On February 29, 1940, The Twelfth Academy Awards took place at the Coconut Grove Restaurant of the Ambassador Hotel in Lost Angeles where Hattie McDaniel won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mammy, in the 1939 movie, Gone with the Wind, making her the first African American to win an Academy Award.
McDaniel had other 'firsts' as well:
In addition to acting in many films, McDaniel was a professional singer-songwriter, comedian, stage actress, radio performer, and television star; she was the first black woman to sing on the radio in the U.S. During her career, McDaniel appeared in over 300 films, although she received screen credits for only 80 or so.
McDaniel has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood: one at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard for her contributions to radio and one at 1719 Vine Street for acting in motion pictures. In 1975, she was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame and in 2006 became the first black Oscar winner honored with a US postage stamp.
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