Ruth E. Carter makes history: The first Black Woman to win two Oscars


By Lindelwa Masku

Ruth E. Carter has made history at the 95th Oscars by becoming the first Black woman to win two Academy Awards. She won the Best Costume Design award for her work on the Marvel sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a fitting win as she received her first Oscar for the first Black Panther film in 2019.

Ruth E. Carter's acceptance speech at the 95th Oscar Awards

Ruth E. Carter was born on April 10, 1960, in Springfield, Massachusetts. She attended Hampton University, where she studied theater design, and later attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. 

She began her career as an intern for the television show The Electric Company in 1979 and has since worked on numerous films and television shows, including Selma, Roots, and Amistad. Carter has worked in the film industry for over three decades and has become one of the most respected costume designers in the business.

Ruth E. Carter with her 2019 Oscar Academy Award

The Black Panther movie series is a cultural phenomenon that has had a profound impact on black people. The movies tell the story of Wakanda, a fictional African nation that is technologically advanced and rich in resources. 

The movies showcase a positive representation of black people and African culture, which is often underrepresented in Hollywood. The movies have become a source of pride and inspiration for black people all over the world. 

Black Panther has empowered black people by giving them a positive representation in the media, inspiring them to be proud of their culture, and showing them that they can be heroes too.

Ruth E. Carter with her 2023 Oscar Academy Award

Ruth E. Carter's win is significant because it represents a milestone for black women in Hollywood. For too long, black women have been underrepresented and undervalued in the film industry. Ruth E. Carter's win is a testament to her talent and hard work, but it also represents progress in the fight for greater diversity and representation in Hollywood. 

Her win serves as an inspiration for other black women in the industry and shows that their contributions are valuable and worthy of recognition.

In her acceptance speech, Ruth E. Carter thanked the Academy and her colleagues for helping her manifest the costumes of Wakanda and Talokan. She emphasized that together they are reshaping how culture is represented, which is an important message for the film industry and society as a whole. 

Carter also dedicated her win to her mother, who recently passed away at the age of 101. Her mother, whom she described as a superhero, became an ancestor. Carter's work on Wakanda Forever helped prepare her to grieve her mother's death. 

She closed her speech by thanking the Academy for recognizing the superhero that is a Black woman and by asking Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020, to take care of her mother.

Ruth E. Carter's win at the 95th Oscars is a significant moment in Hollywood history. Her win is a testament to her talent and hard work, but it also represents progress in the fight for greater diversity and representation in Hollywood. 

The Black Panther movie series has had a profound impact on black people by giving them a positive representation in the media and inspiring them to be proud of their culture. 

Ruth E. Carter with Black Panther costumes

Ruth E. Carter's win is an inspiration for other black women in the industry and shows that their contributions are valuable and worthy of recognition.


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The 95th Oscars

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