The Enduring Legacy of African American Women in Popular Culture

Written by Shae Rufe

With Black History Month underway, I would like to take a moment to honor some amazing African American women who paved the way for today’s actors. It is important to take a look back so that we can continue to strive for better, and to not let the voices of those who have passed, ever be forgotten. It’s very easy to look at the past and brush it off as something that happened “forever” ago. When in reality, many of these issues are still being fought over today. That is why this, and every, Black History Month is so important. We cannot forget that these issues are still relevant today and we must not allow history to be rewritten for the comfort of those who reject this history.

Without further ado I would like to discuss a woman who not only broke barriers but is a native to this beautiful state of ours, Hattie McDaniel. Hattie was born in Denver, Colorado in 1893, and she’s most known for her role in Gone with the Wind. McDaniel did actually win an Oscar for this role, becoming the first African American to ever win one, and the first African American Woman to win Best Supporting Actress. What many may not know, is McDaniel wasn’t even allowed at the film’s premiere, due to it being at a “Whites Only” theater. A concept that not only boils my blood to this very day but sickens me on a level I cannot fully describe in words. During her win and speech, McDaniel was separated, and held in a private room of the hotel. As it was, she almost wasn’t allowed to attend, but an exception was made as a favor for the director of the film. While her win was groundbreaking, her role in the film itself was the topic of controversy among African Americans at the time. Her win was met with plenty of backlash from both African American and White viewers. McDaniel would go on to appear in over 300 films but would only get credit for 83 of them. While her accomplishments in film are great, and shorted, she should also be remembered as a singer/songwriter. Hattie broke many barriers, but unfortunately, she never got to see the end of segregation. Her accomplishments should never be forgotten.

An actress, singer, and Jazz performer, Ethel Waters had many firsts’ in her life. She was also the highest paid African American recording artist from 1921-1923, the first African American woman to integrate into Broadway, and in 1939 she broke history by being the first African American Woman to host her own television show, and the first African American to be nominated for an Emmy. She also became the second African American to be nominated for an Academy Award. Later in her career, she became the first African American woman to lead in a television series. Sadly, Waters would not win any awards for her hard work, but many of her songs would make it into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Much like McDaniel, Waters would get a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the early 2000’s, long after she had passed. Waters, like many African American’s that made performing arts a career, faced many challenges, but she would live to see a lot of change in her lifetime, including the end of segregation.

Breaking further boundaries would continue for African American singers, songwriters, and actors/actresses, but none would quite break barriers like Nichelle Nichols, who in 1966 became a sci-fi legend when she took the role of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura on Star Trek. Despite wanting to quit after the first year, Nichols stayed and became a household name to all those who fell for the show. Nichols paved the way for African American women in a whole new genre. But that was not the first groundbreaking moment for Nichelle. Later in 1968 she would share the first interracial kiss to be broadcast on American primetime television. While Star Trek would eventually transition from the little screen to the big screen and then eventually give way to The Next Generation, Nichols would go on to have a singing career and star in many other programs. However, it is my opinion that her greatest contribution; was the program she ran with NASA. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration does not have the best reputation when it comes to representation, however with the help of Nichelle, NASA started a program to help encourage African American woman to join the agency.

Speaking of NASA and their past, let’s talk about the true story behind the film Hidden Figures. The film is loosely based off the novel, Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Who Helped Win the Space Race. This is the real story of how three African American women helped send a man into space. Talk about breaking down walls and barriers, these women did that. In 1958 Mary Jackson became the first African American Engineer to work for NASA. Dorothy Vaughan was the first African American woman to become a supervisor, overseeing a staff of in 1949. Kathrine Johnson is noted as being the first African American scientist at NASA, but it was her work as a mathematician that made space flight possible. These women paved the way for Mae Jemison, who in 1992 became the first African American woman to go into space.

These women did more than just look pretty and smile, they broke barriers, tore down boundaries, and fought for their place in history. Black History is all of our history, and we must strive to do better and continue fighting until we are all free. We must not allow the continuation of systemic racism and blatant oppression to continue. And we can no longer accept the omission of African Americans from American History.

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