Hollywood Blackout: The battle for recognition in a white Hollywood

by Ben Arogundade

On 29 February 1940, African American actor Hattie McDaniel became the first person of colour, and the first Black woman, to win an Academy Award. The moment marked the beginning of Hollywood's reluctant move toward diversity and inclusion.

Since then, minorities and women have struggled to attain Academy Awards recognition within a system designed to discriminate against them. For the first time, Hollywood Blackout reveals the untold story of their tumultuous journey from exclusion to inclusion; from segregation to celebration.

Author Ben Arogundade interweaves the experiences of Black actors and filmmakers with those of Asians, Latinos, South Asians, indigenous peoples and women. Throughout the decades their progression to the Oscars podium has been galvanized by defiant boycotts, civil rights protests and social media activism such as #OscarsSoWhite.


Whether you are a film fan, history lover or diversity advocate, Hollywood Blackout is the quintessential choice for all those who wish to know the real story of Hollywood, the Oscars and the talents who fought to make change.

415 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2025

About the author

I am an award-winning author, journalist, designer and broadcaster from London. I have written for The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Evening Standard, Elle and GQ, amongst others, and on a diverse range of subjects, including race and diversity, sport, politics, music and relationships.

I am also a voiceover artist and radio broadcaster for the BBC World Service. I have voiced audiobooks for titles by George Orwell, Charles Darwin, Bernadine Evaristo and many others.

I have authored and edited 12 works of fiction and non-fiction, including Black Beauty: A History and a Celebration, which was honoured by the New York Public Library and adapted into a three-part BBC documentary.

I recently launched my own publishing imprint, White Labels Books, as vehicle for special projects. Its latest venture, My Terrifying, Shocking, Humiliating, Amazing Adventures in Online Dating is currently being adapted for television.

My latest book, Hollywood Blackout: Race, Diversity & The Oscars, was published worldwide by Hachette in February 2025.

Reviews

[Dee Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an extremely interesting & informative read. I enjoyed reading about Gone With the Wind. Hattie McDaniels is an impressive woman. She was set up to fail, but she refused to give up, keeping her chin high with pride & courage when she was attacked by both sides. There's a lot I didn't know about her.

“I've learned by livin' and watchin' that there is only eighteen inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the seat of the pants." Hattie McDaniels, 1941

She succeeded in winning an Oscar, but failed to land progressive roles after that. She didn't change Hollywood, but she tried. And she did make a difference.

Here are a few of the many Black people I enjoyed learning about (amongst many of the others that are mentioned in this book):

Charles Butler
Sydney Poitier

“I like to think it will help someone. But I don't believe my Oscar will be a sort of Magic wand that will wipe away the restrictions on job opportunities for Negro actors." Sidney Poitier, 1964

Louis Gossett Jr. 
Denzel Washington Jr. 

“I'll always be chasing you, Sidney. I'll always be following in your footsteps. There's nothing I would rather do, sir... God bless you." Denz Washington, 2002

Cheryl Boone Isaacs
Mo'Nique 

“I just felt Hattie all over me at that moment, for showing that it can be about the performance and not the politics... for enduring all that she had to so that I would not have to." Mo'Nique, 2010

Lupita Nyong'o

“When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that, no matter where you're from, your dreams are valid." Lupita Nyong'o, 2014

Notable Oscars:
1940
1964
1973
1982
1986
1988
1990
1996
2002
2014
2015

If you want to know more about Hollywood & its racism through the years, this book is for you. Eye-opening, educational, and emotional.

#OscarsSoWhite

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy. I am so grateful.

[Silver Screen Videos · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of Blacks in the movie industry is as old as the industry itself. A 29-second silent film entitled “Something Good—Negro Kiss” from 1898 depicts a black couple kissing and holding hands. Unfortunately, the history of racial prejudice in the film industry is almost as old. One of the most technically accomplished silent films ever made, D.W. Griffith’s 1915 epic, “Birth of a Nation,” is also one of the most racist. Although many film scholars have written about “Birth of a Nation,” few studies have explored the many black performers who worked in film, both in front of and behind the camera, since 1898. Ben Arogundade attempts to correct that omission in “Hollywood Blackout,” a meticulously researched and detailed study of the history of Blacks and other minorities in the film industry.

“Hollywood Blackout” is primarily a study of Blacks in the film industry, but the author also examines the changing status of other minorities, including Latinos, Asians, Native Americans, and women. Although the book looks primarily at the accomplishments and representation of actors, it also looks at minorities and women in behind-the-camera capacities like directors and screenwriters. The author includes some mini-biographies of seminal figures like Hattie McDaniel, Sidney Poitier, and Denzel Washington. The author concentrates on the Academy Awards, focusing on the presence or absence of Blacks and other minorities among Oscar nominees and winners.

Recognition and inclusion of minorities in the film industry have been agonizingly slow, especially before the 21st century. “Hollywood Blackout” traces that process, beginning with the advent of the Hollywood studio era after World War I. Many people wanted to appear in the movies. These often untrained and untalented would-be actors, inundated Hollywood, clamoring for any parts they could get in films. Most of those roles are what we now consider extras, although the number of applicants far exceeded the available parts. The flood of would-be extras of all nationalities attracted negative press attention, so the influential Central Casting Corporation was founded in 1925 to organize the hiring process better. The agency started a specialized African American division in 1927, headed by Charles Butler. He soon became the most influential Black in Hollywood. Blacks began to be seen on-screen more often as extras, usually playing domestic servants. Those with comic or musical talent got bigger parts, although often at a humiliating price. Veteran vaudeville performer Lincoln Perry was believed to be the first black actor to get credits billing in a film under the demeaning stage name he was given, Stepin Fetchit.

I consider myself relatively well-versed in Hollywood history, yet almost all of this material was new. I was shocked and fascinated, but not really surprised to learn most of it. Once “Hollywood Blackout” moved into more recent times, the names and stories became more familiar. The author devoted considerable space to the story of Hattie McDaniel, who rose from Central Casting days as a domestic extra to playing the same type of role in the most expensive film made to date, “Gone with the Wind.” I knew McDaniel could not attend the movie’s premiere in Atlanta due to the segregation laws in Atlanta at the time. However, I didn’t know that Clark Gable had to personally intervene to get the “Whites only” and “Colored only” signs removed from port-a-potties on the set during filming. I also didn’t know that the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood, where the 1939 Oscars were presented to Hattie McDaniel and other winners, was also segregated, and the studio had to make special arrangements to allow her and her escort to attend the ceremony. And I didn’t know that McDaniel couldn’t be buried in the Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery when she died in 1952 because the cemetery, like the Ambassador Hotel and much of Hollywood, was still segregated.

“Hollywood Blackout” is filled with sad yet fascinating stories like these. The 2002 Oscar ceremonies were especially poignant when Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won the Best Actress and Actor Oscars on the same night and stage as Sidney Poitier was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. The author points out that progress in black representation at the Oscars was often accompanied by significant world events affecting civil rights. McDaniel’s Oscar nomination and victory followed Hitler’s invasion of Poland. Sidney Poitier’s win for Best Actor in 1964 came a few months after Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and the march on Washington. More recently, in 2017, after the #OscarsSoWhite campaign highlighted the lack of minority acting nominees in the two previous years, nine of the 20 nominees and two winners (Viola Davis and Mahershala Ali) were persons of color. The author shows how the #OscarsSoWhite and similar campaigns came to pass and their effects on the Academy Awards voting practices.

My major criticism of “Hollywood Blackout” concerns its focus on one highly visible but tiny aspect of minority presence in the film industry… the Oscars. Only 20 actors receive Oscar nominations each year, yet thousands more have successful careers without getting close to an Academy Award. I realize that data from the early days of Hollywood is sketchy, but figures for minority representation in the industry today are readily available. Actors like Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart will probably never get Oscar nominations, but they do well financially and at the box office. Yet, after a promising start, “Hollywood Blackout” focuses almost entirely on the presence (or lack thereof) of minorities at the Oscars. The Blaxploitation phenomenon of the 1970s isn’t mentioned (other than Isaac Hayes’s Oscar for the theme from “Shaft”), and the groundbreaking 1940s musical “Cabin in the Sky” (directed by Vincente Minnelli with an all-black cast) gets one brief mention. The author finds time to describe the changes in the design of the Oscar statuette over the years and the outfits minority nominees wore to the ceremonies in different years but not significant events in filmmaking that didn’t involve the Academy Awards per se.

Racism and discrimination in Hollywood are less prevalent today than in previous decades, but they still exist. No black director has ever won the Best Director Oscar, although two films with black directors and predominantly black casts (“12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlighting”) have won the Best Picture Oscars in the last decade. “Hollywood Blackout” demonstrates the ugly side of racism in the industry, with depressing, often shocking anecdotes and dozens of pages of interesting facts and figures. The author has taken his detailed research and presented it in a form that’s both easily readable and compelling (including a yearly chronology of significant milestones). I recommend “Hollywood Blackout” for those interested in the film industry or current events.

NOTE: The publisher graciously provided me with a copy of this book through NetGalley. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of this review are entirely my own.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙩 is an ambitious book by author Ben Arogundade about the history of The Academy Awards' ingrained racism against Black and other ethnic groups when it comes to awarding those groups Oscar nominations or wins.

The book starts out with an analysis of the first film to ever feature a Black cast. That chapter also discussed some of the earliest films made by Blacks and other ethnic groups in the 1898 to 1929 period. One of the key parts of that chapter for me at least was learning how and why the NAACP was formed back in 1909. In that chapter I also learned who the first Black super-agent was and his name was Charles Butler. A lot of Black actors (extras too) in the 1920s and 1930s were able to work on numerous films because of his name, influence, and hard work and the Central Casting company that he worked for.

Chapter 2 American Goodness (1930-1940) was one of the highlights of the book as it explored the ups and downs of Hattie McDaniel who is the first Black actor to win an Oscar.

Pages 110-111 will anger you and sort of tug at your heart. In those two pages I learned that the late Louis Gossett Jr. who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1983 for 𝘈𝘯 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘯, went through some serious trials and tribulations years after his Oscar win. Read those pages and you'll see what I mean.

This book picked up for me by Chapter 5 (Hollywood Blackout 1984-2002) because the period in which the chapter was about is one of my favorite periods for movies. The chapter though began with a sad and humiliating story about Gossett Jr. in 1968. That story in my opinion should have been put in chapter 4 when the writer began talking about Gossett Jr. That story put me in a dark cloud instead of in the good mood that I was supposed to be in as I started reading that chapter.

On pages 239-240, the book's author put together one of his best analyses of the Academy Awards' racist culture. On those two pages he went in on how for decades and decades that the Academy's culture of voters seem to relish only awarding Oscar wins or nominations to Black actresses in the supporting category NOT the lead category. And these roles that these Black actresses are awarded or nominated for are of servants, maids, cooks, or some other subservient role.

Probably the best sentence in the book was on page 243, "Filmmaking today is still about men promoting and rewarding themselves." But on that page up until the top of page 244, he also wrote an infuriating and contradictory (in my opinion) paragraph on Blacks and their agenda at the Academy Awards and in showbiz in general. That paragraph is a part of one of my gripes with this book and its premise, basis, or general idea.

Pros of 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙩: The book explored the injustices and/or racism behind the nominations of Blacks and other ethnic groups when it comes to awarding or nominating those groups for Oscars since the awards' inception in the late 1920s. The book was essentially a well-researched book that also served as a 250-page rant by the author on what he saw as a prejudicial and insular organization, which is the Academy Awards voting culture.

Cons of 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙩: The author used the book's title as a ruse to get Blacks like me to buy the book. I actually checked out the book from my local library but that's not the point. The book was supposed to be about how Blacks were ignored for decades and decades when it came to awards and nominations from the Academy Awards voting culture which it was in some ways, but he also used the book to talk about other ethnic groups and their struggles to get their actors and actresses awarded and nominated for Oscars.

Arogundade took up lots and lots of valuable pages in the book to talk about matters that had nothing to do with Black actors, actresses, producers, directors, and writers in regard to the Academy Awards. If he wanted to write a book about Asian, Latino, Native American, or Indian actors, actresses, writers, directors, and producers and such then he should have wrote a separate book(s) about their achievements and the lack of respect for their works from the Academy Awards voting culture.

He even had a few pages in this book where he chastised Black entertainers for wanting to advance or champion their culture in the dramatic arts instead of them doing the same for other ethnic groups. When was the last time other ethnic groups in Hollywood championed or spoke out about the injustices against or the prejudicial nature of TV and movie studios against Black artists in Hollywood? Never.

In conclusion, 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙩 was an ambitious effort and it was well written, but the book is also contradictory, a rant in many ways, and much of the book's subject matter could have been used for other books. It's a trip how someone writes a book called 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙩 and then in a sneaky way near the end of the book or in the epilogue chastises Blacks for going for theirs or championing the efforts of their own ethnic group in Hollywood. This book like I said was well written and the author made a lot of cogent points or arguments for better representation of all races in Hollywood, but someone needs to write a book on the history of the Oscars from a Black male and female standpoint (actors, directors, and producers) and those demographics only.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

For this and other reviews, subscribe to my blog at www.bargain-sleuth.com

Thanks to NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I used to watch the Academy Awards religiously as a teen and young adult. As the years have gone by, I haven’t really tuned in to the broadcast but avidly read up on the event. I knew the history of African Americans winning the Oscar: first it was Hattie McDaniel, then 20+ years later, it was Sidney Poitier, then 20 years later, it was Louis Gossett, Jr. Hollywood Blackout discusses all this and more in its pages. The lack of BIPOC representation in the movies has long been a problem, not just for African Americans, but Indigenous people, Latinos, Asians, and any other minority. It also discusses the roles women have played in Hollywood and the glass ceiling that still exists in the community for such roles as director and producer.

The book takes a long look at the history of how white Hollywood was, and is, today. It breaks down how roles for BIPOC performers were usually harmful stereotypes, yet if they wanted to work, they took the jobs. Hattie McDaniel may have been the first person of color to win an Academy Award, but it did not open any more doors or get her better roles. Halle Berry, who was the first Black woman to win Best Actress, said the same thing happened to her.

What I did find most interesting in the book is that as the years go by, small strides are made, from Denzel Washington winning two Academy Awards, to Ang Lee winning Best Director, all the way up to last year’s Asian explosion with wins in several categories. Much of the work to balance the Academy’s voters was done by Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the first African American president of the Academy. What was once an almost exclusively old, white male voting populace has now better representation among BIPOC and women, but there’s still a long way to go. It’s indicative of the country as a whole, in that the people in power are still generally old, white males who do not speak for the majority of the country.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of film or race relations in Hollywood. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Rachel Ottenstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a film history fan and proponent of social justice, I was exactly the target audience of this book and loved it! 

I knew of some of these events before reading but it expanded on them, set the context, and dived into the contributing factors. It gave me more perspective on why actors would take certain roles and how much these awards mean. It quoted viewpoints of all sides, while keeping a liberal logical analysis that I agreed with. I added several movies to my watchlist from this and it made me appreciate some I’d seen even more. I knew things were bad but some of these statistics were especially alarming and others resonated with my experience working in the industry. 

A must read for anyone trying to make movies or even just fans of film history. Diversity in films helps the world in so many ways and hopefully the progress only continues and expands

[Danny B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hollywood Blackout gave significant insight into the racist and segregated history of Hollywood and its Oscars Ceremony, all the way to the point of where the industry is now. Although major change has been implemented and a wider variety of stories have been able to be told through the lens of diverse filmmakers and talent, there is still a ways to go before we can reach a point where there isn’t a majority that rules over the industry but instead a shared split between creatives that deserve to be there through their talent and ability to tell stories in a way that will resonate with audiences globally. A must read for anyone in the entertainment industry.

[Sarah Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ The Vibes ✨
An exploration of how Black actors and filmmakers have impacted Hollywood and faced discrimination from the industry they helped shape

📖 Read if…
✨ You’re interested in Hollywood history
✨ You gravitate towards nonfiction that incorporates themes of social justice
✨ You want a book that’s good on audio

Hollywood history is a favorite subject of mine and I’m always on the lookout for books that explore parts of that history that don’t often make the headlines, which was why I was drawn to Hollywood Blackout.

The book serves as a chronological history of Black cinema, performers, and creators, and covers everything from the early films in the 1800s to more recent releases, with special focus on representation at the Oscars. There’s many stories about Oscar winners like Hattie McDaniel and Halle Berry, and plenty of biographical information about other notable figures.

I appreciated the breadth of information Arogundade covered in this book. Not only did he cover more than a century of Black cinema, he also explored how Hollywood’s prejudice has impacted others, including Indigenous people, and the Latinx and Asian communities (specifically in the context of the Oscars). While it’s by no means a complete history (I don’t think any book could do that), it’s a very comprehensive one.

I really enjoyed reading this book (and thought it was a phenomenal listen on audio), but I will say if you read a lot about Hollywood history, a lot of this information won’t be new. I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing as the context and analysis Arogundade provides is what really brings the book to life, but I personally was just looking for some more new information.

Hollywood Blackout is available now. Thanks to Cassell and NetGally for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Luv2TrvlLuvBks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Factually informative dense read. It spans a cinematic history from actors in blackface to the inroads BIPOC actors have made. Still more work to be done. Distracting font though as at times in bold abruptly and large. This interrupted the flow of the read and bit distracting.


This ARC was made available for by the publisher, Octupius Publsihing, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.