Ruth E. Carter facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruth E. Carter
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Carter in March 2018
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| Born | April 10, 1960 |
| Alma mater | Hampton University (BA) |
| Occupation | Costume designer |
| Years active | 1982–present |
Ruth E. Carter (born April 10, 1960) is a famous American costume designer for movies and TV shows. She is known for creating amazing outfits for many films, especially those directed by Spike Lee, John Singleton, and Ryan Coogler.
Ruth Carter has won two Academy Awards for Best Costume Design. These awards were for her work on the superhero movies Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). She was the first African-American person to win this award and the first Black woman to win multiple Academy Awards in any category! Her other well-known movies include Malcolm X (1992), Amistad (1997), and Selma (2014).
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Ruth Carter's Early Life and Education
Ruth Carter was born on April 10, 1960, in Springfield, Massachusetts. She grew up in a home with just her mother, Mabel Carter, and was the youngest of eight children.
When she was nine years old, Ruth started going to the Boys & Girls Club. There, she learned how to read and design sewing patterns using her mother's sewing machine. She finished Technical High School in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1978. In 1982, Ruth graduated from Hampton Institute (now called Hampton University) with a degree in Theatre Arts.
Ruth Carter's Amazing Career
After college, Ruth Carter worked as an intern in costume departments for City Stage and the Santa Fe Opera. In 1986, she moved to Los Angeles to work at the city's Theater Center.
While working there, Ruth met the famous director Spike Lee. He hired her to design costumes for his second movie, School Daze (1988). She continued to work on many of his other films, including Do the Right Thing (1989), Mo' Better Blues (1990), and Malcolm X (1992).
Ruth also designed costumes for other big movies like Steven Spielberg's Amistad (1997) and several films by John Singleton, such as Rosewood (1997). She also worked on the TV show Being Mary Jane for BET Networks.
Designing for Black Panther
Ruth Carter worked on the superhero movie Black Panther (2018), which was directed by Ryan Coogler. Her costumes for this movie were inspired by a style called Afrofuturism. She also used ideas from many traditional African clothes, especially those worn by the Maasai and Ndebele people.
To get ideas, Ruth traveled to southern Africa. She even got permission to use traditional designs from Lesotho in the movie's costumes. Her incredible work on Black Panther earned her an Academy Award for Best Costume Design. This made her the first Black woman to win this award!
In 2021, Ruth Carter received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for people who have made a big impact in movies.
In 2023, Ruth won her second Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). During her acceptance speech, she dedicated her win to her mother, who had passed away the week before at 101 years old. Also in 2023, the North Carolina Museum of Art held an exhibit that showed more than sixty of Ruth Carter's original costume designs.
Ruth Carter's Film and TV Work
Ruth Carter has designed costumes for many movies and TV shows. Here are some of them:
Movies
- School Daze (1988)
- Do the Right Thing (1989)
- Malcolm X (1992)
- What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
- Amistad (1997)
- Love & Basketball (2000)
- Serenity (2005)
- The Butler (2013)
- Selma (2014)
- Marshall (2017)
- Black Panther (2018)
- Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
- Coming 2 America (2021)
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Television Shows
- Being Mary Jane (2013–2019)
- Roots (2016)
Awards and Honors
Ruth Carter has won many awards for her amazing costume designs:
- Academy Awards:
- Won: Black Panther (2018)
- Won: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
- Nominated: Malcolm X (1992)
- Nominated: Amistad (1997)
- Costume Designers Guild Awards:
- Won: Black Panther (2018)
- Won: Coming 2 America (2021)
- Black Reel Awards:
- Won: Black Panther (2018)
- Won: Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
- Won: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
- Critics' Choice Movie Awards:
- Won: Black Panther (2018)
- Won: Dolemite is My Name (2019)
- Won: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Other special honors include:
- 2002: Career Achievement Award from the American Black Film Festival
- 2015: Black Women in Hollywood Award from Essence magazine
- 2019: Career Achievement Award from the Costume Designers Guild
- 2021: Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
- 2023: Costume Design Career Achievement Award in Film from FashFilmFete
See also
In Spanish: Ruth E. Carter para niños
