Within the cocoon of cultural oppression beat the wings of artistic freedom.

Thelma “Butterfly” McQueen was born in Florida in 1911, and worked on the stage until her Hollywood debut in the late 1930s. She gained the moniker “Butterfly”, because she was fidgety; always fluttering with her hands. The film role for which she’s best remembered is “Prissy”, Scarlett O’Hara’s panicky maid in the 1939 classic Gone With The Wind.

Other notable roles included parts in The Women, Flame of Barbary Coast, Mildred Pierce, and the radio show “Beulah”. Unfortunately she never really overcame that stereotype relegated to playing maids and servants, but she was highly admired as a character actress, and provided some much needed diversity and comedy relief to what could otherwise have been some pretty one-dimensional films. In her personal life she was quite the scholar; she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from New York City College.

True to the famous quote by her character in GWTW, McQueen indeed knew “nuthin’ ‘bout birthin’ babies”. She never married nor had any children.

Butterfly McQueen flew away for good in December 1995, at the age of 84.