Gone With the Wind

Hattie McDaniel

McDaniel is the first black to receive an Academy Award; she won Best Supporting Actress for portraying Mammy in 1939's "Gone With the Wind." In many ways, McDaniel was a scene-stealer as a sassy maid, at times putting both lead characters in their place.

McDaniel... more had portrayed a domestic many times before and after "Gone," earning her criticism in some circles. She famously responded, "I'd rather play a maid and make $700 a week than be one for $7."

She played the title role in "The Beulah Show," becoming the first black radio star.

McDaniel encountered racism herself in and out of Hollywood and fought it aggressively, including when she helped a legal victory striking down racially restrictive covenants. She died in 1952. (Everett Collection)