The fight for diversity in Hollywood has been going on for years. A lot of people may know Hattie McDaniel, who was the first African American woman to win an Oscar for her role in the film Gone with the Wind.

She isn’t the first black person to grace a Hollywood picture. Lincoln Perry, also known for his stage name, Stepin Fetchit, was born in Key West, Florida in 1902. He became popular in the 1930’s and his character Stepin Fetchit was known to be as the most laziest man in the world. He was also the first black actor to receive screen credit.

Little is known about Perry’s early life. His parents were from the West Indies and moved to America. He started working for a carnival where he performed as a singer, and a tap dancer for a few years. Perry was a comedic actor and played roles in a number of films. His character is known for the most laziest man in the world, and was a racist concept, but it made him standout from other actors, and helped him his break in Hollywood. He was in films such as In Old Kentucky, and Show Boat, where he sang a song called “The Lonesome Road.” He also became the first black actor to become a millionaire.

Of course during the growth of blacks in Hollywood there was some criticism for his role. This caused a halt in his career. Similar to Hattie’s criticism with her character being stereotypical and offensive to blacks, Perry experienced the same backlash for his character by the black community. His career struggle came during a time when the Civil Rights Act, and many Civil Rights leaders didn’t agree with his choice of character in films.

In honor of Black History Month, lets honor this acting pioneer who has paved the way for many blacks in Hollywood. It still hasn’t been an easy road along the years, but we can look back and be reminded of how we got where we are today.