McDaniel, the youngest of 13 children, was born in 1893 to formerly enslaved parents in Wichita, Kansas. Her … See more

McDaniel was a songwriter and performer. She honed her songwriting skills while working with her brother Otis McDaniel's carnival company, a minstrel show. McDaniel and her sister Etta Goff launched the McDani… See more

McDaniel married Howard Hickman on January 19, 1911, in Denver, Colorado. He died on March 3, 1915. She married her second husband, George Langford, in 1922. He died of a gunshot wound a little while after t… See more

On August 26, 1951, McDaniel suffered a stroke, complicated by diabetes and a heart ailment, and was admitted to the Temple Hospital in Los Angeles.
She died of breast cancer on October 26, 1952, in th… See more

As her fame grew, McDaniel faced growing criticism from some members of the black community. Groups such as the NAACP complained that Hollywood stereotypes not only restricted black actors to servant roles but often p… See more

• List of African-American firsts
• List of black Academy Award winners and nominees
• List of stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame… See more