*Actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell graces the March 2017 cover of Ebony, and inside she dishes on the “disgusting” colorism that plagues Hollywood.
The 30-year-old actress has seen a resurgence in her long career following the success of WGN’s slave drama “Underground.” For Ebony’s March Women’s Month issue, she opens up about her Hollywood journey compared to that of darker skinned women.
“There are obstacles and challenges that my dark-skinned sisters face that I will never know,” Smollett-Bell said. “How they are perceived when they walk in a room of strangers is something I will never truly know. I would be ignorant to say colorism doesn’t exist. It’s gross and disgusting.”
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Jurneee portrays an enslaved woman and a plantation owner’s daughter on “Underground,” a show depicting the uprising of enslaved Black people and their pursuit of freedom.
“We had seen the occupation so much, we wanted to see the revolution and that is what ‘Underground’ is,” she told Ebony. “It was the story of the uprising. It was the story of those of us who fought back, who attempted to fight for their freedom. That was a side of the story we were hungry to see in order to understand our whole history.”
“Underground” viewers are anxious to see where her character’s journey will continue when Season 2 premieres next month.
“She’s running toward the danger because her mission is to get her family back,” the actress said. “So, the stakes are just so much higher in season two.”
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