Black Oscars

From Mammy to Minny, What the Academy Awards Tell Us about African Americans

By (author) Frederick Gooding

Publication date:

24 May 2020

Length of book:

320 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Dimensions:

237x163mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781538123720

A timely exploration of Oscar-nominated Black actors and the complicated legacy of the Academy Awards.

In Black Oscars: From Mammy to Minny, What the Academy Awards Tell Us about African Americans, Frederick W. Gooding Jr. draws on American, African American, and film history to reflect on how the Oscars have recognized Black actors from the award’s inception to the present. Starting in the 1920s, the chapters provide a thorough overview and analysis of Black actors nominated for their Hollywood roles during each decade, with special attention paid to the winners. Historical patterns are scrutinized to reveal racial trends and open the question of whether race relations have truly changed substantively or only superficially over time.

Given the Oscars’ presence and popularity, it begs the question of what these awards reflect and reinforce about larger society. In the meticulously-researched Black Oscars, we see how the Academy Awards are an indispensable guide to understanding race in mainstream Hollywood and beyond.

PART I: INTRODUCTION

Introduction: Setting the Stage: What’s So Oscar Worthy?
Chapter 1: Lights, Camera, Analysis!
Chapter 2: Early Drama behind Early Black Images (1927-1939)

PART II: CONFLICT & CLIMAX

Chapter 3: Oscar’s Uneasy Breakthrough (1940–1949)
Chapter 4: New Roles Not Leading Anywhere (1950-1959)
Chapter 5: Sidney in the Sixties (1960-1969)
Chapter 6: The Blaxploitation Effect (1970–1979)
Chapter 7: The Color Purple through the Bluest Eye (1980–1989)
Chapter 8: The Denzel Effect (1990–1999)
Chapter 9: New Century, New Beginning? (2000-2009)
Chapter 10: Oscars So White (2010–2019)

PART III: CONCLUSION

Conclusion: Have We Seen This Movie Before? A Critical Analysis

Appendices
Appendix A, Black Oscar Nomination and Wins Overview, by Decade
Appendix B, List of All Movies with Black Oscar Nominations
Appendix C, List of All Black Oscar Acting Nominees and Wins
Appendix D, List of All Black, Non-Acting Oscar Winners

Highly Recommended . . . [Gooding] views the process of nominating films and actors for Academy Awards in the context of color. With the exception of chapter 1, the book is arranged chronologically by decade—from 1927–39 to 2000–19. Gooding starts with solid background on early Black roles in film and goes on to discuss the nominations and wins, starting of course with Hattie McDaniel, whose moving and quite humble acceptance speech has inspired actors of color since her 1939 win for her role in Gone with the Wind. Including an extensive bibliography, this book is noteworthy for its solid research and readability.