At Broadway Stages, we love to celebrate the diverse talent that makes the film and television industry such an enjoyable place to work. In honor of Black History Month, we share a four-part series that remembers the legends who paved the way for today’s performers, and highlights breakout stars of the last decade who continue their legacies and represent the rich diversity of Black culture and history.

We begin with Bahamian-American actor Sidney Poitier, who passed away in January at the age of 94. In 1964, Poitier became the first Black actor to win an Oscar when he was honored for his lead performance in 1963’s “Lilies of the Field.” He starred in many popular films of the decade that addressed racial inequality and examined prejudice, including “To Sir With Love,” “In the Heat of the Night,” and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” – and that’s just his output from 1967. Later in his career, Poitier directed films in hopes of advancing the careers of other Black actors, including 1980’s “Stir Crazy,” starring legendary comic Richard Pryor.

Poitier had an astonishing career and opened the door for future actors-turned-directors like Denzel Washington, who currently stars in “The Tragedy of Macbeth” and directed the recently released “A Journal for Jordan,” starring Michael B. Jordan. In 2002, Washington became the second Black performer to win an Oscar for Best Actor when he was honored for 2001’s “Training Day.” Since then, Jamie Foxx and Forest Whitaker (star of “Godfather of Harlem” filmed at Broadway Stages) have also won the coveted award. In 2002 Washington also became the first Black actor to win two Oscars, as he previously won for a supporting role in 1989’s “Glory,” a film that won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. With a star-filled cast that includes Andre Braugher and the legendary Morgan Freeman, “Glory” tells the story of the Union Army’s first African-American regiment in the Civil War. The only other Black actor to win two Oscars is Mahershala Ali, who won in the supporting category for 2016’s “Moonlight” and 2018’s “Green Book,” two films that also won Best Picture. Ali is also the first Muslim to win in an acting category.

The first Black actress to win an Oscar was Hattie McDaniel, who won Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Mammy in 1939’s “Gone With the Wind.” McDaniel faced very long odds and intense discrimination, as the ceremony was held in a “whites only” hotel in Los Angeles, and producer David O. Selznick had to get special permission so she could enter the building at all.

Another Black actress would not win an Oscar for 50 years, when Whoopi Goldberg (also the first Black EGOT winner) won in the same category for 1990’s “Ghost.” It would take another decade before a Black woman would win as a lead actress. In 2002, Halle Berry took home the top prize for “Monster’s Ball.” To date, she is still the only Black actress to win in this category, though many have won as supporting actresses in the last 20 years, including Jennifer Hudson, Mo’Nique, Octavia Spencer, Lupita Nyong’o, Viola Davis, and Regina King, who has also found success behind the camera.

King has directed more than a dozen episodes of popular television programs including “Scandal” and “This Is Us.” Last year, her critically acclaimed directorial debut “One Night in Miami…” earned three Oscar nominations. The film imagines what transpired during a February 1964 meeting of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, and Sam Cooke in a hotel room following Ali’s surprise title win over Sonny Liston. Leslie Odom Jr. earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Cooke.