Halle Berry
Berry in 2009, photo by CarlaVanWagoner / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Maria Halle Berry
Place of Birth: Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Date of Birth: August 14, 1966
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – English, some German and Irish, distant Dutch
Halle Berry is an American actress and model. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Monster’s Ball (2001). She is the only black actress to have won the Best Actress Oscar. Her roles also include The Last Boy Scout, The Flinstones, Executive Decision, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, X-Men, Swordfish, Die Another Day, Gothika, Things We Lost in the Fire, The Call, Kidnap, Kings, and Bruised, among others.
Halle’s father, Jerome Jesse Berry, was African-American. Halle’s mother, Judith Ann (Hawkins), is white, of English, some German and Irish, and distant Dutch, descent. She has two children, a daughter, with her former partner, Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, and a son, with her former husband, French actor Olivier Martinez.
Of her upbringing, Halle has said:
I was raised by my white mother and every day of my life I have always been aware of the fact that I am biracial. However, growing up I was aware that even though my mother was white, I did not look or feel very white myself.
Halle’s paternal grandfather was named Robert Berry.
Halle’s paternal grandmother was Cora Lee Powell (the daughter of Adam Powell and Charity Munford/Moffett). Cora was born in Greenwood, Leflore, Mississippi. Adam was the son of Tom Powell and Easter.
Halle’s maternal grandfather was Earl Ellsworth Hawkins (the son of Eugene Allen Hawkins and Bessie C. Spaulding). Earl was born in Dover, Tuscarawas, Ohio. Eugene was the son of John William Hawkins, who was born in Vermont, and of Katherine/Catherina “Katie” Drescher, who was born in Bavaria, Germany. Bessie was the daughter of Ellsworth Warren Spaulding, who was of approximately three quarters Colonial American (English), and one quarter Irish, descent; and of Agnes L. “Aggie” Johnson, whose father was English. Through her maternal grandfather, Halle has American-born ancestors going back to the 1600s.
Halle’s maternal grandmother was Nellie Dicken (the daughter of Henry Dicken and Ada B. White). Nellie was born in Shardlow, Derbyshire, England, to a father from Chesterfield and a mother from Spondon. Henry was the son of Robert Dicken and Ann Marsden. Ada was the daughter of John White and Maria.
Sources: Genealogies of Halle Berry – http://www.wargs.com
http://www.wikitree.com
http://famouskin.com
Halle’s paternal grandmother, Cora Lee Powell, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Cora Lee Powell on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Death record of Halle’s paternal grandmother, Cora Lee (Powell) Berry – https://familysearch.org
Genealogy of Halle Berry (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.geni.com
Halle’s mother on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
@david.
she doesnt look black? consult your optometrist, well at least she considers herself black.
SHE LOOKS NOTHING BLACK, ARE GUYS BLIND?! SHE’S BEAUTIFUL, CARAMEL SKIN, STRAIIIIIIIIGHT HAIR, DAMN GURL!
stfu shes black in america
if there was a ugly bi racial person ud say they were black
God some of you white people at fucking ignorant and evil she has said herself she is black not white she considers herself black…their are lots of gorgeous women that aren’t mixed just black
but the truth is is that she is half white, her mother is white, I don’t care is she wants to state that she is just black, she half and half.
I have seen hottie mulattos, but this is not one of them. the short hair does not help either. Gross.
@spaceyaquarius
(Gross)?
you are definitely in the minority,when it comes to calling this woman that
you people are really sad. If her daughter says she’s black thenshe is. i’m 1/32 black, and i consider myself mixed mullatto
I consider you an IDIOT! Why are you changing your story and claiming all this nationalities and ethnicities? You are a terrible Troll..
Why vote me down? This IDIOT TROLL claims to be everyithing under the sun.
” i’m 1/32Russian/64Cherokee, and the rest is british and I say i’m a Russian/Cherokee mix with british in their.”
MORONIC MORON
you are white
it goes like this you can claim any race you are if you are at least 1/8th that race 1/32 isnt enough
I think it is wrong how she claims that her child is black. The child is 1/4 black 3/4 white. Why would she make her daughter choose one race. Is she supposed to completely forget her 3/4 white race? The child really doesn’t look black , her skin is very light. This whole “one-drop rule” is from the slave days so I really don’t see why it is relevant now in 2013. Sad how she won’t except herself or her daughter as biracial. As for her racist ex ,why would they be with each other if he was racist? You should at least have a little sense and not let someone be racist towards you. Even though she doesn’t “feel” white why would she deny being part white. I’m half white and I don’t feel white but I don’t deny it. What does it even mean to be white? To be accepted by white people? Well though shit that is reality. I don’t feel accepted by either of my two races but I don’t deny them both. Completely denying her and her daughter white race is ignorant. But whatever if she wants to be closed mined and raise her daughter that way , let her . Not like my words will stop her , just putting in my two cents.
She is mulatto, they always lean more on the Black side. She considers herself African American because that is who she is and that is what people view her as. She is not denying who she is, she is accepting of it.
she considers herself African American because people want her to do it. If mixed women weren’t considered black maybe there would be more black women on TV etc. Halle Berry represents exactly how black women are portrayed in the medias which means MIXED and not full black. The medias can’t say they don’t show black women because they have Halle, Beyoncé, Rihanna … it’s sad and I’m not even African American but french and mixed.
She’s as white as she is black and it’s not a shame, she was raised by her white mother but feels she has to be closer to her African American side …
You are totally wrong. ALL black American and carribean women are mixed in the past. No one is pure black. And Beyonce and Rhianna are majority black women in DNA, they are not biracials, nor are they mullatos.
You are French so you do not know about black people and different complexions we have from slavery and past long time ago admixture. But that does not make us non-black now.
In France you only see one type of really really dark black person so you assume all blacks looks like that. Ive been to France, the black there are super duper dark. I dont know what part of Africa they come from. I am black and have never seen black so dark myself. An “creole” is black too.
Rihanna is mixed she has an irish grandparent (if you don’t consider her mixed then Nahla is white and not mixed) and Beyoncé is of Acadian descent (French canadian) deal with it
@Melina
These are Rihanna grandparents
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/03/17/article-2116308-1235E342000005DC-354_634x463.jpg
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2116308/Rihanna-shows-cool-grandmother-Clara-candid-birthday-photos.html
Now granddad may very well be mixed,but full white Irish,I don’t know about that.
Actually her daughter does look black. Typical children like Nahla who are mostly like born to mullato mothers and white dads looks 100% white almost. You can still tell Nahla has black blood and she looks it. If you say otherwise, you must be a foriegner and not American. Ot think all blacks are dark, when they are not.
She’s blond with fair eyes and light skin. She does not look black at all. She’s mostly white deal with it.
I never understand why when someone is half black half white, they always represent themselves as a black person even if they are raised by a white mother. I get that “the world see’s them as black”, but that’s my problem right there, since when is it ok to let others tell you what you are. Ive always said that I believe a person should say exactly what they are and not lean more towards one side, because then you are rejecting your other half not even acknowledging it. Its interesting, in my class we talked about how people who are mixed choose to identify mostly with the ethnicity, race that gets the most hate, kindof like how almost everyone who is white in Hollywood has to claim they are jewish,
“how almost everyone who is white in Hollywood has to claim they are jewish,”
-Who is this a reference to exactly? And it isn’t true.
@sarahwilson
(I never understand why when someone is half black half white, they always represent themselves as a black person even if they are raised by a white mother. I get that “the world see’s them as black”, but that’s my problem right there, since when is it ok to let others tell you what you are.)
Well it’s a habit,that’s been going on for the last 300 yrs.Also as i stated to you earlier,it sounds to me like you guys want to take the place of the white man,and tell others how to think.Also what about all those others,who pass themselves off as white people
(Ive always said that I believe a person should say exactly what they are and not lean more towards one side, because then you are rejecting your other half not even acknowledging it.)
That’s interesting,but you guys only seem to direct that to the black looking ones.I don’t see your name on gabrielle reece part of the site.
(in my class we talked about how people who are mixed choose to identify mostly with the ethnicity, race that gets the most hate)
Now That’s the part that should bothering,why is it ok to hate black,or jewish?
This is why race mixing is not a good idea. I don’t mean this to be racist, but it’s the truth. Especially when it’s black and white. The kids grow up extremely confused, and the parents always want to claim the child as being “more” of them. When you look down and see a child that looks nothing like you, it’s a real shocker/eye opener. Also the families of the children never really form a bond because they’re usually against, or they simply have nothing in common. Remember what I’m telling you. Trust me on this one. It’s always best to stick to your own race, for the child’s sake.
@John In the past people had a lot of hangups but I think people are much more accepting than they used to be which is a good thing. It would be a shame that people can’t be with who they love just because of race. A lot of countries now are multicultural and if people are reared in the same country no matter what their race they have more in common than someone from another country. People should be more accepting of who they are and I’m sure Halle’s daughter won’t have the same prejudices and obstacles that her mother faced.
The only people confused are the ones trying to keep the racist one drop rule alive
Look the woman is racially black but ethnically she is a African and European.
The thing is,most AA’s probably don’t give that rule,a second thought.They grew up seeing themselves as black people,and they have no problem with that,no matter what’s in their background.However,I see from most of your comments,you have a hard time grasping that idea.You wanted to be called Multiethnic,they picked black,I don’t see the problem
This happens only in the US (the most racist country in history built in a genocide and slavery). Everywhere else in the world mixed people are considered and feel mixed, you americans are not the center of the world
This happens only in the US (the most racist country in history built on a genocide and slavery). Everywhere else in the world mixed people are considered and feel mixed, you americans are not the center of the world
@Melina
The U.S is no more racists,than the rest of the world.You have caste systems still in practice in places like,India.The arab countries still call black people (abd or Abeed),and treat them like crap.In latin America, the last thing you want to be called is black.Also as far as genocide goes,there aren’t to many countries that don’t have a history of that.
(Everywhere else in the world mixed people are considered and feel mixed)
No one is stopping anyone from calling themselves what they want here. If I’m not mistaken,on the last census,7 million AA’s jump ship,no one is mad at them.However from your comments,people not being seen as mixed, is not what you’re mad about.It’s that some of those mixed people still want to call themselves black.You say americans are not the center of the world,however here you are trying to impose your will on others.I’m basing this on your other comments,where you call Halle stupid,because she doesn’t think the way you want her to.
She cannot make her choose. When she get older she can choose that for herself aka self-identify.
True
I think halle berry has a lot of self hate, every time she is always throwing the race card, she has issues