For Best Director in the 2020 film “Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao was the first woman of color to receive the award for Best Director at the Academy Awards.
However, it is also important to note that the very first African American to receive an Oscar was Hattie McDaniel for her role as Mammy in “Gone With the Wind.” This is very significant because during the film’s era, segregation was still put into legislation. This is why her attendance at the 12th Academy Awards made history and was a key moment before the Civil Rights Movement took off.