In 1940, Hattie McDaniel created history by winning an Academy Award. She won for her performance in ‘Gone With The Wind.’ She became the first African American to be bestowed with cinema’s most prestigious honor. This was a phenomenon precedent and a cultural touchstone for generations of black actors. But racism and lack of representation remain worrying issues even today.
However, racism always rears its ugly head. Hollywood still finds itself under pressure for its lack of racial diversity. While things are statistically better now, Hattie McDaniel didn’t get ahead despite her Oscar. Instead, she was relegated to playing maid for most of her life. Her tragic life ended when she died of breast cancer in 1952.
Related: Top 10 Most Controversial Oscar Wins
Hattie McDaniel Was the First African American Actor To Win An Oscar
When Hattie McDaniel won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Mammy in ‘Gone With The Wind,’ she became the first African American actor to win an Oscar. But despite the award, she was not given any respect.
David O. Selznick, the producer of ‘Gone With The Wind‘ had to call in special favors for Hattie to be able to attend the Oscars. The event venue was the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in The Ambassador Hotel.
The hotel had a ‘whites only’ policy that wouldn’t allow Hattie McDaniel to be present at the awards ceremony. She sat at a small table set against a far wall. She was accompanied by an escort, F.P. Yober, and her white agent, William Meiklejohn, instead of being with her costars.
Despite her talent, her career was often marred by racism and bigotry. Forever doomed to play the disgusting ‘Mammy‘ archetype, 74 of her 94 acting credits were playing the same bigoted maid character.
In Case You Missed: Top 25 Oscar-Winning Films Of All Time
Which Other African American Actors Have Won An Oscar?
No African American actor would win an Oscar again until 1964. Sidney Poitier won the Best Actor Oscar for ‘Lillies Of The Field.’ Louis Gossett Jr. would later win for his performance in ‘An Officer and a Gentleman.’
Other African American actors to have won an Oscar are Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr, Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whittaker, Jennifer Hudson, and Mo’nique.
In more recent years, Octavia Spencer, Lupita Nyong’o, Viola Davis, Regina King, Daniel Kaluuya, Will Smith, and Ariana DeBose have won the Oscars. Denzil Washington and Mahershala have both won an Academy Award twice.
You Might Also Like To Read: Will Smith And Jada Pinkett Step Out Together For The First Time Since Oscars Slap. Here’s What They Did
