“Black Firsts”–John Singleton

John Singleton was the first black film director nominated for an Academy Award for the box office hit Boyz N the Hood, starring rap artist Ice cube,Cuba Gooding Jr., Larry Fishburne, and Morris Chestnut. The film also earned hin the New york Critics Circle Best New Director Award in 1991 and the MTV Movie Award for Best New Filmmaker in 1992. Although the film presents an anti-drug and anti-violence message, it sparked violence when it opened in several cities in the United States on July 12, 1991.