Hollywood has a rich history from all walks of life, but this month we are celebrating the accomplishments and incredible talents of black women in the industry. Since the early days of film, black women have directed, designed, acted in, and written for the silver screen. We want to share the lives and stories of these incredible women with you and celebrate their legacies in the industry.

We’ve listed a few of these amazing ladies here, but be sure to follow us on social media all month long for even more incredible black women in film history.

Hattie McDaniel – Actress

Hattie McDaniel (1893-1952) was the first African American woman to win the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1939 for her role as “Mammy” in the 1938 epic GONE WITH THE WIND. She appeared in over 300 film throughout her career, but unfortunately only credited in 83 of those films. In addition to her accomplishments in film, Hattie was also the first African American woman to sing live on the radio in the United States. She was once quoted saying, “I’d rather play a maid for $700 than actually be a maid for only $7.” Learn more about Hattie here and on our social media pages.

Incredible Black Women of HERstory

In addition to the accomplished women in the film industry, we’d also like to share this non-exhaustive list of amazing black women throughout history. Click on their links to learn more about them and their contributions to the world.