Halle Berry Says She Felt ‘Confusion’ As A Biracial Child

Halle Berry knows firsthand how complicated belonging can feel when your skin doesn’t neatly match the world around you. She grew up with a white mother and a Black father in a mostly white school. Being one of the few students of color wasn’t easy. Kids called her names like “Oreos” because she looked different from others. Berry says those early experiences made her feel like she had to work twice as hard to prove she belonged and that she was just as smart and capable as anyone else.

That sense of being on the outside stayed with her as she pursued acting. Instead of letting it break her spirit, she used it as fuel to succeed. Berry went on to make history as the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress, a milestone that still carries meaning for her and for women everywhere. Although she always saw herself as a Black woman, she’s said that being biracial gave her a unique way of moving through different spaces and connecting with people from many backgrounds.

Today, Berry passes what she learned on to her own children. She hopes the world they grow into will be kinder and more understanding of mixed-race identities, but she also knows resilience comes from loving who you are, even when others don’t always make that easy.