In its 94-year-long historical past, the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences has bestowed an Oscar, one the trade’s most coveted performing awards, to simply 10 Black girls. This yr, actor Angela Bassett might grow to be the eleventh title on that quick record, persevering with a legacy that started with trailblazing performer and Hollywood legend Hattie McDaniel in 1940.
Bassett is nominated for Greatest Supporting Actress, the identical class wherein McDaniel received for her position within the 1939 adaptation of Gone with the Wind. McDaniel’s story has grow to be synonymous with a protracted, difficult battle in Hollywood for equitable consideration and correct respect for the careers of Black performers. It is a pursuit that represents a actuality but to be seen, typically glossed over by the victorious, hope-inspiring moments, like McDaniel’s Oscar win.
