 
PHYLICIA RASHAD: I grew
up in Houston, Texas
during a time of legal
segregation in our country.
And my mother was determined
that her children would not
be scarred by this ignorance.
So when there was some
place we wanted to go,
and we couldn't go because of
segregation, she would say,
we won't be able to go there
because it's a private club
and we're not
members of that club.
Mexico City turned out to be
the adventure of a lifetime
for a 13-year-old.
Because you're growing up in
Houston, Texas in segregation.
And it wasn't like people
loved the color of your skin.
Mexican people would look at
me, and they'd say, ay, negrita.
And I didn't understand
that was a compliment.
They loved the color of my skin.
One day, Debbie and I
were getting on a bus
to go to school.
And the bus driver
placed his hand out,
and Deborah looked
at his hand, and it
looked like our father's hand.
And she burst into tears.
We missed him so much.
So mom decided, OK, there's
a break in school here,
we'll go back so you
can see your father.
My father saw us.
[CHUCKLES] He took us and
enrolled us back in school.
He said, you're not going back!
My mother was undone!
