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Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to receive an Academy Award. McDaniel appeared in over 300 films, and although she received screen credits in less than one third of these productions, she gained global fame for her role in Gone With the Wind. Given limited opportunities in Hollywood for women of color, Hattie often played the role of a domestic servant. However, her portrayal of "Mammy" in Gone With the Wind won critical acclaim. Her dignified behind-the-scenes protest led many of her more-famous contemporaries like Clark Gable to become aware of the discrimination that Black actors faced, as well as the way that African Americans were portrayed in motion pictures.

Hattie McDaniel's childhood home in Fort Collins

Hattie McDaniel's childhood home in Fort Collins

Despite winning an Oscar, McDaniel could not attend the segregated premiere of Gone WIth the Wind and continued to be casted as a servant in most Hollywood productions

Despite winning an Oscar, McDaniel could not attend the segregated premiere of Gone WIth the Wind and continued to be casted as a servant in most Hollywood productions

Jill Watts, Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood-Click the link below for more information about this book

Jill Watts, Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood-Click the link below for more information about this book

Donald Bogle, Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood-Click the link below for more information about this book

Donald Bogle, Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood-Click the link below for more information about this book
"This house was the childhood home of Hattie McDaniel, an actress most famous for her role as Mammy in the 1939 epic movie Gone With The Wind, earning her the prestige of being the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (visit link) . She became the first African-American to attend the Academy Awards as a guest, not a servant.

Over the course of her career, McDaniel appeared in over 300 films, although she received screen credits for only about 80. She gained the respect of the show business community with her generosity, elegance and charm.

McDaniel has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Hollywood; one for her contributions to radio and one for motion pictures. In 1975, she was inducted into the Black Filmakers [sic] Hall of Fame and in 2006 became the first Black Oscar winner honored with a US postage stamp.

McDaniel lived in Fort Collins for several years as a child, and [sic] this house, one of the last remaining of the small African-American community in Fort Collins in the early 20th Century."

This is currently an occupied, private home, so please be respectful of the owners.
http://www.fcgov.com/historicpreservation/pdf/top20list.pdf