
When Hattie McDaniel was the first Black person to win an Oscar in 1941 (Best Supporting Actress for "Gone With The Wind") She had to wait in the hotel kitchen until her name was called because the event was held in a "No Negroes Allowed" venue: The Coconut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel. She was allowed on the premises as a special favor to the studio. The studio also provided her with her acceptance speech.
"Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, fellow members of the motion picture industry and honored guests, this is one of the happiest moments of my life and I want to thank each one of who had a part in selecting me for one of their awards; for your kindness that has made me feel very, very humble. And I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything that I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel and may I say thank you and God bless you."
"Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, fellow members of the motion picture industry and honored guests, this is one of the happiest moments of my life and I want to thank each one of who had a part in selecting me for one of their awards; for your kindness that has made me feel very, very humble. And I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything that I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel and may I say thank you and God bless you."