Ariana DeBose on Sun. became the first Afro-Latina and the first openly queer woman of colour to win an Academy Award for acting.
Debose won Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg's take on "West Side Story," matching co-star Rita Moreno, who became the first Latina to win an Oscar for the same role in 1962.
This is a historic moment. Ariana DeBose - the first openly queer woman to even be nominated, let alone win an Oscar - has once again broken boundaries, bringing attention and pride to the LGBTQ+ community, and providing hope for others.
While this is undeniably a win, it also highlights the racism and discrimination still rampant in the acting industry. More must be done to tackle an implicit and systemic lack of diversity in Hollywood.