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Butterfly McQueen — Vintage Hollywood Icon Tee
Born Thelma McQueen in Tampa, Florida, in 1911, Butterfly McQueen became a Hollywood legend thanks to her role as Prissy in Gone with the Wind (1939). With her unmistakable high-pitched voice, expressive face, and famous delivery of “I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies,” she created one of the most recognizable characters in movie history.
But there was considerably more to Butterfly than Hollywood ever allowed audiences to see.
Like many Black actresses working during Hollywood's Golden Age, McQueen was offered roles that relied on demeaning racial stereotypes. She appeared in films including The Women (1939), Cabin in the Sky (1943), and Mildred Pierce (1945), but grew increasingly frustrated with an industry that seemed determined to keep her playing maids and servants.
And she wasn't shy about saying so. McQueen eventually walked away from Hollywood rather than continue accepting parts she found degrading. At a time when Black performers had very little power in the entertainment industry, that was no small decision.
Offscreen, she was wonderfully unconventional. An outspoken atheist, a lifelong independent spirit, and a woman who never married, McQueen refused to organize her life around other people's expectations. She pursued theater, education, and community work, and remained candid about the racism she experienced throughout her career.
