Angela Bassett Delivers Powerful Oscars Speech, ‘There Is Room For Us All’

Bassett's words resonated as a statement on inclusion, a tribute to trailblazers, and a promise to continue paving the way for diverse talent.

After receiving an honorary Oscar at the Academy’s 14th Governors Awards, Angela Bassett brought the audience to cheers with a powerful speech that emphasized representation, praised Black women trailblazers, and paid blessings forward.

Sharing a kiss with her dear “sister” Regina King, a visibly emotional Bassett took the stage, dressed elegantly in a glittering gown befitting Hollywood royalty, at the Jan. 9 ceremony in Los Angeles. “I have considered acting my calling and not just my career,” the Black Panther actress said. “I do this work because I find it meaningful, and I hope in some way that it makes a difference and has an impact.”

A grateful Bassett shared words from actress, dancer, and civil rights activist Lena Horne. “‘It’s so nice to get flowers while you can yet still smell the fragrance,’ and indeed, it is.”

The award makes Bassett the second Black actress to receive an honorary Oscar, the first being the late Cicely Tyson, whom Bassett called her “dear friend and mentor,” in 2018. “Having a chance to work with and learn from Ms. Tyson is one of the most memorable and treasurable experiences of my career,” the Oscar winner told the audience.

Bassett said the award is a “testament” to Tyson’s legacy and represents her “contributions to this medium of film.”

She spoke to the generations of Black actors to come and paid tribute to those who paved the way for Black talent to be seen and recognized for their contributions, like Gone With the Wind actress Hattie McDaniel, the first Black person to ever win an Oscar at the 12th Annual Academy Awards ceremony on Feb. 29, 1940. Bassett echoed the words of actress Fay Bainter, who said at the time that the plaque “opens the doors of this room” and “moves back the walls and enables us to embrace the whole of America.”

Ghost actress Whoopi Goldberg was spotlighted for being the second to receive the coveted award 50 years later.

Bassett also acknowledged actresses Jennifer Hudson, Halle Berry, Lupita Nyong’o, Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, and Ariana DeBose as “beacons of possibility and hope for little Black and brown girls who aspire one day to pursue the dream of becoming an actor.” She mentioned standing on the shoulders of trailblazers such as Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, and Rosalind Cash. “Had it not been for their resilience continuing to fight through their fears and the uncertainty and their willingness as they fought for every role, I would not have had a representation of what was possible for me.”

Bassett, who BLACK ENTERPRISE reported was named in December as one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in Hollywood,” proudly dedicated her Oscar to the women she’s had the honor to portray — those who “stand up when they are told to stand back,” “speak up when they are silenced,” and “remain determined when they are told they are defeated.”

She left her fellow Black actors with the confirmation that their contributions matter and their performances have uncovered different perspectives.