Only five black performers have won the Oscar in the lead category (four Best Actor, one Best Actress). Only four African-American actors have won the Best Actor Oscar:

It is inevitable that issues on the marginalization of black male and female performers be raised days before the annual prestigious awards for films. And as expected the same recurring concern have cropped up as Times published an article with a list of Oscar black winners, pointing out 'the lack of black nominees at 83rd Academy Award'. The article had resulted in heated debates among various groups and individuals, including four-time Oscar host, Whoopi Goldberg who had subsequently condemned the Times article, calling it 'sloppy'. But in the pre-Oscar exhibit opening at New York's Grand Central Terminal, Goldberg had changed gear saying the black community has had its fair share of Oscar nominees and winners through the years. Only five black performers have won the Oscar in the lead category (four Best Actor, one Best Actress). There have been eighteen (18) African-American nominations for Best Actor, divided among the 12 different performers. Four actors (Poitier, Freeman, Washington and Smith) have been nominated twice (or more) for the top award. Some regard Denzel Washington as the first African-American performer to win Best Actor. Here are the black winners of Best Actor and Actress awards through the years: