Ruby Berkley Goodwin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruby Berkley Goodwin
Ruby Berkley Goodwin, from a 1935 publication
Born	October 17, 1903 Du Quoin, Illinois, US
Died	May 31, 1961 Los Angeles, California, US
Occupation	Writer, actress
Known for	It's Good to Be Black (1953)

Ruby Berkley Goodwin (born October 17, 1903 – died May 31, 1961) was an American writer and actress. She was known for her book It's Good to Be Black and for her work as a personal assistant to famous actresses.

Ruby Goodwin's Early Life

Ruby Berkley was born in Du Quoin, Illinois. Her parents were Braxton Berkley and Sophia Jane Holmes Berkley. Her father worked as a coal miner and helped organize workers' unions.

When Ruby was a teenager, her family moved to California. She studied to become a teacher at San Diego State Teachers’ College. Later, she attended Fullerton Junior College. In 1949, she earned a special degree from San Gabriel College, focusing on "world peace and understanding."

Ruby had a younger brother named Thomas Lucius Berkley. He later became a well-known lawyer and newspaper publisher in Oakland, California.

Ruby Goodwin's Career in Hollywood

Ruby Berkley started her career as a teacher in El Centro, California. She then moved into the exciting world of Hollywood.

Working with Famous Actresses

From 1936 to 1951, Ruby worked as a personal secretary and publicist for the famous actress Hattie McDaniel. Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Oscar. Ruby is believed to have helped Hattie write her acceptance speech for the 1940 Oscars. Ruby also worked in a similar role for another well-known actress, Ethel Waters.

Becoming a Hollywood Reporter

Ruby Berkley Goodwin wrote a newspaper column called "Hollywood in Bronze." This made her the first Black reporter officially recognized to cover Hollywood news. She shared stories about Black actors and artists in the film industry.

Ruby Goodwin as an Actress

In the 1940s, Ruby started acting on stage in Los Angeles. She appeared in plays like The Little Foxes and Anna Lucasta.

She also acted in several movies, including The View from Pompey's Head (1955) and Wild in the Country (1961). Ruby also made appearances on popular television shows. These included Cavalcade of America (1955, 1956), My Little Margie (1955), and Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1959).

Ruby Goodwin's Writing Achievements

Ruby Berkley Goodwin was also a talented writer. In 1935, she won an award for her poetry at the Los Angeles Festival of Arts. She wrote short stories to go with William Grant Still's music, Twelve Negro Spirituals, in 1937.

Her poems were collected in books like From My Kitchen Window (1942) and A Gold Star Mother Speaks (1944). She also wrote a musical called American Rhapsody (1942) and many radio scripts.

Her most famous work is a collection of stories about her own life, called It's Good to Be Black (1953). This book helped her become the first Black author to win a gold medal from the Commonwealth Club of California. The book is now seen as an important record of Black life in the mining areas of Southern Illinois.

Ruby Goodwin's Personal Life

Ruby Berkley married a mechanic named Lee Goodwin in 1924. They had five children together. In 1955, she was honored as California's Mother of the Year.

Ruby Berkley Goodwin passed away in Los Angeles in 1961 at the age of 57. One of her sons, Robert Lee Goodwin, became a successful screenwriter in Hollywood.

Images for kids

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  Ruby Berkley Goodwin, from a 1935 publication