Oscar Winners of African Heritage 2007-2021 Quiz

Answer: The Help

Octavia was presented the Best Supporting Actress Oscar by Christian Bale at the 84th Academy Awards. Octavia was awarded the Oscar for her role as Minny Jackson in the 2011 "The Help".

In "The Help", Minnie Jackson was a maid who worked for the Holbrook family until she made the "mistake" of using the bathroom and was fired. Now she works for the Foote family and finds a home and the courage to leave her abusive husband and begin a new life.

After receiving the Oscar, Octavia said, "Thank you, Academy, for putting me with the hottest guy in the room".

Octavia's fellow nominees were:

Bérénice Bejo for "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain for "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy for "Bridesmaid"
Janet McTeer for "Albert Nobbs"

Answer: Fences

At the 89th Academy Awards, Viola Davis was presented with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar by Mark Rylance. She played Rose Maxson in the 2016 "Fences". Viola also played Rose in the Broadway play.

In "Fences", Rose Maxson just wants to make a good life for her son Cory and her husband's daughter Raynell while her husband, Troy, drinks to his glory days and waits for death to come and get him.

After accepting her Oscar, Viola said, "I became an artist and thank god I did because it is the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life."

Viola's fellow nominees were:

Naomi Harris for "Moonlight"
Nicole Kidman for "Lion"
Octavia Spencer for "Hidden Figures"
Michelle Williams for "Manchester by the Sea"

Answer: Moonlight

During the 89th Academy Awards, Mahershala Ali was presented with the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role as Juan in 2016 "Moonlight". Daniel Craig and Charlize Theron presented the award.

In "Moonlight", Juan is a drug dealer who watches over a young boy named Chiron whose mother is a drug addict.

After accepting the Oscar, Mahershala said, "Thank you so much".

Mahershala's fellow nominees were:

Jeff Bridges for "Hell and High Water"
Lucas Bridges for "Manchester by the Sea"
Dev Patel for "Lion"
Michael Shannon for "Nocturnal Animals"

Answer: Precious

Robin Williams presented Mo'Nique with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the 82nd Academy Awards. Mo'Nique garnered the Oscar for her role as Mary Lee Johnston in the 2009 "Precious". After receiving the award Mo'Nique thanked Hattie McDaniel for "enduring all that she had so that I would not have to".

In "Precious", Mary Johnston is a verbally and physically abusive mother to her daughter Precious and her two grandchildren. The abuse eventually leads Mary's daughter to abandon her for a better life.

Mo'Nique's fellow nominees were:

Penélope Cruz for "Nine"
Vera Farming for "Up In The Air"
Anna Kendrick for "Up In The Air"
Maggie Gyllenhaal for "Crazy Heart"

Answer: Dreamgirls

At the 79th Academy Awards, George Clooney presented Jennifer Hudson with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Effie White in 2006's "Dreamgirls". As Jennifer stood at the microphone she said, "I have to just take this in".

In "Dreamgirls", Effie White is a talented singer who falls in love with her record executive. When Effie is dropped as lead singer from her group, it takes her years to make a successful comeback and to reunite with the group that started it all for her years earlier.

Jennifer's fellow nominees were:

Adriana Baraza for "Babel"
Cate Blanchett for "Notes on a Scandal"
Abigail Breslin for "Little Miss Sunshine"
Rinko Kikuchi for "Babel"

Answer: The Last King of Scotland

Forest Whitaker was presented the Best Actor award by Reese Witherspoon at the 79th Academy Awards. Forest played Idi Amin in the 2006 "The Last King of Scotland". Upon winning the Oscar Forest told the crowd, "When I first started acting it was my desire to connect to everyone".

In "The Last King of Scotland", Forest Whitaker plays the Ugandan president before and during the rescue of Ugandan hostages by Israeli forces in 1976. The title of the movies comes from the fact that Idi Amin referred to himself as "the last King of Scotland".

Forest's fellow nominees were:

Leonardo DiCaprio for "Blood Diamond"
Ryan Gosling for "Half Nelson"
Peter O'Toole for "Venus"
Will Smith for "The Pursuit of Happyness"

Answer: Green Book

Mahersha Ali was presented the Best Actor Oscar at the 91st Academy Awards by Charlize Theron and Daniel Craig. Mahersha played Don Shirley in 2018 "Green Book".

As a concert pianist, Don Shirley is driven around for eight weeks by Tony Lip while Don plays an eight-week tour around the Midwest and Deep South.

After accepting the award, Mahershala told the crowd, "I want to donate this to my grandmother who has been in my ear my entire life".

Mahershala's fellow nominees were:

Adam Driver for "BlackkKlansman"
Sam Elliot for "A Star is Born"
Richard Grant for "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
Sam Rockwell for "Vice"

Answer: If Beale Street Could Talk

At the 91st Academy Awards, Regina King was presented the Best Supporting Actress Oscar by Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler, and Tina Fey. Regina played Sharon Rivers in the 2018 "If Beale Street Could Talk".

Sharon Rivers is the mother of Clementine Rivers. Sharon helps Clementine deal with her boyfriend's incarceration when he is falsely accused of a crime.

Upon receiving the Oscar, Regina said, "God is good all the time".

Regina's fellow nominees were:

Amy Adams for "Vice"
Emma Stone for "The Favorite"
Marina de Tavira for "Roma"
Rachel Weisz for "The Favorite"

Answer: 12 Years A Slave

At the 86th Academy Awards, Lupita was presented with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar by Christopher Waltz. Lupita played Patsey in the 2013 "12 Years A Slave".

Patsey (Lupita Nyong'o) is a slave that is verbally, physically, and sexually abused by her owner Edwin Epps. Patsey is nearly beaten to death after asking for soap at another plantation. She is last seen at the Epps plantation watching her friend and fellow slave, Solomon, being taken to his freedom.

When receiving her Oscar, Lupita cried, "Thank you so much for putting me in this position. It has been the joy of my life".

Lupita's fellow nominees were:

Sally Hawkins for "Blue Jasmine"
Jennifer Lawrence for "American Hustle"
June Squibb for "Nebraska"
Julia Roberts for "August: Osage County"

Answer: Judas and the Black Messiah

At the 93rd Academy Awards, the Best Supporting Actor Oscar was presented to Daniel Kaluuya by Laura Dern. Daniel played Fred Hampton in the 2021 "Judas and the Black Messiah".

"Judas and the Black Messiah" is a biopic about the life and death of Chicago's Black Panther Chairman, Fred Hampton.

In his acceptance speech, Daniel told the small crowd "I'm going to get back to work on Tuesday morning because tonight I'm going up".

Daniel's fellow Oscar nominees were:

Sacha Baron Cohen for "The Trial of the Chicago 7"
Lakeith Stanfield for "Judas and the Black Messiah"
Leslie Odom, Jr. for "One Night in Miami"
Paul Raci for "The Sound of Metal"