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Angela Bassett Pays Tribute to Black Actresses in Honorary Oscar Speech


Angela Bassett gave a special shout-out to her fellow Black actresses while accepting an honorary Oscar for her contributions to the entertainment industry

“When acting took hold of my heart, there was not a clear path to what success could look like because there were so few, so few Black actresses prominent in television or film,” Bassett, 65, said during her speech at the 2024 Governors Awards on Tuesday, January 9. “For me, those trailblazing actors, like Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Rosalind Cash, they were my North Star and my guiding light, proof that while the road may not be without curves and bumps, there was a way to fulfill what I believed deep in my soul was my destiny.” Earlier in her speech, Bassett also gave a shout-out to other Black Oscar winners, including Hattie McDaniel, Whoopi Goldberg, Halle Berry, Jennifer Hudson, Mo’Nique, Octavia Spencer, Lupita Nyong’o, Viola Davis, Regina King and Ariana DeBose.

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