Fredi Washington

Who was Fredi Washington?

Fredericka Carolyn "Fredi" Washington was an accomplished African-American dramatic film actress, one of the first to gain recognition for her work in film and on stage. She was active during the period known as the Harlem Renaissance. She is best known for her role as "Peola" in the 1934 version of the film Imitation of Life, in which she plays a young mulatto woman. Her last film role was in One Mile from Heaven, after which she left Hollywood and returned to New York to work in theatre and civil rights.