Only a select few have had the honor of winning an Academy Award. Taking home the golden statue is no easy feat, especially for black women. Let’s face it, there just aren’t that many roles for us in Hollywood. Many of the films I watch mostly have an all white cast. Sometimes, ‘there’s even a bit of color sprinkled in just to keep us happy’ (as I like to say). But when Halle Berry took home the Best Actress award on March 24, 2002 for her performance in “Monster’s Ball,” I felt like I won the darn thing. I thought for sure it would open up so many doors for women of color in Hollywood.
However, I can’t say that the flood gates have opened up for more black roles. In fact, there is still a lot more fighting left to be done. I feel that black women are highly overlooked when it comes to roles in Hollywood, and it makes me angry when people try to put our sistas down. In a recent Uptown Magazine article, actress Michelle Rodriguez stated “you have to be trashy and black to get nominated. You can’t just be trashy.” I had to read the quote a few times to make sure I didn’t misunderstand the sentence. I’ve seen “Monster’s Ball.” While some scenes are a bit racy, I think Halle did a great job at playing Leticia. I wouldn’t consider it trashy.
Hattie McDaniel, Whoppi Goldberg, Jennifer Hudson, Mo’Nique, and Octavia Spencer have all received the Academy Award for supporting roles.
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| Hattie McDaniel courtesy of essence.com |
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| Halle Berry essence.com |
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| Whoopi Goldberg courtesy essence.com |
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| Jennifer Hudson courtesy essence.com |
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| Mo’Nique courtesy essence.com |
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| Octavia Spencer courtesy essence.com |
I don’t recall any of their roles being trashy either. I find it extremely disrespectful when anyone tries to diminish their hard work by saying nasty things like that. It’s just not right! These women made history and they’ll continue to pave the way for other black actresses in the future. The first Academy Awards happened in 1929. There have only been a few black actresses to win an Oscar. That’s sad.
My daughter will certainly learn about these historical black women who contributed to breaking down the color lines in hollywood. Also, the important lesson here is -‘don’t hate…appreciate.’ It’s better to give props and not try to tear others down. Otherwise you just come off looking bitter. That’s certainly something I’ll be passing on to Princess.
What do you think about Michelle Rodriguez’s comment?
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