Disney/Marvel’s “Black Panther” went back-to-back into the Oscar history books on Sunday evening.
Ruth E. Carter and Hannah Beachler became the first African-Americans to win in their respective categories. Carter was first up as she took home an Academy Award for costume design, then Beachler followed her with a win in production design at the 91st annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Beachler and Carter played influential roles in helping “Black Panther” become a cultural phenomenon. Both said they wanted to infuse the pride of the African diaspora into the film.
“Marvel may have created the first black superhero. But through costume design, we turned him into an African king,” said Carter, who drew inspiration for the film’s stylish and colorful garments from her travels to Africa. She spoke with people of the continent to understand the history of each artifact to ensure the different characteristics were represented properly in the film.