Who was the first African American woman to win the Best Actress Oscar?

Halle Berry was the first African American woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress, taking the prize for *Monster’s Ball* at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002.

Berry played Leticia Musgrove, a grieving widow whose life intersects with a prison-guard family in the drama. Her win was historic because previous Black women Oscar winners—including Whoopi Goldberg—had won in supporting categories, not Best Actress.

Her acceptance speech famously connected the achievement to earlier performers such as Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, and Diahann Carroll. Berry remains the only Black woman to have won Best Actress, despite later nominations for several performers.