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Directed the Homesteaders, the first film to be directed by an African American
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First African American ever to win an Academy Award (Best supporting actor)
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First African American actress to be featured on a sitcom, Beulah
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first African American man to win Academy Award for Best Actor
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first African American star of a television drama, and made an effort to be seen as a positive image of a African American woman on TV through her career
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first African American to be in a lead role on TV
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One of the first shows to portray a successful African American family
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First African American to host a talk show.
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First African American actor to be nominated for 6 categories and to win two Academy Awards for acting, Best Actor and Best Actor in a Supporting Role
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first African American woman to win Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy.
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First African American actress to win Best Actress in a Leading Role
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Creator of BET (Black Entertainment Television), and became the first African American billionaire.
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First African American to own a TV and film studio.
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Youngest African American to be nominated for a Academy Award
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The first African American screenwriter to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay