Will Rogers was born a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. I seriously doubt that he considered himself to be white as he often proclaimed in lectures and interviews that he was Cherokee.
I have seen some of his 30's movies. When sharing scenes opposite actresses like Anita Louise, Rochelle Hudson, Janet Gaynor, and others, his skin tone is obviously darker that theirs. Whenever he is pictured in color advertisements of his films, the shade of his skin generally looks to be tan or beige compared to his co-stars, who are very white.
I'm not trying to make any kind of racial statement. I'm just trying to describe his race and/or ethnicity as accurately and honestly as I can. His father Clem was a leader in the Cherokee Nation, served terms in the Cherokee Senate, and later was a Cherokee judge.
Looking at the house in which Will was born, I suspect his family was rather well-to-do. Because he achieved success at a fairly early age, he may not have experienced the prejudice that the typical Native American was subjected to. |
