How Hattie made history with a racist role

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“Gone With the Wind” is considered one of the greatest films ever made. With a backdrop in the Old South, the film draws on historic references and stereotypes of the Civil War era. Seventy years after the film’s release, one role that is still discussed for its racial undertones is that of Mammy, played by Hattie McDaniel.

“Although the Mammy depicted in a film is a stereotype, it’s still a fact in American film history, and in American life so her character in that story is vital. And I think the way she orchestrated her character made it even more vital to both the historic fact of a post-slavery world and to the story itself. She is an amazingly critical element of the story”, says Sheril D. Antonio, Associate Dean of Film, TV and New Media at New York University.

Many African-American civil rights groups, including the NAACP, protested McDaniel’s decision to play Mammy. Some argue she was nothing more than a glorified slave, who played in to a stereotype. The year following the film’s release, Hattie McDaniel won the Academy Award for Best supporting Actress.

Antonio says that ability to turn a negative stereotype in to a historic moment is the reason McDaniel is an icon.

“She showed us that you could work within limitations and achieve something great, something powerful, and be recognized for it. She showed us that there is no shame in those roles in history. The creativity of taking the limitation of the role, a stereotypical role, and doing something so amazingly powerful and creative and breathtaking with it, absolutely makes her a credit to her race,” reasons Antonio.

Seven decades later, “Gone With the Wind” continues to be celebrated as a pivotal point in the history of American film.

“I think it represents something about our nation that is everlasting and Hattie McDaniel helped us with that,” says Antonio.