McDaniel's emotional, and inspiringly brief, remarks don't allude to the fact that she and her escort were seated at a table near the kitchen, far from the podium and her fellow "Gone with the Wind" cast members' table. Two months prior, Georgia's segregationist laws prevented her from attending the Atlanta premiere.
It would take the Academy over two decades to single out another African-American actor's performance---Sidney Poitier, 1963's Best Actor for his performance in "Lilies of the Field."
- Open Culture