In Honor Of Black History Month, A Retrospective Of Past Oscar Winners

Denzel Washington, Best Supporting Actor, Glory (1989)

In 1990, Oscar smiled on Denzel Washington for the first time, as the actor took home the Best Supporting Actor trophy for his riveting performance as a defiant ex-slave turned soldier in the Civil War drama Glory. In his speech, Washington paid “homage to the 54th – the black soldiers who helped to make this country free.” Twelve years later, Washington was back at the mic, accepting the Best Actor Oscar for Training Day, in which he played a rogue L.A. police detective. The award made him the second black actor ever to win Best Actor on an historic night during which the first black actor, Sidney Poitier, was honored with an Honorary Academy Award. [Denzel Washington, Photo via]