Black History Month: Halle Berry Made History With Oscar Win

On March 24 2002 Halle Berry has become the first black woman to win a best actress Oscar, sending crashing a colour bar that has stood for 74 years. She was joined by Denzel Washington,making them the first blacks to win both the best actor and best actress awards at the Academy Awards.

Halle won for her role as a woman overtaken by rage and frustration in the racially charged movie Monster's Ball, considered her best performance in a 10-year career. With tears rolling down her face, and gasping for breath, Berry dedicated her award to all the African-American women who had struggled before her to make their way in Hollywood. She told the star-studded ceremony, "This moment is so much bigger than me. It's for every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.

"I am so honoured, I'm so honoured, and I thank the Academy for choosing me to be the vessel for which this blessing might flow." She emerged as a late favourite in a race that had been dominated by Nicole Kidman and Sissy Spacek until Berry proved the surprise winner of the Screen Actor's Guild two weeks earlier.

Sidney Poitier had been the only other, African-American to win a lead acting Oscar, getting the award for his 1963 performance in Lilies Of The Field. Berry had stolen the show on the red carpet, wearing a daring claret coloured gown and sheer bodice embellished with carefully placed beaded applique flowers and leaves.

At the Oscar 2013 Halle Berry wore a deep v-neck black and silver gown by Versace.