Honoring Ms. Hattie
Happy Birthday to the late Academy Award winning actress, Hattie McDaniel, born June 10, 1898 in Wichita, Kansas , to former slaves; she was the youngest of 13 children. Although Ms. McDaniel has starred in many films, she is best known for her role as a Mammy in Gone with the Wind (1939). Ms. McDaniel won the prestigious Academy Award for her role as best supporting actress; in fact, she was the first African American to win the Academy Award. Despite the menial roles given to African American actors and actresses at the time, Ms. McDaniel made the best of these roles and gave them a uniqueness and meaning that positioned her as a trailblazer for those to come. Ms. McDaniel was also a professional singer-songwriter, comedian, stage actress, radio performer, and television star. She was definitely a woman of many talents. Ms. Hattie died October 26, 1952 from breast cancer. She was 57. In 2010, African American comedienne and actress and Academy Award winner, Mo'Nique of th...