Talk show hostess, stand up comedian, singer and actress Mo'Nique gave one of the best acceptance speeches ever at the 82nd Academy Awards. Mo'Nique won for Best Supporting Actress and paid homage not only to her wonderful husband, but to another fabulous actress from seventy (70) years ago. Who is she? Her name is Hattie McDaniel, who was the first black actress to (be nominated) win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Gone With the Wind (circa 1939). Ms. McDaniel loved the flower, gardenia, and was often photographed with them in her hair or holding a bouquet of gardenias.
Hattie had a hard life, was married four times, and passed away from breast cancer in 1952 at the age of 57. I did some research into Hattie's life and found that she appeared in 300 films and wished to be interred along with her fellow actors in a well-known cemetery in the Los Angeles Area. The Director of the cemetery declined Hattie's requested stating they did not inter black people in their cemetery. When I read that, my heart dropped. Hattie can win an Oscar, but was discriminated against for burial because of the color of her skin? What is that? Shear ignorance!
In essence, Mo'Nique paid homage to her mentor, the late, great Hattie McDaniel. I believe that Hattie would have been proud of Mo'Nique for including her in her acceptance speech, especially the part about not basing the merits of winning the award on politics. True, and well said.
Copyright, 2009, by Peeper Talk. All rights reserved.
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