Hattie McDaniel was the first African-American win an Oscar. She was nominated for best supporting actress, and she won for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939).
(AP Photo)
James Baskett was the first African-American man to recognized by the Academy. He was given an Honorary Academy Award for his portrayal of Uncle Remus in Song of the South (1946)
(AP Photo)
Dorothy Dandridge was the first African-American woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for best actress for her role in Carmen Jones (1954)
(AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler)
Sidney Poitier was the first African-American man to win an academy award. He was nominated for the best actor award, and he won for his role in Lilies of the Field (1963). He also received a lifetime achievement award on the same night Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won their Oscars in 2002.
(AP Photo)
Louis Gossett, Jr. was the first African-American to win the best supporting actor award. He won for his role in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982).
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
Whoopi Goldberg not only won the best supporting actress Oscar for Ghost (1990) she was also the first African-American to host the show back in 1993.
(AP Photo/Reed Saxon)
John Singleton was the first African-American nominated for a best director Academy Award for his work on Boyz N The Hood (1991).
(AP Photo/Bob Galbraith)
Cuba Gooding Jr. won an Oscar for best supporting actor for his role in Jerry Maguire. Cuba’s reaction made history as he jumped up and down for five minutes and the orchestra began to play in the middle of his acceptance speech. (1996)
(TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)
Denzel Washington became the most honored black actor is Oscar history (5 nominations) and the first African-American to win best actor since Poiter in 1963 for his role in Training Day (2001).
(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Halle Berry was the first African-American to win the best actress award. She won for her role in Monster’s Ball (2001).
(TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)
In 2004, Jamie Foxx became the first (and so far only) African-American to be nominated for two Oscars in the same year (actor for Ray, supporting actor for Collateral). He took home the best actor award for his acclaimed performance as Ray Charles.
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
In 2004, Djimon Hounsou (who’s from Benin) became the first African actor nominated for Oscar (for his role in In America).
(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Jennifer Hudson became the first black performer to win an Oscar for their debut performance when won the best supporting actress award for her role in Dreamgirls (2007).
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In 2009, Morgan Freeman tied Denzel for most nominations for a black actor with 5 (he was up for best actor for Invictus). He won the best supporting actor award for Million Dollar Baby in 2004.
(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
There has been a lot of talk about the lack of diversity among this year’s Oscar nominees. Some have faulted the dearth of quality black films as the cause. Regardless of the reasons — the Grio decided to look back at African-American success at the Oscars as opposed to failures. Here are some of the magic moments where black performers got recognition through Hollywood’s highest honor.
