Over the years, Hollywood, and the Academy Awards, have been criticized harshly for their failure to recognize minorities in film.  It's easy to see why, when we consider that Hollywood is a business, above all else, and despite a mission to reflect our society, and challenge the audience, the 'business' is aimed at middle America, which, it is assumed, has a tendency to prefer European actors (by that I mean white) in films that don't hit too far below the belt.

As a result of this business ethic, blacks have not always been portrayed fairly in film, and the Academy has rarely recognized the work of black actors. 

Whether Hollywood intended to or not, the portrayal of blacks in movies throughout the years, has been, to some extent, a reflection of society's ever-changing mood toward, and general perception of, black people.  

In the early days of film, there were no leading black actors.  Hollywood wrote for middle America, and the films they produced were generally about white characters with white problems.  Black actors, when they were seen on film, generally played the hired or enslaved help, and were most often the comic relief.  

The great Eugene Jackson died in October of 2001, with very little fan fare, despite a multifaceted career in film and on stage.  Born in 1916, most of his talents were reserved for vaudeville.  On the screen, he was relegated to roles reserved for black actors, which included a recurring part in the Our Gang series.  In the Best Picture winner, Cimarron,  Jackson played Isaiah, a black servant, who's main function is to fan the guests from atop the chandelier.  

Throughout the thirties, playing 'the help' was pretty much the only work a black actor could get.  Gone With the Wind perhaps showcased this more than any other film, offering plum parts to Butterfly McQueen and Hattie McDaniel.  While the actresses were excellent in their roles of slaves on the fictitious plantation, Tara, the film failed to explore the issue of slavery and racism, beyond a superficial belief that they were a part of the family.

Hollywood patted itself on the back by giving McDaniel the first Oscar ever awarded to a black person. As a nominee, she was also the first black actor invited to attend the ceremonies.  Despite complaints from various factions, including the American Labor Party of the day, that called Gone With the Wind an 'insult to President Abraham Lincoln and the Negro people', black newspapers cheered McDaniel's win for Best Supporting Actress. 

McDaniel responded to the criticism during her acceptance speech, saying, "I sincerely hope that I shall always be a credit to my race, and to the motion picture industry'.  Later on she told Louella Parson's that she loved her character of Mammy, because she reminded her of her own grandmother, who 'worked on a plantation not unlike Tara'.  

In 1947, Walt Disney released Song of the South, an animated film containing several morality tales, which was narrated by the great James Baskett, playing Uncle Remus.  While he wasn't nominated for an acting award, the Academy saw fit to honor him with a special statue, citing his brilliant characterization of the fabled storyteller.

It wasn't until 1949 that the Academy finally recognized a film that tackled the issue of racism head on.  Two years after his film Gentleman's Agreement, a story about anti-Semitism,  Elia Kazan took on the issue of race relations with a film called Pinky.  

The story centered around a young white woman with a black grandmother.  She leaves her small town to rise above the position that society has put her in, and returns as a nurse.  She nurses a rich white woman in her declining weeks and upon the woman's death, she is willed her property and estate.  This enrages several members of the town, who fight to keep her from getting it.  While the story looks at the issues of racism, it goes a step further, as Pinky must learn to accept her heritage as well.

Never before had a film so boldly discussed the issue of blacks in American society, and it had an impact.  The civil rights movements that would become heated in the fifties, were in their infancy at this time, and this film had an impact on how American's viewed themselves.  While it might be a cop out today, it was a smart casting move on Elia Kazan's part back in 1949, to  cast white actress, Jeanne Crain in the lead role, of a light skinned woman, as she easily became someone that middle America could identify with. Jeanne Crain was nominated for Best Actress for her part, and Ethel Barrymore was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, along side Ethel Waters, who became the second woman to receive a nomination for an Oscar.  

While none of the actresses won the award, it was certainly an step forward for black actors.  Pinky got people talking, and as the burgeoning civil rights movement took shape in the early fifties, the message of Pinky was heard loud and clear.  Unfortunately, it was only the first step, and the civil rights movement had a long fight ahead.

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Ethel Waters as Granny takes the stand in defense of her daughter. 

Pinky finally comes to the conclusion that she cannot deny her black heritage.

Here is a selection of  films that can be purchased on DVD or VHS!