Overview

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hosts an annual award show affectionately and commonly known as ""the Oscars."" Yet, these awards are more than a mere ceremony; they are a phenomenon. More so than the amorphous, loosely-organized, multi-faceted entities that comprise Hollywood, the Oscars are the pinnacle of fantasy, beauty, romance and high class. They are eagerly anticipated and are heavily discussed. Only the National Football League's annual televised event entitled the Super Bowl eclipses the Oscars in terms of viewing size and revenue stream. But to be the second-most popular television event on the planet is not bad – not bad for an organization that only boasts fifty-one board of governor members. For over ninety years, Oscar winners have been considered the standard bearers of all things imaginable within American culture. Not that Oscar winners are dispositive of all matters within Hollywood and entertainment, however, given their presence and popularity, it begs the question of what do these awards reflect and reinforce about larger society, particularly when it comes to the public participation of African Americans. This book will therefore draw upon American history, African American history, sociology and film studies, thereby broadening its appeal to multiple audiences. Each chapter provides a thorough analysis and overview of any blacks that were nominated for their Hollywood roles during the designated decade. Historical commentary will contextualize the socio-political meaning of the symbology of such images and the black characters as political images onscreen. Black Oscar winners (more of which occur in the latter decades) will be highlighted and cross-referenced with other winners for proper analysis of trends and patterns. Ultimately the Oscars serve as an excellent litmus test as to how what degree our society has truly embraced diversity within the hallowed confines of our sacred imaginations.

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9781538123720

Table of Contents

Reviews

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.--CHOICE [Gooding] approaches the subject with clarity and compassion . . . refusing to judge ambitious performers for accepting roles as mammies and slaves or branching out from other fields into acting, while acknowledging that the prevalence of these characterizations and the failure of studios to hire trained black actors causes harm. He not only understands the complexity of the matter, but is able to pick apart the various elements and present them in a compelling matter. His thinking is academic, but he writes with fluidity, making the subject accessible.--A Classic Movie Blog This rigorous and lively examination of the Black Oscar-winning experience with Hollywood's exploitation and oppression can easily be one of the most comprehensive [books] for anyone who is interested in the African American experience in film. Brimming with compelling examples and critical analyses, this text not only shows how the industry reinforces and perpetuates racism but also illuminates the ways in which Black artists tirelessly resist such forces in multiple forms of filmic presentation.--An Tuan Nguyen, University of Houston

"[Gooding] approaches the subject with clarity and compassion . . . refusing to judge ambitious performers for accepting roles as mammies and slaves or branching out from other fields into acting, while acknowledging that the prevalence of these characterizations and the failure of studios to hire trained black actors causes harm. He not only understands the complexity of the matter, but is able to pick apart the various elements and present them in a compelling matter. His thinking is academic, but he writes with fluidity, making the subject accessible.-- ""A Classic Movie Blog"" 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.-- ""Choice Reviews"" This rigorous and lively examination of the Black Oscar-winning experience with Hollywood's exploitation and oppression can easily be one of the most comprehensive [books] for anyone who is interested in the African American experience in film. Brimming with compelling examples and critical analyses, this text not only shows how the industry reinforces and perpetuates racism but also illuminates the ways in which Black artists tirelessly resist such forces in multiple forms of filmic presentation.--An Tuan Nguyen, University of Houston"

"This rigorous and lively examination of the Black Oscar-winning experience with Hollywood's exploitation and oppression can easily be one of the most comprehensive [books] for anyone who is interested in the African American experience in film. Brimming with compelling examples and critical analyses, this text not only shows how the industry reinforces and perpetuates racism but also illuminates the ways in which Black artists tirelessly resist such forces in multiple forms of filmic presentation.--An Tuan Nguyen, University of Houston This rigorous and lively examination of the Black Oscar-winning experience with Hollywood's exploitation and oppression can easily be one of the most comprehensive [books] for anyone who is interested in the African American experience in film. Brimming with compelling examples and critical analyses, this text not only shows how the industry reinforces and perpetuates racism but also illuminates the ways in which Black artists tirelessly resist such forces in multiple forms of filmic presentation. [Gooding] approaches the subject with clarity and compassion . . . refusing to judge ambitious performers for accepting roles as mammies and slaves or branching out from other fields into acting, while acknowledging that the prevalence of these characterizations and the failure of studios to hire trained black actors causes harm. He not only understands the complexity of the matter, but is able to pick apart the various elements and present them in a compelling matter. His thinking is academic, but he writes with fluidity, making the subject accessible. -- ""A Classic Movie Blog"" 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. -- ""Choice Reviews"" [Gooding] approaches the subject with clarity and compassion . . . refusing to judge ambitious performers for accepting roles as mammies and slaves or branching out from other fields into acting, while acknowledging that the prevalence of these characterizations and the failure of studios to hire trained black actors causes harm. He not only understands the complexity of the matter, but is able to pick apart the various elements and present them in a compelling matter. His thinking is academic, but he writes with fluidity, making the subject accessible. 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."

This rigorous and lively examination of the Black Oscar-winning experience with Hollywood's exploitation and oppression can easily be one of the most comprehensive [books] for anyone who is interested in the African American experience in film. Brimming with compelling examples and critical analyses, this text not only shows how the industry reinforces and perpetuates racism but also illuminates the ways in which Black artists tirelessly resist such forces in multiple forms of filmic presentation.--An Tuan Nguyen, University of Houston

Author Information

Frederick W. Gooding, Jr. is an Assistant Professor within the Honors College at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. He is the author of You Mean, There’s RACE in My Movie? The Complete Guide to Understanding Race in Mainstream Hollywood. A trained historian, Gooding most effectively analyzes contemporary mainstream media with a careful eye for persistent patterns along racial lines that appear benign but indeed have problematic historical roots. His most recent book, American Dream Deferred: Black Federal Workers in Washington, D.C.1941-1981, is published by University of Pittsburgh Press.

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