Dorothy Dandridge

Trivia

First African American woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in Carmen Jones(she lost to Grace Kelly for her role in The Country Girl).
First African American actress to present an award at the Oscars(for Best Film Editing)
First African American woman to appear on the cover of Life(November 1, 1954)
First African American in Hollywood accorded the distinction of having her name appear above the title in her contract(for The King And I)
Originally agreed to play Tuptim in The King and I but later turned down the role

The Big Broadcast of 1936 (1935)
A Day at the Races (1937)(Unbilled Dandridge Sisters musical appearance)
It Can't Last Forever (1937)(Dandridge Sisters musical appearance with Eugene Jackson and Charles Bennett)
Going Places (1939)(Dandridge Sisters musical appearance with Louis Armstrong and Maxine Sullivan)
Irene (1940)(Unbilled Dandridge Sisters musical appearance)
Four Shall Die (1941)
Sun Valley Serenade (1941)
Lady From Louisiana (1941)
Sundown (1941)
Bahama Passage (1941)
Drums of the Congo (1942)
Lucky Jordan (1942)
Hit Parade of 1943 (1943)
Since You Went Away (1944)
Atlantic City (1944)
Pillow to Post (1945)
Tarzan's Peril (1951)
The Harlem Globetrotters (1951)
Bright Road (1953)
Remains To Be Seen (1953)(Musical sequence)
Carmen Jones (1954)
Island in the Sun (1957)
The Decks Ran Red (1958)
Tamango (1958)
Porgy and Bess (1959)
Malaga (1960)
Marco Polo (Uncompleted)

Blacks and the Academy Awards (actresses)
Winners: Halle Berry · Whoopi Goldberg · Hattie McDaniel · Jennifer Hudson
Nominees: Margaret Avery · Angela Bassett · Diahann Carroll · Dorothy Dandridge · Marianne Jean-Baptiste · Juanita Moore · Queen Latifah · Sophie Okonedo · Beah Richards · Diana Ross · Cicely Tyson · Ethyl Waters · Oprah Winfrey · Alfre Woodard