New novel from bestseller explores a fictionalized portrait of Academy Award winner Hattie McDaniel

In 1939, when Hattie McDaniel pleaded her case to event security at the Ambassador Hotel – she was nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actress’ and simply wanted to attend the 12th Academy Awards; she had both an invitation and an interview. Yet, to the security staff, she was just an African American woman attempting to walk into one of the most exclusive events in Hollywood.

Earlier this year, bestselling author ReShonda Tate put out a new book, “The Queen of Sugar Hill” – a fictionalized exploration into the life and struggles of Hattie McDaniel, a trailblazing film star who made history as the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award.

On Monday’s edition of “City Lights,” author ReShonda Tate joins host Lois Reitzes to discuss her new historical novel and how history has shaped the African American experience in Hollywood.