In 1939, Hattie McDaniel made history as the first African American to be nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting performance in “Gone With the Wind.” McDaniel went on to win the award, setting a precedent for the entertainment industry and the world as a whole.
This ideal has remained intact, and Black representation in mass media has increased tremendously. Since McDaniel’s momentous win in 1939, Black creators have won Oscars in nearly every category. Still, history continues to be written.
The Academy Awards have faced significant criticism in recent years for a lack of diversity among nominees. In 2023, the University of South Carolina Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism released a report which found that, “17% of all Academy Award nominees from 1929 to 2023 were women, while only 6% were people of color and less than 2% of nominees were women of color.”
This year’s Academy Award nominations featured two acting nominations for the film “American Fiction,” a comedy film about a black writer’s frustration with the entertainment establishment. Jeffrey Wright earned a nod for his lead performance, while Sterling K. Brown was nominated for his supporting performance in the film.
While impressive in its own right, these nominations are doubly significant because it is the first time in Oscars history that two Black actors have been nominated for the same film.
Also included within the lead actor category was first-time nominee Colman Domingo for his performance in “Rustin,” a film that tells the true story of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. Domingo’s inclusion made for the first-ever nomination of an Afro-Latino in the Best Actor category.
Outside of the male actor categories, Black performers Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Danielle Brooks were nominated for Best Supporting Actress for their work in “The Holdovers” and “The Color Purple,” respectively, with Randolph being hailed as the frontrunner following her Golden Globe win.
The Academy Awards are not alone in their appreciation of Black voices in the world of entertainment.
The Emmys and Golden Globes were particularly inspiring, with a multitude of Black actors and actresses being recognized for their work in multiple categories. The most notable of these was actress Ayo Edebiri, who won both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her performance in hit television series “The Bear.”
Edebiri had an incredibly successful year in both television and film with her work in the critically acclaimed high school satire movie “Bottoms,” as well as a voice performance in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.” She does not look to be slowing down anytime in the near future.
Senior political science major Makenna Riley feels that Edibri’s accolades mark a break from award shows overlooking Black artists.
“It is so relieving to see Ayo Edebiri get recognition for her work in ‘The Bear’ alongside Jeremy Allen White,” Riley said. “Her contribution seems so obvious, yet so often we see Black actors be snubbed in award season.”
Actress Quinta Brunson scored an acting Golden Globe for her work in “Abbott Elementary,” making her the first Black woman to win the award in over 40 years. Niecy Nash-Betts and Storm Reid were just a few of the other Black winners from the historic night of awards television.
“I think it’s really great to see not only Black actors being nominated, but also awarded,” Riley
said. “Every nomination and award that is given to a Black actor or director or film is another
opportunity. “
Representation, when done earnestly, elevates art — and the greatest art can shift the status quo. This year’s nominees and winners reflect the upward trajectory of meaningful diversity in Hollywood.
