Ruth E. Carter has made history as the first Black woman to win two Oscars.
The costume designer received her first Oscar in 2019 for designing the costumes for the original Black Panther movie. At Sunday’s ceremony (Mar. 12), she scored the historic victory as costumier on the Marvel film’s sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
“Wow, nice to see you again,” Ruth E. Carter began her acceptance speech. “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, Mabel Carter became an ancestor. This film prepared me for this moment. Chadwick, please take care of Mom.”
“Thank you to The Academy for recognizing the superhero that is a Black woman.”
— ABC News (@ABC) March 13, 2023
Ruth Carter accepts the Academy Award for Best Costume Design for "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”#Oscars#Oscars95https://t.co/OizA2V1EIT pic.twitter.com/G74FY9udl5
During a presser following her Oscars win, the costume designer reflected on the struggles she faced as a Black woman in the industry.
“I pulled myself up from my bootstraps,” Carter stated before adding, “I started – single-parent household.”
She revealed, “I wanted to be a costume designer. I studied, I scraped, I dealt with adversity in the industry that sometimes didn’t look like me, and I endured.”
Ruth E. Carter also shared her hopes that the Oscars win inspires young designers who don’t fit the standard mold to reach for the stars.
She continued: “So I feel that this win opens the door for other young costume designers who may not think that this industry is for them. Hopefully they’ll see me and they’ll see my story and they’ll think that they can win an Oscar too.”
“I studied. I scraped. I dealt with adversity in the industry that sometimes didn’t look like me.”
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 13, 2023
Ruth E. Carter, who won best costume design for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” shares what her Academy Award means to her. https://t.co/lK6UUZfMS8 pic.twitter.com/FoDMtrqUsJ
The nomination was the fourth for Ruth E. Carter. Outside of her Black Panther wins, she received her first nod in 2992 for Malcolm X, then in 1997 for Steven Spielberg’s period drama Amistad.
