Hattie McDaniel’s Missing Academy Award Plaque to Finally Return Home to Howard University
After winning an Academy Award in 1940 as the first Black person to do so, Hattie McDaniel referred to the plaque she received as a cherished beacon of accomplishment. Portraying Mammy, an agreeable slave in the film “Gone With the Wind,” McDaniel’s award was significant at the time, but the movie has since received criticism for its portrayal of slavery. McDaniel faced criticism throughout her career for accepting stereotypical roles but believed that her work would open doors for future Black actors. With that in mind, she bequeathed her Oscar plaque to Howard University in Washington.
However, for the past 50 years, McDaniel’s plaque has been missing. Now, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences plans to fill this cinematic void by providing a replacement plaque to Howard University. The university will receive the plaque in a ceremony titled “Hattie’s Come Home,” which will take place this weekend.
Jill Watts, the author of “Hattie McDaniel: Black Ambition, White Hollywood,” expressed that the replacement is long overdue. She emphasized the historical significance of the award, both within the film industry and American history, as well as its personal meaning to McDaniel. Watts believes that McDaniel would be thrilled to know that her plaque is finally returning to its intended home.
Kevin Goff, McDaniel’s great-grandnephew, revealed that his father began petitioning for a replacement plaque in the 1990s and believes that this decision will solidify McDaniel’s legacy.
Over the years, there have been various theories about the whereabouts of the missing plaque, which was different from traditional Oscar statues and given to all supporting acting winners from 1936 to 1942. Rumors suggest that it may have been stolen during student unrest at the university in the late 1960s. However, these rumors remain unverified, and the plaque has never appeared for sale on platforms like eBay.
W. Burlette Carter, a professor at George Washington University’s law school, previously wrote a paper about the missing award. She speculates that it may still be somewhere at Howard University, possibly misplaced during a relocation of the drama department.
In 2005, after her book’s publication, Watts and several others approached the Academy about replacing the Oscar, but they were met with a firm denial. However, the Academy’s stance has since changed, and the replacement plaque will soon be housed at the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.
Jacqueline Stewart, the president of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, and Bill Kramer, the chief executive of the Academy, expressed their excitement for the upcoming ceremony, stating that it would celebrate McDaniel’s remarkable craft and historic win. They emphasized that McDaniel was a groundbreaking artist who forever influenced the course of cinema and inspired generations of performers.