Video: 'Hattie McDaniel winning Best Supporting Actress'

(Thursday, February 29, 1940, 8:30 p.m. PST) — Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Oscar tonight when she was named Best Supporting Actress for her performance as a house servant in Gone With The Wind, which won eight awards, including Best Picture.

Video: 'Hattie McDaniel.m4v'

In accepting the award at a banquet in the Coconut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, McDaniel expressed promised to be “a credit to my race” before bursting into tears.