← The Oscars Decoded: The Black Winners Who Often Get Overlooked

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By Anslem Samuel | Published February 24, 2012 | Full size is 620 × 480 pixels

Whenever most people think about the Academy Awards, it’s the actors, actresses and directors that often come to mind first. (Congratulations to Octavia Spencer on joining the short list of African American Oscar winners during the 84th Annual Academy Awards.) However, there are dozens of other categories that highlight the hard work of Hollywood’s behind-the-scenes players. For instance, the categories of Best Original Song and Best Original Score feature several African American winners. Here are seven oftentimes forgotten names from the world of music on the list of African American winners. —Darralynn Hutson

Whenever most people think about the Academy Awards, it’s the actors, actresses and directors that…

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