Ava DuVernay

In the predominantly white and male film industry, Ava DuVernay stands apart.

In 2014, she became the first Black woman to be nominated for best director at the Golden Globes for her film “Selma,” which details the story of the civil rights marches from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery, Ala., in 1965. The film was also nominated for the best picture award at the Oscars, making her the first Black female director to have her work nominated at the awards. Her documentary “13th” was nominated for best documentary feature at the Oscars three years later. 

DuVernay’s career path did not lead directly to filmmaking. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where she pursued a career in journalism. She covered the murder trial of O.J. Simpson in the 1990s during an internship with CBS News before jumping into the public relations field. 

She launched her own PR firm and provided services to a number of movies, including “Dreamgirls.” DuVernay made her directorial debut in the 2008 hip hop documentary “This is the Life.”

DuVernay has worked to empower other Black filmmakers, founding a distribution company, the African-American Film Festival Releasing Movement.

She has become a symbol of empowerment and inspiration for Black women. In 2015, Mattel released an Ava DuVernay Barbie doll. It sold out within minutes of appearing on the company’s website.

— Julia Manchester