Denzel Washington
Washington in 2010, photo by Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr.
Place of Birth: Mount Vernon, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: December 28, 1954
Ethnicity: African-American
Denzel Washington is an American actor, filmmaker, director, and producer. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for Glory (1989), and the Academy Award for Best Actor for Training Day (2001). He has also starred in Malcolm X, Courage Under Fire, Fences, American Gangster, Flight, The Equalizer, and The Tragedy of Macbeth, among many other films, and directed dramas Antwone Fisher, The Great Debaters, and Fences.
Denzel is African-American. He is the son of Lennis (Lowe) and Denzel H. Washington, a Pentecostal preacher. His father was born in Virginia and his mother was born in Georgia. Denzel is married to actress and singer Pauletta Pearson Washington (born Pauletta Rachelle Pearson), with whom he has four children, including actor and professional football player John David Washington and twins, director, writer, and producer Malcolm Washington and actress Olivia Washington.
Denzel was selected People Magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 1996. He is the first man of significant African ancestry, and the first non-white man, to have been given this title by the magazine (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, in 2016, is the second, and Idris Elba, in 2018, John Legend, in 2019, and Michael B. Jordan, in 2020, are the others, fitting both criteria).
Denzel’s paternal grandfather was William Washington (the son of William Washington, Sr. and Margaret Johnson). Denzel’s grandfather William was born in Virginia. Denzel’s great-grandparents William and Margaret were born into slavery.
Denzel’s paternal grandmother was Virginia Page (the daughter of Herod “Harry” Page and Lucia “Louise”/”Louesa”/Louisa Rain/Rayn/Rayne). Denzel’s grandmother Virginia was born in Virginia.
Denzel’s maternal grandfather was named Tillman/Tilman Lowe/Low. Tillman was born in Georgia.
Denzel’s maternal grandmother was named Eliza Jackson (the daughter of William Jackson and Rachel). Eliza was born in Georgia. William and Rachel were born into slavery.
Sources: Article about Denzel’s family history – http://archive.is
Genealogy of Denzel Washington (focusing on his father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Denzel’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Denzel’s paternal great-grandparents, William Washington, Sr. and Margaret Johnson, on the 1870 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Denzel’s paternal grandmother, Virginia Page, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Denzel’s mother on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Jonas,
I just wanted to add this one more thought.
Although, as stated, my grandmother was listed as Black on my mother’s certificate because of miscegenation, I meant that although she was obviously White, the hospital where my mother
was born in 1934 legally could not record my grandmother as
White because it was against the law.
Many times it was the US census takers who determined the race of a person
by their physical appearance only , however that became confusing because sometimes especially if one of the Biracial children in the household
for instance was VERY light, straight hair and hazel eyes and the
father( for example) was of mixed race of a copper brown complexion
and hazel eyes with dark wavy hair, (not tight spiral hair)
and the mother was White. In this case the census take had the ‘power’
to record that type family as Black
( because of the father’s brown skin color ) Or record the family as Mulatto,
because of the mixture appearances of the other family members.
.
This describes my family. My aunt could have passed for White,
but she didn’t.
My mother had a more of skin tone like Megan Markle (Prince Harry’s wife ) with dark loose curls and hazel eyes.
So truth be told judging people by their “drop” percentages
is very misleading which is how and why so many
Biracial people were able to pass as white.
Bloodline and DNA has replaced the back in the day bias ‘census takers’ ,
which is probably a good thing.
So yeah, bloodline is not as farrrr back as you might think.
IMHO, Biracial people should have their own category of race
much like they did before Partus.
One Drop doesn’t make someone Black and I’m sure many
of the White Planters who had Biracial offspring would agree with that
sentiment as well. . Research Children of the Plantation.
Many of the compassionate fathers of Biracial children
sent their offspring UP NORTH.
Research Wilberforce Ohio.