The queen of Sugar Hill : a novel of Hattie McDaniel
(Book)

"In The Queen of Sugar Hill, ReShonda Tate illuminates the little-known story of Hattie McDaniel, the first Black person to ever win an Academy Award, for her role in Gone with the Wind. Tate brilliantly depicts the tale of this extraordinary trailblazer and the extraordinary circumstances she overcame in a book that is important and inspiring." --PAM JENOFF, New York Times bestselling author

"It was supposed to be the highlight of her career, the pinnacle for which she’d worked all her life. And as Hattie McDaniel took the stage in 1940 to claim an honor that would make her the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award, she tearfully took her place in history. Or so she thought." ...Publisher.

The first African-American woman to win an Academy Award, Hattie McDaniel, when the Oscar curse sets in, is thrust in the middle of two worlds--black and white--and is not welcomed in either but, through it all, continued her fight to pave a path for other Negro actors.

"Months after her win, the Oscar curse set in -- Hattie couldn't find work. She was thrust between two worlds--Black and white--but she wasn't welcome by either.Whites saw her only as Mammy and Blacks detested the demeaning portrayal. As the NAACP waged an all-out war against Hattie and others like her, the emotionally conflicted actor found herself struggling daily. Luckily, she had a core group of friends who helped and supported her--from Clark Gable and Louise Beavers to Ruby Berkley Goodwin and Dorothy Dandridge. Hattie continued her fight to pave a path for Negro actors that is still felt today, all while navigating four failed marriages, focusing on war efforts, and fighting the housing discrimination that made her the very queen of Sugar Hill.",Publisher.