By JM Stephens
5:00pm PDT, Apr 3, 2024
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We're taking a look back at some of the Black Hollywood stars, athletes, politicians and other notables who've made history and broken barriers over the years, starting with this actor…
In 1983, Louis Gossett Jr. — who died at 87 in March 2024 — became the first Black man to win an Oscar in the best supporting actor category when he took home the prize for his work in "An Officer and a Gentleman." A few years earlier, the Broadway star won an Emmy for his performance in the lauded 1977 miniseries "Roots."
Keep reading to see more Black stars who made history…
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In November 2023, Missy Elliott became the first female hip-hop artist to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. "Nothing sounded the same after Missy came onto the scene," Queen Latifah said of the rapper at her induction ceremony, per the Associated Press. "She is avant garde without even trying."
It wasn't Missy's first "first" in music, though: In 2019, the "Work It" singer — who's also penned hits for Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and more singers — was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, making her the first female rapper to be honored there as well. In her acceptance speech, Missy said she had a message for young upcoming writers: "Do not give up."
MORE: Stars who've won the most Oscars
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Simone Biles made history as both a woman and a person of color when she took home her fourth gymnastics world championship title in 2018. The Olympic gold medal winner became the first woman to win four all-around world titles after previously winning in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Then in October 2019, she won her 21st medal at the world gymnastics championships, making her the most decorated female gymnast in history.
MORE: Asian stars who've made history in Hollywood and beyond
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Beyonce and her husband, JAY-Z, are tied for the most Grammy nominations in history with 88 each as of early 2024. (Her nominations have come as both a solo artist, as a member of Destiny's Child and as half of The Carters with her hubby.)
When it comes to wins, though, no one tops the Queen B: In 2021, she became the most decorated woman in Grammy history when she took home her fourth award of the night — and 28th Grammy overall — during the 63rd annual ceremony, surpassing the record (27) previously set by bluegrass artist Alison Krauss. Then in 2023, she became the most awarded person of any gender when she took home her 32nd Grammy, breaking conductor Georg Solti's record of 31 wins.
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On April 7, 2022, the Senate voted 53 to 47 to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson, making her not only the first Black woman to become a Supreme Court justice in the court's 233-year history, but also the first former public defender to sit on the SCOTUS. On June 30, 2022, she was officially sworn in, becoming the first Black woman to take a seat on the high court.
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Sidney Poitier became the first Black performer to win an Academy Award for best actor when he took home the prize for his work in "Lilies of the Field" in 1964.
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Did you know that Denzel Washington is the first Black star to win two Oscars? He took home the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1990 for his work in "Glory" and the best lead actor prize in 2002 for his performance in "Training Day." In February 2022, Denzel made history again when he scored his 10th Oscar nomination — best actor for his title role in "The Tragedy of Macbeth" — which extended his reign as the most nominated Black actor in Academy Awards history.
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When Oprah Winfrey launched her production company, Harpo Studios, in 1986, she became the first Black woman (and third woman overall, after silent film star Mary Pickford and comedy legend Lucille Ball) to run her own Hollywood studio. But that's not the only way the media mogul has made history: When her eponymous television network, OWN, launched in 2011, it became the first and only network named for and inspired by a single individual. And in 2014, she became the first Black female producer to score an Academy Award nomination for best picture thanks to her work on "Selma."
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"Gone With the Wind" star Hattie McDaniel won the Academy Award for best supporting actress in 1940 for her performance as Mammy in the classic film — making her the first Black performer to take home an Oscar.
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Vanessa Williams made history in 1983 when she was crowned Miss America — the first Black woman to win the pageant. Sadly, her reign was cut short when photos of Vanessa posing in he buff surfaced, causing a storm of controversy. She was forced to resign in 1984 and runner-up Suzette Charles, who was also a Black woman, took over the title. Miss America CEO Sam Haskell offered Vanessa a public apology 32 years later in 2016.
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Who hasn't blasted "Old Town Road"?! In the summer of 2019, Lil Nas X's remixed country-rap track, which also features hitmaker Billy Ray Cyrus, set a new record when it became the longest running No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for an incredible 19 consecutive weeks. Further, the Grammy winner's hit achieved Diamond status in October 2019 (which means it moved 10 million certified units), hitting the sales milestone faster than any other song.
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2021 was a big year for JAY-Z, who made history twice: On Nov. 23, 2021, he scored two more Grammy nominations when the Recording Academy announced nods for the 2022 show, bringing his career total of Grammy nominations to 83 and making him the most nominated artist in Grammy history at the time.
Earlier that year, in May 2021, Jay made history when he became the first living solo rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the class of 2021 was announced. (HOVA is only the third solo rapper to be included in the HOF — Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G. were posthumous inductees.)
Of course, he's no stranger to firsts: In 2019, Jay became the first billionaire in hip hop, Forbes reported. Aside from his rap career — his catalog was worth an estimated $75 million at the time — he makes his money from multiple successful business ventures. His assets included the Armand de Brignac champagne and D'Ussé cognac brands (worth $410 million), a stake in his Tidal music streaming service ($100 million), a stake in Uber ($70 million) and more huge investments (like a $50 million art collection).
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When Viola Davis was nominated for best actress in 2021 for her performance in "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," she became the first Black actress to receive four Oscar nods. Her first three nominations came in 2009 (best supporting actress for her work in "Doubt"), in 2012 (best actress for her performance in "The Help") and in 2017 (best supporting actress her work in "Fences" — which she won).
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In January 2021, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association named Jackson Lee and Satchel Lee — filmmaker Spike Lee's children with attorney-turned-producer Tonya Lewis Lee — as its 2021 Golden Globe Ambassadors (an honor previously known as Miss or Mr. Golden Globe). Not only were they the first Black siblings named to the position, but Jackson was the first Black male ambassador in Golden Globes history.
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History was made in February 2021 when the new crop of Academy of Country Music Awards nominees was announced: Four Black artists earned nods — Kane Brown (album of the year and video of the year), Mickey Guyton (new female artist of the year), Jimmie Allen (new male artist of the year) and John Legend (video of the year alongside collaborator Carrie Underwood) — the most ever in ACM Awards history.
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On Jan. 20, 2021, former California attorney general and senator Kamala Harris became not only America's first female vice president but the country's first Black and first South Asian woman vice president when she took the oath of office on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In 2020, the Democrat from California — who served her country alongside President Joe Biden — also became the first woman of color on a U.S. presidential ticket for a major party.
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Halle Berry won the Oscar for best actress in 2002 for her performance in "Monster's Ball" — she's the first and, so far, only Black woman to receive the honor. "This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It's for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox," she said in her acceptance speech. "And it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened."
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In 2018, music star Kendrick Lamar became the first rapper to win the Pulitzer Prize for music. He did it with his 2017 album "DAMN.," becoming the first music winner in the 100-year history of the Pulitzers who did not come from the classical or jazz worlds. The prize board praised his album as "a virtuosic song collection unified by its vernacular authenticity and rhythmic dynamism that offers affecting vignettes capturing the complexity of modern African American life."
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In January 1997 at 18, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant became the youngest player ever to start in an NBA game. (He was also the youngest to start in an All-Star game.) Kobe scored the most points in a single NBA game in the modern era — a record he set in January 2006 when he finished with a whopping 81 points against the Toronto Raptors. During his career, Mamba scored 33,643 points and sunk 8,378 free throws — more than any other guard in NBA history.
He also made Hollywood history: In 2018, Kobe — who tragically died in a January 2020 helicopter accident along with eight others including his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna — took home an Academy Award for best animated short for "Dear Basketball," making him the only professional athlete to win a basketball championship and an Oscar.
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In January 2021, President Joe Biden tapped Lloyd Austin to join his cabinet. On Jan. 22, the retired four-star Army general was confirmed by the Senate — making him the first Black secretary of defense in U.S. history.
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Attorney Rachel Lindsay made history in 2017 when she was cast as the lead on ABC's hit reality show "The Bachelorette." The move made her the first Black star to topline the hit reality franchise. Three years later, ABC cast its first Black leading man on the show's counterpart…
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In June 2020, ABC announced that real estate broker, entrepreneur and community organization founder Matt James would be the next star of "The Bachelor," making him the hit franchise's first Black leading man when his season debuted in January 2021.
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Cicely Tyson, who died at 96 in January 2021, became the first Black woman to earn an honorary Oscar when she took home the trophy at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences' Governors Awards in 2018. "I don't know that I would cherish a better gift," the legend said during her acceptance speech. "This is the culmination of all those years of haves and have not."
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Director John Singleton, who passed away in 2019, is remembered for his groundbreaking 1991 film "Boyz n the Hood," which he wrote and directed. At 24, he earned an Academy Award nomination for best director, making him both the youngest person ever as well as the first Black person to be nominated in that category.
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In November 2020, Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C. — already the highest ranking Black Catholic in U.S. history — became the Catholic Church's first African American cardinal. As such, he'll became one of Pope Francis's closest advisers and one of about 120 men who will someday elect the faith's next pontiff. "It's been a time to thank God for this unique moment in my life and in the life of the church in the United States," he told CNN. "I hope it's a sign to the African American community that the Catholic Church has a great reverence, respect and esteem for the people, for my people of color."
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Singer-songwriter and actor Harry Belafonte was the first Black man to win an Emmy Award. He took home the accolade in 1960 for his television special "Tonight With Belafonte." This wasn't his first historic win, however: In 1954, he became the first Black man to win a Tony Award. He earned the honor for his work in the Broadway production of "John Murray Anderson's Almanac."
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Aside from being an iconic Broadway actress, Audra McDonald is also a history maker! She's won six Tony Awards — more acting performance Tonys than anyone else. On top of that, the "Carousel" and "Ragtime" star is the first person who's won Tonys in all four acting categories.
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Acclaimed Broadway star Phylicia Rashad made history when she won the Tony Award for best actress in a leading role in a play in 2004 for her performance in "A Raisin in the Sun." She was the first Black woman to take home the coveted award.
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In response to feeling ignored by Hollywood, Tyler Perry decided to take matters into his own hands — by creating his own film studio, Tyler Perry Studios, which opened in Atlanta in 2019. In addition to establishing himself as the first Black person to have outright ownership of a major Hollywood film studio, Tyler Perry Studios is also the biggest production studio in America.
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In July 2020, Joy Reid became cable's first Black female primetime anchor when she took over Chris Matthews' 7 p.m. slot on MSNBC as the host of "The ReidOut," which is based in Washington, D.C. "I'm thrilled to have Joy on five nights a week," said MSNBC President Phil Griffin. "She's thoughtful and brings so much depth to her reporting. She's made for this moment."
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Whoopi Goldberg proved just how talented she is when she became the very first Black EGOT winner in 2002. The "The View" host won a Grammy in 1986 for her comedy record "Whoopi Goldberg: Original Broadway Show," an Oscar in 1990 for her work in "Ghost," a Tony in 2002 for producing "Thoroughly Modern Millie," and an Emmy in 2002 for her performance in "Beyond Tara: The Extraordinary Life of Hattie McDaniel."
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Sixteen years later, John Legend followed in Whoopi Goldberg's footsteps. He became the very first Black man and the second Black person to reach EGOT status. The soulful singer won his first Grammy in 2006 for his album "Get Lifted." He then took home the best original song Oscar in 2015 for "Glory." He won a best revival of a play Tony in 2017 for producing "Jitney." John sealed the deal in 2018 when he won an Emmy for producing NBC's "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert."
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Gail Fisher, who's best recognized for her role as secretary Peggy Fair on the television series "Mannix," made history with the awards she earned. For her performance on the detective series, on which she appeared from 1968 to 1975, she took home an Emmy in 1971 for outstanding performance by an actress in a dramatic supporting role — making her the first Black woman to win the honor. One year later, she became the first Black woman to win a Golden Globe (then scored her second Globe two years later).
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In July 2020, the Naval Air Training Command announced that Navy Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle had completed her Tactical Air (Strike) pilot training syllabus — which made her the first Black female tactical fighter pilot in the history of the U.S. Navy.
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Regina King made her directorial debut with the 2020 film "One Night in Miami," a fictionalized film about a real-life encounter between Malcolm X, Cassius Clay, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown in a Miami hotel room. The movie was the first film directed by a Black woman to be selected for the Venice Film Festival. "Unfortunately, across the world, that's how things seem to work," Regina told Variety of the lack of representation for female directors of color. "One woman gets a shot and if she does not succeed, it shuts things down for years until someone else gets a shot." (The film went on to score three Oscar nominations: best adapted screenplay, best supporting actor for Leslie Odom Jr. and best original song for "Speak Now," which Leslie co-wrote with Sam Ashworth.)
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Laverne Cox made television history in 2014 when she became the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in any acting category. The same year, the "Orange Is the New Black" actress became the first transgender person to be featured on the cover of Time magazine.
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Jordan Peele became the first Black screenwriter to win the Academy Award for best original screenplay when he took home the Oscar for his "Get Out" script during the 90th Annual Academy Awards on March 4, 2018.
Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney won in the best adapted screenplay category in 2017 for "Moonlight," while John Ridley won in 2014 for adapting "12 Years a Slave."
Geoffrey Fletcher, meanwhile, became the first Black writer to win an Oscar for writing — period — when he took home the best adapted screenplay Oscar for "Precious" in 2010.
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Halle Berry might have been the first Black woman to win an Oscar for best actress, but she was following in the footsteps of her idol, Dorothy Dandridge. In 1954, Dorothy became the first Black woman to be nominated for a best actress Academy Award (for her performance in "Carmen Jones").
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Sterling K. Brown made history during the 2018 Golden Globes when he became the first Black man to win the award for best performance by a male actor on a TV drama for his work on "This Is Us." Two weeks later, during the 2018 SAG Awards, he made history for the second time when he became the first Black man to win the award for outstanding performance by a male actor on a drama series.
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Cardi B made history at the 2019 Grammy Awards when she won the best rap album prize for her debut album, "Invasion of Privacy." Lauryn Hill was the first and until then only woman to claim the award (she won the prize in 1997 as part of hip-hop group the Fugees), but Cardi was the first solo female artist to take home the honor since the Recording Academy started handing it out in 1996.
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Didn't every teen boy have that iconic poster of Tyra Banks in a bikini on his wall?! As the first Black woman to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, which she did in 1996 and again in 1997, Tyra set a new precedent for Black models. "Black women have always been these vixens, these animalistic erotic women," she said. "Why can't we just be the sexy American girl next door?"
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Donald Glover made history during the 2017 Emmys when he became the first Black person to win the award for outstanding directing for a comedy series for his work on "Atlanta." The same night, he also took home the Emmy for best lead actor on a comedy series for his performance on the FX dramedy.
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Donald Glover made history again in February 2019 when, as his music alter-ego Childish Gambino, he became the first hip-hop artist to win the song of the year prize and the record of the year award (for his critically acclaimed song "This Is America") at the Grammys. It's significant and groundbreaking as it marks the first time a hip-hop song has received either honor.
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Shonda Rhimes has made television history not once but twice (more on that next). The writer-producer became the highest paid showrunner in Hollywood when she signed a multimillion-dollar deal with Netflix in 2018, she confirmed while speaking at ELLE's 25th Annual Women in Hollywood celebration that October. Though she didn't disclose how much she was earning, she did share that the figure that had been reported — a $100 million salary — was incorrect. Considering peer Ryan Murphy signed a $300 million deal with Netflix, and Greg Berlanti signed a $400 million overall deal extension with Warner Bros. Television, we know it's got to be more than that! "When Ryan made his amazing deal with Netflix, what did he do? He shouted his salary to the world," Shonda said. "When I made a deal with Netflix, I let them report my salary wrong in the press, and then I did as few interviews as possible and I put my head down and worked." She then announced, earning herself a standing ovation, "I am the highest paid showrunner in television."
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And she makes the list again: Few TV writers and producers have the kind of name recognition that Shonda Rhimes can boast. The "TGIT" showrunner — famous for "Scandal," "Grey's Anatomy," "How To Get Away With Murder" and more — made history when she became the first Black woman to create and executive produce three television shows among TV's top 10.
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Actress Kerry Washington became the first Black woman to headline a network TV drama since 1974 (Teresa Graves paved the way when she starred as an undercover cop on "Get Christie Love!" from 1974 to 1975) when Shonda Rhimes' "Scandal" premiered on ABC in 2012. Kerry played fixer Olivia Pope on the political drama.
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In 1989, Arsenio Hall became the first Black late-night TV host when his program, "The Arsenio Hall Show," premiered. The series lasted for five seasons.
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History was made at the Creative Arts Emmys in 2018 when Black performers swept all four guest-acting categories. Samira Wiley won best guest actress in a drama for "The Handmaid's Tale," Tiffany Haddish won best guest actress in a comedy for hosting "Saturday Night Live," Ron Cephas Jones won best guest actor in a drama for "This Is Us," and Katt Williams won best guest actor in a comedy for "Atlanta." Excellence!
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Singer-actress Diahann Carroll broke one of the biggest barriers in Hollywood when she become the first Black woman to star on a network television series — NBC's "Julia" — in 1968. In 1962, she also became the first Black woman to win a Tony Award.
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Viola Davis made history during the 2015 Emmy Awards when she became the first Black woman to win the prize for outstanding lead actress in a drama series. She took home the Emmy for her performance on "How to Get Away with Murder."
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On Nov. 30, 2022, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously elected New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries as House Democratic leader for the 118th Congress that convened on Jan. 3, 2023, replacing outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — making him the first Black party leader in American history.
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In 2016, Ava DuVernay became the first Black female director to helm a film with a budget of more than $100M when she was selected by Disney to direct an adaptation of "A Wrinkle in Time." It wasn't the first time she made history wither: In 2012, Ava became the first Black woman to win the best director award during the Sundance Film Festival (for her film "Middle of Nowhere"). On top of all that, in 2017, Ava became the first Black woman to receive an Oscar nomination for best documentary feature. That nod was for "13th," which she wrote, directed and produced.
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In 2015, pop-R&B singer The Weeknd became the first artist in history to claim the top three spots on Billboard's Hot R&B Songs chart with "Earned It" at No. 3, "The Hills" at No. 2 and "Can't Feel My Face" at No. 1. Talk about a Starboy!
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Gabby Douglas shattered a ceiling when she won an Olympic gold medal in the all-around gymnastics competition in 2012: She's the first woman of color of any nationality and the first African American gymnast in Olympic history to do it!
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Mary J. Blige made history in 2018 when she became the first person ever — regardless of race or gender — to earn Oscar nominations for both acting and original song during a single year. The Academy recognized the singer-actress for her performance as Florence Jackson in "Mudbound" and also for co-writing the original song "Mighty River," which she sings in the drama. (The double nominations made her the first Black woman to receive multiple Oscar nominations in the same year.)
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In 2015, Misty Copeland became the first woman of color to serve as a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre. "Being one of the few African American women to make it to this level in a classical ballet company, the level of American Ballet Theatre, takes a lot of perseverance," she told the Washington Post.
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On July 8, 2020, The CW and Berlanti Productions announced that Javicia Leslie had been cast as the new star of TV's "Batwoman" following Ruby Rose's exit, making her the first Black actress to portray the character in a live-action television or film production. "I am extremely proud to be the first Black actress to play the iconic role of Batwoman on television, and as a bisexual woman, I am honored to join this groundbreaking show which has been such a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community," Javicia said in a statement.
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During the 2017 Emmys on Sept. 18, Lena Waithe became the first Black woman to win an Emmy for outstanding writing for a comedy series. She shared the award with colleague Aziz Ansari for their work on his show "Master of None."
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In 1993, author Toni Morrison became the first African American and eighth woman to win the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature.
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Tamron Hall made history on the "Today" show when, in 2014, she became the first Black woman to serve as a co-anchor in the show's 65-year history. She's since left the network where she worked for a decade, declining to renew her contract in late January 2017 in the wake of the news that she and Al Roker would no longer be hosting the third hour of "Today" after former FOX News star Megyn Kelly (briefly) joined the network.
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Child actress Quvenzhané Wallis goes down in history as the Oscars' youngest best actress nominee. She was 9 when she received the nod for her performance in "Beasts of the Southern Wild."
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Former NFL coach Tony Dungy made history during Super Bowl XLI in 2007 when he led the Indianapolis Colts to a championship and became the first Black head coach to win a ring.
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Ella Fitzgerald became the first Black female Grammy winner in 1958 when she won the awards for best jazz performance and best female pop vocal performance for her work on the album "Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook."
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Nat King Cole became the first Black network television host when his show, "The Nat King Cole Show," debuted on NBC in 1956. The series ended one year later due to a lack of sponsorship. Nat commented at the time, "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark."
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Keke Palmer broke barriers in 2014 by becoming the first Black woman to play Cinderella on Broadway.
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In 2013, film marketing and PR executive Cheryl Boone Isaacs made history when she became the first Black person to be elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the organization behind the Oscars.
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When she was 13 in 2014, Mo'ne Davis — the first girl to earn a win and pitch a shutout in Little League World Series History — became the first Little League baseball player to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a Little Leaguer. Her athletic prowess and popularity also boosted ratings for the Little League World Series in 2014 to epic new levels: According to The Hollywood Reporter, ESPN's semifinals game coverage marked a record high for junior sports broadcasted on a cable network.
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In 2021, multihyphenate Teyana Taylor became the first Black woman to top Maxim magazine's famed Hot 100 list. The singer, actress, choreographer, director and mother of two covered the mag's July/August 2021 issue. "Somebody pinch me!!!! Maxim Hot 100 to be named the 'Sexiest Woman alive' by literally living in the skin I'm in. WOW…." she began an Instagram post featuring her stunning cover.
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In 2015, Rihanna became the first Black face of Dior. "It feels fantastic," she told MTV of the milestone. "It is such a big deal for me, for my culture, for a lot of young girls of any color."
