At the 14th annual Governors Awards on Tuesday night, Angela Bassett officially became an Oscar winner. Although some may have felt that the honor was the Academy’s consolation prize for them failing to award the decorated and beloved Black actress a Oscar on more than one occasion—(I, along with many feel like she’s well-deserving of it for both her role in “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”—it was still momentous and awe-inspiring evening thanks in large part to her moving acceptance speech.
Before getting up to accept her Oscar, Bassett was honored by yet another beloved pillar in Black Hollywood and the industry at-large: Regina King. Describing her “sister” as “artistic excellence embodied in human form,” the “One Night in Miami” director showered her close friend with praise before sharing a sweet kiss moments before Bassett’s speech began.
The “Waiting to Exhale” star began by “offering a lifetime of gratitude” to her friends and family—namely her supportive husband Courtney B. Vance, children Slater and Bronwyn, deceased mother Betty and deceased aunt—her team, and her production company Bassett Vance Productions. She also took the time to thank past directors, cast and crew members for working alongside her.
But it was when she decided to reflect on the history of Black actresses in Hollywood and contextualize what her win means in the broader landscape of what’s possible for Black artists that her words turned from a speech to a riveting rallying cry:
“I thought long and hard about what I’d say this evening. This, for me, is not just another award. It’s a testament to my legacy. This trophy represents my contributions to this medium of film, all that I’ve given of my mind, body and spirit as an actress who is a Black woman. So, do I go the route of saying a few words of gratitude for what this moment means to me? Or do I give voice to what I hope this moment should mean for generations of Black actresses to come? As I look to future, I think that it would be of service to face that which we all must contend as we look toward tomorrow and beyond. We are days away from Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. And something he once said touched my spirit in thinking about what I would say this evening: ‘we are not makers of history. We are made by history.’”
Source: Watch Angela Bassett Give Your Favorite Black Actresses Their Flowers in Powerful Oscar Speech
