[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 21 (Friday, February 17, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF HATTIE McDANIEL

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 16, 2006

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of 
Hattie McDaniel, a woman of firsts, whose career as an acclaimed singer 
and actress on film, television, and radio inspired and illuminated the 
lives of many. Her dynamic career afforded her the opportunity to break 
barriers in the entertainment industry, which allowed her to inevitably 
create a path for other gifted and aspiring African-Americans in the 
arts to travel.
  Ms. McDaniel was born on June 10, 1895 in Wichita, KS, to Henry 
McDaniel, a Baptist minister and freed slave and Susan Holbert, a 
spiritual singer. She was raised in Denver, CO, and was the 13th child 
of the family. Realizing her talents at an early age, her father put 
her in the family performance troupe he organized and managed.
  Her experience aided her in winning a medal in dramatic art at age 
15. However, in 1910, she dropped out of school and gained employment 
as a band vocalist with Professor George Morrison's Negro Orchestra. 
She toured the country and in 1915 became the first African-American to 
sing on network radio in the United States.
  Ms. McDaniel worked in minstrel vaudeville shows until the 
Depression. During this time, she moved to Milwaukee and worked as a 
domestic. In 1930, while working as a bathroom attendant, her vocal 
abilities were discovered by the club manager. Subsequently, she landed 
a job in the club singing for a year and never looked back.
  In 1931, Ms. McDaniel moved to Hollywood in pursuit of a film career, 
a time in which many African-Americans were solely portrayed as 
domestics and servants. These roles were often deemed to be 
stereotypical and insulting in the African-American community. However, 
Ms. McDaniel did not share this belief, and instead of turning her back 
on the roles, she worked against the stereotype from within the system.
  As a result, she was able to build a remarkable three-decade career 
comprised of over 300 movies, and was able to accomplish what many 
others would still consider unattainable. She was praised for many of 
her roles including the role of Queenie in Show Boat in 1936; however, 
her most memorable role and greatest achievement was through her 
portrayal of Mammy in Gone with the Wind in 1939.
  Similar to the characters she played in other movies, she portrayed 
Mammy as a humble, submissive, and trusted servant that also possessed 
an assertive and chastising attitude. Her subservient yet stem demeanor 
gained her immense respect both on and off the camera. In fact, her 
clever and brilliant performance in Gone with the Wind led her to 
becoming the first African-American Best Supporting Actress nominee and 
winner at the 1940 Academy Awards. She became the first African-
American guest to be invited to the ceremony and was also the first and 
last recipient of the prestigious honor for 25 years.

  Unfortunately, Ms. McDaniel's accomplishments were not revered by 
everyone. Although heavily criticized by African-Americans, some whites 
were equally condemnatory. Many blacks protested at the movie premiere 
describing Mammy as a symbolic reminder of slavery. In fact, Ms. 
McDaniel had to make the painful decision not to attend the Gone with 
the Wind premiere in Atlanta because of the highly charged racist 
climate in the South at that time.
  In response to critics of her career, she simply stated, ``it's 
better to get $7,000 a week for playing a servant than $7 a week for 
being one.'' In fact, as her career progressed, Ms. McDaniel was able 
to broaden her career and shift into playing more dramatic, less 
stereotypical roles which encapsulated the depth of her talents.
  Ms. McDaniel was also an advocate for racial equity and integration. 
When Whites tried to block her from moving into her Los Angeles home, 
she rallied her Black neighbors and they took the case to the Supreme 
Court and won. Additionally, she served as the chair of the African-
American sector of the Hollywood Victory Committee, which provided 
entertainment for segregated black soldiers. She also organized 
fundraisers for African-American youth education.
  In 1947, she was cast as a regular in The Beulah Show radio show. In 
1951, The Beulah Show expanded to the small screen. Unfortunately, Ms. 
McDaniel appeared in only three episodes before she lost her battle 
with breast cancer and died in 1952.
  Her dying wish was to be buried in the Hollywood Cemetery on Santa 
Monica Boulevard but because of her race, the owner at the time 
refused. However, in 1999, the new owner overturned the decision and 
asked that her remains be transferred to the cemetery. The family did 
not want to disturb her remains and respectfully declined. 
Nevertheless, the cemetery was dedicated to honoring her wish and as a 
result erected a cenotaph memorial on the lawn overlooking the lake in 
her memory.
  Ms. McDaniel was a resilient, gifted, and witty figure in American 
history and her accomplishments are merely the testimonies of her 
diligence. She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame--one for her 
contributions to radio and one for her motion pictures contributions.
  One of Hattie McDaniel's favorite and most famous sayings was, 
``Humble is the way.'' Although she had an admirable career, she had to 
travel an arduous path to attain it. However, through her humility and 
determination, she was able to carve her rightful place in American 
history. That is why I introduced legislation in the 108th Congress 
seeking to have her image memorialized on a postage stamp. As a result, 
on January 26, 2006, the Postal Service did indeed select to honor this 
great woman by making her the 29th image to appear on the Black 
Heritage commemorative stamp series. I also congratulate fellow 
Marylander, Ms. Ethel Kessler of Bethesda, for designing the stunning 
image on the stamp.
  Mr. Speaker, though her spirit is gone with the wind, her legacy will 
always resonate through her artistic works and thus will continue to 
live on forever.

                          ____________________