is beautiful and talented and is not stupid, fat or light skinned.

Answer 3

That's the biggest crock of **** I have heard.  At one point in time was the picking of actors racially biased, you bet your butt.  However now days it has flopped it is the opposite they have finally figured out that different cultures bring different people and add more to the show that they are putting on.  Let her dream and dream big let her follow her dream now days its not race that holds a person back.  It all comes down to how hard a person wants to work for what they want.  Stop using race as a crutch.

Answer 4

yeah they may have it harder but let her find that out on her own.  

Answer 5

First I just want to give PROPS to you you literraly took every word out of my mouth. I definitely agree with you and you had to tell your sister.! Its beter for you to tell her that than keep getting REJECTION LETTERS AND REJECTED 20 million times. Pretty much the only black person youd ever see in a all white media magazine is Rihanna, Rihanna is like the new Beyonce. I definitely would love to be a model, actress ect....but im not about to do that because im black and id rather stay behind the scenes than make a complete fool of myself. Anyways, ur sister can cry all she want but its the gosh darn truth!

And ur right Disney only places FAT BLACK GHETTO women in those stupid BOISTEROUS, IN YOUR FACE, ALL THAT ATTITUDE roles. And you see light skin blacks being more of the girly sweet roles and dark ones just be in the ghetto ignorant roles. I refuse to audition for a stereotypical black female role the people who do do that are desperate and sad. And some of the prettiest black women like Hallie Barry, Beyonce, Tyra Banks, they dont even get noticed too much and their light skin. So what makes you me or your sister or any other black girl who is dark or fat even tho their pretty will get role. Its not worth the pain.

And I hate when people who arent black try to say stop whining or yeah right i bet that never happens ur just paranoid....ect....they just dont understand and never will cuz 3 words they aren't black! So s***w anyone who isn't black and trying to act like this doesn't exist cuz it DOES! White people will always have the upper hand in EVERYTHING!!! Face it.

I got more to say lol...

Light is just considered pretty, dark is just considered ugly dirty. Im thinking because lighter colors show up better on the screen thats why people dont really want darks doing pretty much NOTHING. Cuz we dont really show up too much. Its sad but im telling the truth. Like in a film when theirs a dark seen u wont even be able to see the dark black person as opposed to the white or light skinned people. Disney is sooo racist. They have a lot racist subliminal messages that i pick up on. Anyways, sometimes i really "have these moments of i hate being black OR i wish i was light skinned black and mixed"...Id probably get more attention.

Like on facebook me and my friend were in a photo together as my profile photo, and shes really light skin shes BLACK and im DARK.....and all of a sudden im getting all these friend request then i figured out why. People thought i was my light friend in the photo when in reality i was the dark girl. I didn't accept anyone f/r cuz i new it was cuz they thought i was the light girl in the photo. So when i got rid of the photo and put MINE up the friend request slowed down MAJORLY. And im not ugly. I used to get like 3 a day now i get like 1 every 2 months... lol quite funny how society works....huh.

Point in all i just think dark skins will never have the upper hand....cuz we just aren't considered pretty. Look at the Old Navy commercials they ALWAYS have mixed black little kids only. Sad.... Blacks in general wont either. Not even if their mixed but they get better DEALS than dark blacks. But they struggle just as hard. But dark blacks just struggle HARDER. Affirmative action sucks too cuz then ur just a pitty acception.

As far as black models we can forget that unless we can pass as almost white w/ light eyes.....

and that girl Keke Palmer do you actually think shes anything special ?? no.!! She gets those dumb stereotypical roles too and she only gets in movies that wouldn't even make alot of money. Shes boring and nothing really special i want an actress to come and change the face of black actresses. Raven doesn't count Keke Palmer doesn't count....we just need someone UNIQUE! We need a black Ellen Page lol well maybe im speaking for my age group at least.

definitely Heaven cuz in GODS eyes we are ALL equal. No judgment. Only judgment is judgment day! And yeah ok lighting is an option maybe im going too far but who knows the secrets behind less blacks in media. Maybe they feel that anything a black person can do..whites can do better you think??? Omgosh, i love writing too...i wanna do screenwriting, write books ect too but OH wait guess what heres that being black problem again. Now i see why alot of my friends who are mixed but dont look mixed put their OTHER race instead of black lmao!!!

Answer 6

Your right and wrong at the same time. Wrong because race is rarely an issue. African Americans make up 13.4% of the US population.

   If anything African Americans make up a disproportionally large amount of actor's and actress's and musicians.

So race by and large is a non issue.

The main issue you should focus on is the thousand's of would be actors and actress's that are now homeless, borderline poverty or just didn't make it.

You should suggest and support her getting a minor degree in acting as long as she get's something else to fall back on. Like a degree in business or some other viable field.

Answer 7

Oh please..dont give me any of that racist BULLSHIT. They HAVE to have blacks in shows now or they get sued. I bet ill get called a racist for saying the truth too.

Answer 8

Wow, are you being racist against your own people?

It reminds me of how your mother would always use to say "anyone can grow up to be president." But if you looked carefully, it was only old white guys. Now we have Obama, who has a very real possibility of becoming president.

Case in point: Just because something doesn't normally happen doesn't mean it can't.

Answer 9

You shouldn't focus so much on studies. It takes time for change in film/tv industry. The black people in America are becoming the majority instead of the minority. Your sister should take the chance to become an actress. It would be horrible if you told her to give up and some other black actress got the part of a life time instead of your sister.

Answer 10

Um skin color is skin color and it stops there. It doesn't matter if you have black skin, white skin, red skin, blue skin, or green skin if you have talent or a will to succeed there isn't anything you can't do.

Think of this quote:

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will."

Mahatma Gandhi  

Answer 11

Yes, sometimes America is very harsh on races. Some people were surprised Selena Gomez made it, becuase of her heritage. But, just tell her to believe in her dreams and keep on moving. There's always a chance left in life!

Answer 12

You are right but there is still a chance that she can become what ever she wants to do.  She will just have to work harder for it.  I believe that black people have come a long way and can do what ever they put there hearts to do.  Of coarse like I said they will have to work harder for it.  I would say let your sister keep trying it will be hard but I think that if she tries hard enough she will make it.  I am a native american and I know that just because I was lighter skinned I was able to do a lot more than the rest of my family.  They would say these things to me though so that I would keep following my dreams.

Answer 13

My best friend is a casting agent and has been one for almost 20 years.  If your sister can't sing, dance, AND act she hasn't got much of a chance; it doesn't sound as though you are doing a thing to make her more marketable.  This business is very competitive, there is lots of talent out there, and even by the age of 10 some kids are seasoned professionals.  What can your sister do?  Talk to local talent agencies about it.  You sound like you have plenty of free time on your hands and are available to drive her to auditions all over town.  Ballet class will teach her self-discipline, poise and self-confidence.  Piano or violin classes will teach her to read music, and give her an 'ear' for music.  In 2 or 3 years you may want to enroll her in voice lessons.

I realise this is very expensive but consider it an investment.  Good luck.

Answer 14

yes america is very raccest canada is probbly better

Answer 15

Well, my children watch American TV shows all the time, and there seem to be quite a number that feature black children and teenagers.  There's one called Raven I think, which is about a black girl?  And I've seen others, Cory in the House, I think, and some others.  Surely there must be parts for black people in TV shows nowadays?

Answer 16

OK. I readed. Still can't take it seriously.

Tell her to get fat and get on cops. Be a start

Answer 17

tell her she has to finish school then she can become an actress

i don't think being black is a reason

nut hollywood is full of crappy ppl this is scary

Answer 18

Well, if she wants to be an actress, let her fulfill her dreams. For an example, there are many blacks in show business. For example, watch the movie, The Color of Friendship. I also remember my ELA teacher telling me about this book called The Color of Water.

Answer 19

Gabrielle Union, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Nia Long, Vivica A. Fox, Megan Good, and many other BLACK woman have made acting a success for themselves and I plan on doing the same! You should encourage her to reach her dreams and know that if GOD wants it to happen it will.... if she cant act she can learn... I think that what your doing insnt very nice... your older just let her know that thats nott her only option WITHOUT completely shutting her down!! Make sense? Im not madd just a little hurt by ur dream-killing lol!

<3

Answer 20

It's hard to get started in show biz period. But calling the blacks in media fat or stupid makes me wonder why you're so hard on them. We need to be glad for those who pave the way for us. Actresses like Gabriel Union, Pam Grier, Regina King,Nia Long, Sanaa Lathan don't fit into that "stupid" category and who are you to down the few successful blacks that are out there. A lot of the things you have said sounds like you are feeding into the stereotypes about people you don't even know. So hate all you want because they could care less and so could their fat bank accounts. I understand that you wanted ot help your sister by telling her it's hard for us to reach success but it's not impossible. Yes all of us have felt some level of racial bias but that doesn't discourage me on the things I want it makes me more determined. Keep her informed but don't tell her that something is unreachable due to her skin tone b/c if that was true then some of the same stars you mentioned would be no namers.

Answer 21

your right, because there isn't a single successful African American actor or model in America. kill whitey.  but seriously, what your saying might of been true ten years ago. the face of America is rapidly changing, people of color have a much greater presence in today's media.  it takes a lot of perseverance to succeed in acting.

Answer 22

I took the time to read your question, but being a white, and from a different country...I cannot give you an educated answer - all I can say is, encourage your sister to reach for the stars, tell her she can do anything she puts her mind to and not to ever let her colour get in the way of what she wants.

Answer 23

EDIT: I know, it's hard to see someone you love get their feelings hurt, but she will eventually get hurt feelings from *somewhere*, whether it's from rejection, from a love affair ... and although you may want to, you cannot always protect her. If she has a realistic attitude and learns to deal with the hurt, she will be tougher and less likely to crumble when the pressure is on. Even for very successful actors, they have a LOT of pressure, so it is something the young ones need to learn :-)

~*~*~*~

What you say is probably true, and if that's your experience you would know more about it than I would.

However, think about this ~ if your sister never tries, she won't have a chance at succeeding.

Sure, she might not succeed in her first dream ~ of being an entertainer. But she might. Other black women have, even if they are not many and it is harder for them.

And don't forget, only a few decades ago she would have had just as hard a time becoming a doctor or fireperson, not only because she was black, but because she is also a woman. Things change because people DO follow their dreams!

However, even if she does NOT succeed, she will at least have learned a valuable life lesson in giving something her best try. Failing can also teach us many lessons in life and make us more successful in other ways, if we learn a positive lesson and don't give up hope.

I would sincerely suggest that you encourage your sister to follow her dreams, but in a practical way ~ get an education, contact an organisation like the UNCF (link below) where she might find a mentor among the many successful and high achieving black men and women, and work hard to make her dream come true.

And let her know that if things don't work out, you'll be there for her.

That's the best a big sister can do. That and be a good role model by working hard and pursuing your OWN dreams with passion and courage.

Good luck to your sister and to YOU, whatever your dreams may be :-)

Answer 24

ok listen its hurr decesion and this is cominqq frum a gurl wit light skin buhh i grew up almost in dha streets so i knoe wat chu mean

buhh luk at beyonce,usher,jay-z, mims, yung joc, cherish

they all have amazingg careers and dey all black

dha color of hurr skin dnt matter

if shes a gud actor den dey will take hurr

let hurr handle hurr business by hurr self especially at dhat age

example:dreamgirls

example:meet dave

and many more

stand up for sometinqq she wants!!!

Answer 25

your right and its hard for white people to become singers

because most blacks can sing better

what are you a stereotype

were did you get the idea that only really black women cant be actresses  

Answer 26

you live in america.. or a box?

cuz there are plenty of black actors and models.. you should never knock down someone elses dreams because you dont have the balls to go for what you want.

Answer 27

that is really sad...and I can see that until you have ur eyes opened to it....its easy to miss it, if u dont suffer it urself.....but in terms of real life....i have heard very few racist comments...ever....maybe only one or two literally....im from nottingham in the UK, and  we have about 20% indian and 20% black and 5% chinese....so i guess its very mixed here....i think u should encourage her, if she dosent make it, then at least shes tried. But if she never tries, then shes failed before shes started. And someone got to be the 1st black actress!! attitudes are changing....she probably has the best chance right now that she'll ever have....cause as time goes on, the racist barriers get chipped away, bit by bit......so itll be better than even 10 yrs ago....there is Halle Berry and Jada Pinkett by the way, they are both black but they are kind of pale. I think its disgusting how Beyonce had her skin lightened in that ad....what the h**l happened? was it her decision? I hope not, and i dont think so.

Answer 28

black people make the funniest movies

Answer 29

I think that things are changing in America and I wouldn't tell your sister to give up - just tell her to figure out the steps she needs to take in order to become an actress and to start working toward that goal while keeping other possibilities in mind as she works toward becoming an actress. I don't think she should give up! I would LOVE to see more black actresses.

Answer 30

yes! it's better to have a dream ..then to have no dream

Answer 31

well... there are famous black actresses too