> On the one hand, it IS Oscar history. No black woman has ever won Best Actress before, and the number of times a black man has won Best Actor are only about three or four.

I had heard that only Sidney Poitier had done it before. Did he win two or three times (well, obviously not three), or have others won, or were you mistaken?

> However, it is a shame that this is what viewers and media both see as important enough to headline above all else. *Denzel Washington* won an Oscar last night. *Halle Berry* won an Oscar last night. When these facts become less important than "a black man" won an Oscar and "a black woman" won an Oscar, I think that's a devaluing of the unique talents and worth of these two individuals.

You know, it may be just some weird quirk about me, but I didn't even make the connection that they were black until I started hearing things like "They are the second and third negros to win the big awards" and seeing the headlines and such. I just thought of them as actors who must have done a great job, and made a mental note to try and see Training Day and Monster's Ball when I got the chance. I guess I should be happy for that.

Don Monkey