Hattie McDaniel

Hattie McDaniel was an American actress and singer who helped pave the way for African-American actors in Hollywood, becoming the first black performer to win an Oscar, for her performance as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind" (1939). She was also the first black woman to sing on the radio in the U.S., the first black Oscar winner honored with a U.S. postage stamp, and enjoyed a career that lasted for three decades, appearing in over 300 films, and recording 16 blues sides throughout her groundbreaking tenure in the entertainment industry. Born on June 10, 1895 in Wichita, KA, McDaniel was the youngest of 13 children born to former slaves. Her mother, Susan Holbert, was a gospel singer, while her father, Henry McDaniel, was a Civil War veteran who fought with the 122nd United States Colored Troops. When McDaniel was five years old, her family moved to Colorado, first settling in Fort Collins before relocating to Denver, where McDaniel attended Denver East High School. McDaniel began her career as a singer and songwriter, honing her chops while performing with her brother Otis McDaniel's traveling minstrel show. The show fell apart following Otis's death in 1916, and McDaniel did not perform again until 1920, when she began touring with Professor George Morrison's Melody Hounds. She remained with the group until 1925, at which point she struck out on her own as a blues singer. Between 1926 and 1929, McDaniel recorded 16 blues sides, mostly for the Chicago labels Okeh Records and Paramount Records. After the stock market crash of 1929, McDaniel was forced to take a job as a washroom attendant and waitress at Club Madrid in Milwaukee, WI. Eventually she wore down the owner and became a regular performer, but by 1931, Hollywood was calling. McDaniels' siblings Sam and Etta were already out west in Los Angeles, working as actors, so she decided to join them. At first, McDaniels made ends meet by working as a maid or a cook, but she eventually landed her first film role, playi