Halle Berry and her mother, Judith Ann Hawkins

Actress Halle Berry poses with her mother, Judith Ann Hawkins, at the Ebony pre-Oscar celebration on February 22, 2007.  

In a timeline feature, People magazine says of Berry and her sister, Heidi: "Growing up biracial -- their father is black, their mother white -- the girls encounter racism and are called names. All the while, Berry relies on her mother for strength. 'She never wanted me to focus on my physical self... My mom always said, "Beauty is what you do."'"