Breaking Barriers: Black Women Who Won the Oscars

(Photo Credit @ Oscars.org)

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[{"selector":"#anim-b7d38dd7-72e0-460f-9b28-8011f32c6c38","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Whoopi Goldberg Breaks 50-Year Gap (1991) Best Supporting Actress for Ghost . She became the second Black woman to win an acting Oscar, ending a 50-year drought.

[{"selector":"#anim-3132c685-09c7-476b-81e1-33bccccaec33","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Halle Berry's Historic Best Actress Win (2002) Best Actress for Monster’s Ball . She remains the only Black woman to have won the Best Actress Oscar.

[{"selector":"#anim-8dbf1aa1-4378-4a53-815d-aa1eb923eff2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Jennifer Hudson's Musical Triumph (2007) Best Supporting Actress for Dreamgirls . She became the first Black woman to win an Oscar for a musical performance.

[{"selector":"#anim-ddcbe662-65c1-47c0-9d8f-443f62f117e1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Mo’Nique's Unconventional Win (2010) Best Supporting Actress for Precious . She won without traditional Oscar campaigning, highlighting issues within the awards process.

[{"selector":"#anim-e4ed215d-fa52-41c3-8466-79d4d5450182","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Octavia Spencer's Box Office Success (2012) Best Supporting Actress for The Help . Her win contributed to the film's significant box office success.

[{"selector":"#anim-35160848-14a0-42bd-b844-df9cbdde181a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Lupita Nyong’o's Debut Oscar Win (2014) Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave . She won for her first film role, becoming the first African-born actress to receive an Oscar.

[{"selector":"#anim-1d1ac9f4-9169-4ba1-8ead-6be9652ec749","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Regina King's Journey to Oscar (2019) Best Supporting Actress for If Beale Street Could Talk . She won her first Oscar after a 30-year acting career.

[{"selector":"#anim-9de2d5de-7394-4334-983e-8aef521a4796","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Ariana DeBose's LGBTQ+ Milestone (2022) Best Supporting Actress for West Side Story . She became the first openly queer woman of color to win an acting Oscar.

[{"selector":"#anim-2912f9bb-9f34-43f4-9f77-a573a9e990ab","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Da’Vine Joy Randolph's Breakthrough (2023) Best Supporting Actress for The Holdovers . She was recognized for her role as a grieving mother, marking a significant career milestone.

[{"selector":"#anim-c3130805-fccc-4ea1-9399-b14478f57e41","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Zoe Saldaña's Historic Win (2025) Best Supporting Actress for Emilia Pérez . She became the first Dominican-American to win an Oscar, with her films grossing over $14 billion worldwide.

[{"selector":"#anim-f21f93d1-ee4a-4d68-b348-2af42f8c3b3d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fff92c9f-06a0-462e-8c84-4c4e2499556a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] Only one Best Actress win in 96 years! Will this change? Who do you think will be the next Black woman to win an Oscar? SWIPE UP to read more on PlanetOfFilms.com! Learn more