After years of iconic roles, Angela Bassett is finally an Oscar winner, and she is thanking the many Black women in Hollywood who paved the way for her.
Bassett was honored with her Honorary Oscar at Tuesday’s 14th Governors Awards. In accepting her award for her many contributions to the entertainment industry, she expressed her immense gratitude to the many Black actresses who broke down barriers, allowing her and others to thrive. During her emotional speech, Bassett acknowledged Hattie McDaniel, the first Black actor to win an Oscar in 1940. She then emphasized that it wasn’t until half a century later, in 1991, that another Black woman, Whoopi Goldberg, earned the same honor. The “Waiting to Exhale” star would go on to acknowledge several other ‘trailblazing” Black actresses, including Jennifer Hudson, Regina King, Viola Davis, Mo’Nique, Lupita Nyong’o, Octavia Spencer, and Ariana DeBose.
“They were my North Star, my guiding light, proof that while the road may not be without curves and bumps, there was a way to fulfill what I believed deep in my soul was my destiny,” she said of pioneers such as Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson, Rosalind Cash, later adding, “This honor isn’t just for or about me. What I hope this moment means is that we are taking the necessary steps toward a future in which it is the norm, not the exception, to see and embrace one another’s full humanity, stories, and perspectives,” as recapped by People.
Bassett has been nominated twice for an Oscar, once for her legendary role as Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and again for “The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Shockingly, she did not win the award for either, sparking outrage amongst her peers.
Thankfully, Bassett is now being recognized for her decades of hard work.
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