Geoffrey Fletcher first African American screenwriter to earn Academy Award

[Blue_Tires]

The headlines are all about Kathryn Bigelow, but she wasn't the only Oscar winner to make history Sunday night.

Geoffrey Fletcher, the screenwriter of "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire," is the first African American screenwriter to take home an Academy Award.

The 39-year-old adjunct professor of film at Columbia University and NYU, surprised some by beating favorite Jason Reitman, writer/director of "Up in the Air."

"I don't know what to say," Fletcher said in his breathless acceptance speech.

This was the Connecticut-born writer's first produced screenplay, for which he was also awarded an Independent Spirit Award.

Five other African American screenwriters had been nominated in past years. The first were Lonne Elder and Suzanne de Passe in 1972: Elder for his adapted screenplay for "Sounder," and Passe's original script for "Lady Sings the Blues."

Charles Fuller scored a nomination in 1984 for his adapted screenplay "A Soldier's Story," based upon his own book.

Spike Lee was nominated in 1989 for his "Do The Right Thing" screenplay, and John Singleton was similarly nominated in 1991 for "Boyz n the Hood."

Fletcher joined Bigelow Sunday night in making Oscar history. The 58-year-old director of the Best Picture-winning "The Hurt Locker" is the first woman to win a Best Director Academy Award.



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