“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 you who had a part in selecting me for one of their awards, for your kindness. It 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.”
– Hattie McDaniel, winner of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1940 for her role as Mammy in Gone with the Wind.
Source: McDaniel’s acceptance speech, 12th Annual Academy Awards, February 29, 1940
