Passing on Netflix

[Anonymous]

So I skipped this several times and it turned out really beautiful and provoking. For a moment I was trying uncover the whole dynamic outside of race. Did others see this? Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

It’s amazing. I’ve read lots of literature on passing and thought it was very well done.

[Anonymous]

I loved it. PP, would you be able to recommend some of what you've read?

[Anonymous]

I saw it. I found it hard to believe Tessa would pass for white. It took me out of the movie for that reason.

I too would like to read more about people who m successfully “passed” as white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw it. I found it hard to believe Tessa would pass for white. It took me out of the movie for that reason.

I too would like to read more about people who m successfully “passed” as white.

Paula Patton or Rashida Jones would have been more believable in the role.

[Anonymous]

Watch Devil in a Blue Dress with Denzel Washington. Same theme.

[Anonymous]

Based on Nella Larsen’s book?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I saw it. I found it hard to believe Tessa would pass for white. It took me out of the movie for that reason.

I too would like to read more about people who m successfully “passed” as white.

Wasn't it Ruth Negga who was passing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I saw it. I found it hard to believe Tessa would pass for white. It took me out of the movie for that reason.

I too would like to read more about people who m successfully “passed” as white.

Wasn't it Ruth Negga who was passing?

Yes, but there's a scene at the beginning when Tessa passes in a hotel restaurant.

[Anonymous]

I will take a look. Loved the book The Vanishing Half. Twin sisters, one passes and the other does not. Just a gorgeous book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will take a look. Loved the book The Vanishing Half. Twin sisters, one passes and the other does not. Just a gorgeous book.

I also loved that book! I just saw the trailer for Passing yesterday and it reminded me of the book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Based on Nella Larsen’s book?

Yes. This is an adaptation of the Nella Larsen book, which I loved when I read it many years ago. Excited to watch this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Watch Devil in a Blue Dress with Denzel Washington. Same theme.

Or The Human Stain (Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman).

[Anonymous]

Lord! There is so much out there in writing and already put to screen. If you want to know more how did you miss it?

A short list of movies:

Show Boat - 1927 Musical, book, 1951 movie. A classic set between 1887 and 1927 which only briefly explores the surprise/humiliation and consequence of what happens when someone calls you out as passing. I believe the Police showed up to make sure she was fired from her job performing and to stress that her consequential interracial marriage was also illegal. Lana Turner's character was the one passing and I imagine in the real world that would be a horrible situation for a passing black woman to be in. Lena Horne used to tell the story of how the Hollywood studios took makeup made for her by Max Factor and put it all over Lana Turner face for a part she lost to her in Imitation of Life 1959. This is a remake of the 1934 movie, the actress, Fredi Washington, playing the character who is passing, only used her ability to pass to buy groceries in white owned establishments.
I Passed for White 1960 you can watch it on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH3VTCTUw_4
Already posted Devil in a Blue Dress, 1995 set in 1948
The Human Stain, 2003

Law and order episode "Blood": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629180/
An episode covered passing and an executive murdering his new wife after forcing her to give up their baby for adoption. Come to find out old wife of 19 years w kids- kids also passed, did't know he was black.

There are a couple of good videos of Dr. Allyson Hobbs, who talks and has written about an aunt who passed for white and was forced by her mother to move from Chicago to LA to lead a different/better life as a white woman in the 1940s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toyjv27q17E

Back in the 1990 Donahue had an episode on Mullatoes who Pass for White. Rock Newman and Jolene Ivy (her husband Glen was also in the audience) were part of the panel speaking. I presume DC people know who they are, but maybe not if you never thought much about passing or assumed they were white if you saw them on TV. I get it they are not in your circle as they are part of DC/PG. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_tO7Q5RvIg. He did another one on an executive and his family passing and how that was working for him in the white community he worked in.

Oprah had a episode on passing. And just recently Megan Kelly when she had a show.

Carol Channing, What kid of career would she have had making a y claim of being black?

Johnny Cash's first wife, Rosalind Cash's mother was Italian from Italy but sure looked black. Constant denials but a Dna test later confirmed it. He took a lot of heat from "fans" I think the first woman talking about the physical dangers of passing if found out until the early 1980s is the exact definition of what it was a meant. Rock newman was on this episode.

There is actually a book about a man growing up grappling with his mother who married a black man and was silent about her Jewish upbringing so people assumed she was black or just really did't ask, except the author did growing up. The book is titled "The Color of Water:A Black Man's Tribute to his White Mother" written by James McBride

Another book, The Sweeter the Juice by Shirlee Taylor Haizlip.

Oe of the panel members from Donahue wrote "Color Struck", by Benita Walker who's father was born as a result of "payment" via sex for living on a farm as sharecroppers even though her grandmother was married and living on that farm with her black husband who physically abused the kids from

And the plethora of books written if you really care to understand it.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=books+about+passing+for+white&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

There is a lot to read in the history of Louisiana on the "trouble" with passing. Laws passed a century before Jim Crow were reinforced post Civil War to require any woman who was one drop of African to cover or wrap up her hair. White men were getting upset because they were falling for women who were black but they could't tell based on their skin or hair. And, this sounds familiar, it also took care of the general annoyance with black women with textured hair styling and decorating their hair (i.e. enjoying their freedom with creative hairstyles) too much in public. It's called The Tignon or Chignon law.

I think it would be difficult to find anyone who "successfully" passed who would spill the beans on what that life has been like and deal with the "lie" they led to whites. Difficult questions to answer too much to give up especially with the legacy that person would think they were setting up for their kids of a better life.

And there is no book on how to spot someone passing, if that's what anyone is looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lord! There is so much out there in writing and already put to screen. If you want to know more how did you miss it?

A short list of movies:

Show Boat - 1927 Musical, book, 1951 movie. A classic set between 1887 and 1927 which only briefly explores the surprise/humiliation and consequence of what happens when someone calls you out as passing. I believe the Police showed up to make sure she was fired from her job performing and to stress that her consequential interracial marriage was also illegal. Lana Turner's character was the one passing and I imagine in the real world that would be a horrible situation for a passing black woman to be in. Lena Horne used to tell the story of how the Hollywood studios took makeup made for her by Max Factor and put it all over Lana Turner face for a part she lost to her in Imitation of Life 1959. This is a remake of the 1934 movie, the actress, Fredi Washington, playing the character who is passing, only used her ability to pass to buy groceries in white owned establishments.
I Passed for White 1960 you can watch it on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH3VTCTUw_4
Already posted Devil in a Blue Dress, 1995 set in 1948
The Human Stain, 2003

Law and order episode "Blood": https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0629180/
An episode covered passing and an executive murdering his new wife after forcing her to give up their baby for adoption. Come to find out old wife of 19 years w kids- kids also passed, did't know he was black.

There are a couple of good videos of Dr. Allyson Hobbs, who talks and has written about an aunt who passed for white and was forced by her mother to move from Chicago to LA to lead a different/better life as a white woman in the 1940s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toyjv27q17E

Back in the 1990 Donahue had an episode on Mullatoes who Pass for White. Rock Newman and Jolene Ivy (her husband Glen was also in the audience) were part of the panel speaking. I presume DC people know who they are, but maybe not if you never thought much about passing or assumed they were white if you saw them on TV. I get it they are not in your circle as they are part of DC/PG. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_tO7Q5RvIg. He did another one on an executive and his family passing and how that was working for him in the white community he worked in.

Oprah had a episode on passing. And just recently Megan Kelly when she had a show.

Carol Channing, What kid of career would she have had making a y claim of being black?

Johnny Cash's first wife, Rosalind Cash's mother was Italian from Italy but sure looked black. Constant denials but a Dna test later confirmed it. He took a lot of heat from "fans" I think the first woman talking about the physical dangers of passing if found out until the early 1980s is the exact definition of what it was a meant. Rock newman was on this episode.

There is actually a book about a man growing up grappling with his mother who married a black man and was silent about her Jewish upbringing so people assumed she was black or just really did't ask, except the author did growing up. The book is titled "The Color of Water:A Black Man's Tribute to his White Mother" written by James McBride

Another book, The Sweeter the Juice by Shirlee Taylor Haizlip.

Oe of the panel members from Donahue wrote "Color Struck", by Benita Walker who's father was born as a result of "payment" via sex for living on a farm as sharecroppers even though her grandmother was married and living on that farm with her black husband who physically abused the kids from

And the plethora of books written if you really care to understand it.

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=books+about+passing+for+white&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

There is a lot to read in the history of Louisiana on the "trouble" with passing. Laws passed a century before Jim Crow were reinforced post Civil War to require any woman who was one drop of African to cover or wrap up her hair. White men were getting upset because they were falling for women who were black but they could't tell based on their skin or hair. And, this sounds familiar, it also took care of the general annoyance with black women with textured hair styling and decorating their hair (i.e. enjoying their freedom with creative hairstyles) too much in public. It's called The Tignon or Chignon law.

I think it would be difficult to find anyone who "successfully" passed who would spill the beans on what that life has been like and deal with the "lie" they led to whites. Difficult questions to answer too much to give up especially with the legacy that person would think they were setting up for their kids of a better life.

And there is no book on how to spot someone passing, if that's what anyone is looking for.

👏 Thanks for this detailed list! Lots to check out.