AKRON, Ohio — It was a moment that warmed hearts in Hollywood and in Northeast Ohio.
Akron native Paul Tazewell, 60, won the Oscar for costume design and made Academy Awards history in the process.
"I'm the first Black man to receive this costume design award," Tazewell said in his acceptance speech.
The historic win for the man who designed costumes for the blockbuster film Wicked was not lost on Tazewell long after he hoisted the gold statue.
"It became a Wizard of Oz moment, no place like home," he said during a news conference after the show.
Tazewell graduated from Buchtel High School in 1982. In what could be described as Hollywood foreshadowing, he was part of the school's production of The Wiz.
For current Buchtel students, Tazewell's win was cool. Alyvia Anderson, a senior who went to see Wicked with her dad, fell in love with the costume design.
"Every costume fit every character perfectly because you could see how they were going to act based off their costume," Anderson said.
She and fellow students, Izzy Rosian, a senior, and Darnell Bowers, a sophomore, are all inspired by Tazewell's journey from Akron to Oscar fame.
"Looking at somebody that graduated from the same circumstances as us, it's really inspiring," Bowers said.
Rosian, who is interested in a career in fashion merchandising and marketing, believes Tazewell is an example of pursuing your love and passion to become successful.
"That means people like us have opportunity, have growth and innovation. It might take some time, but it's very much attainable," he said.
Tazewell said the award was the "pinnacle of my career," and stressed the significance of becoming the first Black man to win an Oscar for costume design.
"There was never a Black male designer that I saw that I could follow," he said.
In another subtle twist, it was actor John Lithgow who announced Tazewell as the winner. Lithgow, spent one year at Buchtel High School, and his photograph is in the school's library.
Jerry Puryear, a family liaison for the school, said the positive attention for Buchtel means a lot.
"It was really great for our kids to see that and the buzz going around our school today about that," Puryear said.
