From the dawn of Hollywood to the present streaming age, Black artists and creatives have been trailblazing, breaking stereotypes, and transforming the entertainment industry. The following ten milestones didn’t merely make history—they redefined the business and paved the way for those to come.
10. Hattie McDaniel & Ethel Waters: The First Trailblazers
Travel back to the Great Hollywood Era, and the vision of a Black woman being an Oscar winner was unthinkable—until the determined Hattie McDaniel did the impossible. Her Mammy role in Gone with the Wind won her the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award, although she was forced to take a seat at the back in a separate area of the audience. Shortly after, Ethel Waters was breaking ground of her own, the first Black woman to appear on Broadway and, in 1939, starring in her TV show, The Ethel Waters Show. Both of these women faced outright racism and snubbing, yet their undeniable abilities broke through doors that were tightly closed.
9. Dorothy Dandridge: Hollywood’s First Black Leading Lady
During the 1950s, Dorothy Dandridge was a symbol of glamour and talent and was dubbed “the Black Marilyn Monroe.” She became the first African American woman nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Carmen Jones, and her cover on Life magazine was another milestone. Dandridge’s performances paved the way for Hollywood—and the world—to see that Black women could be the stars of major films and be recognized as multifaceted, magnetic stars.
8. Gail Fisher: TV Changer
The 1970s catapulted Gail Fisher into the limelight. She became the first Black actress to ever win both an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Peggy Fair on Mannix. Before that, she’d already set a precedent as the first Black woman with a speaking role in a national television commercial. Fisher’s success wasn’t just award-borne—it was about making Black women seen and heard and at the center of the narratives millions of Americans watched every week.
7. Whoopi Goldberg & Oprah Winfrey: Powerhouse Storytellers
Few celebrities’ names are as powerful as Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. Goldberg is one of those rare EGOT winners, earning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, with her standout performances in The Color Purple and Ghost. Oprah not only became an icon of the talk show but also started her own production company and received an Oscar nomination for her first acting performance in The Color Purple. Both women have influenced stories from behind and in front of the camera, making sure Black voices and viewpoints become part of the cultural discourse.
6. Cicely Tyson: Roles with Purpose
For over six decades, Cicely Tyson would not accept roles that belittled Black women, accepting only those with dignity and depth. She broke barriers as the first Black leading lady in a television drama and left an indelible mark with unforgettable performances in Roots, Sounder, and The Help. Tyson was also given an honorary Oscar and a place on the Television Academy Hall of Fame, setting a gold standard for deliberate, meaningful storytelling.
5. Halle Berry: Breaking the Best Actress Barrier
Halle Berry in 2002 was the first—and to date, the only—Black woman to take home the Oscar for Best Actress, for Monster’s Ball. Her body of work ranges from blockbuster fare such as X-Men to more offbeat fare, but her victory still tastes bittersweet. It was a moment of historical victory, but it underscored how little Black women have been acknowledged at that level.
4. Angela Bassett: The Portrait of Excellence
Angela Bassett spent decades portraying some of the strongest women in history—Tina Turner, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Betty Shabazz—alongside her success in action, drama, and comedy. Her work demonstrates Black women can be at the center of any narrative, and her success spanning so many decades in Hollywood is a testament to unparalleled range and endurance.
3. Viola Davis & Regina King: Masters of the Craft
Viola Davis was the first African American woman to achieve the acting “Triple Crown”—an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony. Her performances in How to Get Away with Murder and Fences reshaped what’s possible for top Black actresses. Regina King has thrived both on-screen (If Beale Street Could Talk, Watchmen) and behind the camera (One Night in Miami…), proving Black women can be leaders in every aspect. Combined, they’ve redefined what it means to achieve in the business.
2. Spike Lee & Ava DuVernay: Visionaries Behind the Camera
Representation is not only about what we see, but who tells the story. Spike Lee’s movies, from Do the Right Thing to BlacKkKlansman, have confronted race, culture, and identity with unapologetic candor. Ava DuVernay has adapted seminal stories such as Selma and When They See Us to the screen, alongside advocating for diverse storytellers through her production company. Their films and shows have opened up possibilities for Black television and film, both creatively and financially.
1. Halle Bailey’s Ariel & A New Era of Representation
When Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, the response was charged—particularly for young Black girls who, for the first time, saw themselves in a Disney princess. Viral videos of their bliss demonstrated how much representation truly matters. Meanwhile, the explosion of streaming has powered programming like Insecure, The Chi, and Pose, focusing Black voices in once-unthinkable ways. With more Black creatives calling the shots behind the camera, the future of film and television is more inclusive, diverse, and promising than ever.