20 Devastating Oscars Moments Hidden In Plain Sight
13. Hattie McDaniel Wins Historic Oscar In A Racially Segregated Ceremony
Hattie McDaniel became the first Black woman to win an Oscar of any kind in the 1940 ceremony when she won the Best Supporting Actress award for her unforgettable performance as Mammy in Gone with the Wind.
And while this was an undeniably triumphant moment for McDaniel and an important awards milestone of representation, there's a rather depressing asterisk added to McDaniel's win that night.
The 1940 Oscars took place at the Ambassador Hotel in Las Vegas, which had a strict segregation policy at the time, forcing McDaniel to sit at a table at the back of the room by herself, away from her white co-stars.
McDaniel nevertheless gave an emotional acceptance speech and her win remains a storied one to this very day, even if there's a distinct, tragic irony to McDaniel making history all while being prevented from sharing the night with her fellow cast and crew.