Ruth E. Carter Becomes the First Black Woman to Win Two Oscars

By: Adonis Armstrong

Hollywood costume designer Ruth E. Carter has become the first Black woman in history to win two Academy Awards.  Also with the win Carter becomes the third Black person to win two Oscars. Denzel Washington first achieved this feat for his role in Training Day, while Mahershala Ali followed suit by winning for his performances in Moonlight and Green Book. Viola Davis, who recently became an EGOT winner, has been nominated for the prestigious award four times, winning once for her work in Fences.

In her acceptance speech, the impeccable visionary thanked director Ryan Coogler and paid tribute to her mother, who passed away recently at 101, by invoking the name of late Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.

“Nice to see you again. Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the superhero that is a Black woman. She endures, she loves, she overcomes, she is every woman in this film. She is my mother. This past week, Mable Carter became an ancestor. This film prepared me for this moment.”

— Ruth E. Carter

Ruth E. Carter gives her acceptance speech at the Oscars.

Myung J. Cun via Getty Images

“Chadwick, please take care of mom. Ryan Coogler, Nate Moore, thank you both for your vision. Together, we are reshaping how culture is represented… I share this with many dedicated artists whose hands and hearts helped manifest the costumes of Wakanda and Talokan. This is for my mother.”

— Ruth E. Carter

For Carter, creating the aesthetic of Wakanda in the blockbuster masterpiece Black Panther posed a significant challenge. She told Variety how she had to overcome difficulties in testing her designs and make sure that they were good for the underwater scenes. Her career has earned her four Oscar nominations, including for her work on Malcolm X and Amistad. She has also contributed to other notable films such as Selma and the iconic biopic of Tina Turner, What’s Love Got to Do With It, where she recreated the legendary singer’s iconic looks from the 1970s and 1980s for the film’s star, Angela Bassett.

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