Well...I love 'Ed Wood' but I have to say I think Sam Jackson got robbed in '94...

Short answer: not very, in my opinion. Longer answer: what do you consider success? Or, for that matter, 'professional legitimacy'?
Big Boxoffice returns? The power to 'greenlight' a film? Both of these could be definitions of being a successful professional, depending on your point of view. A select few African-Americans hold this kind of power in the film industry. Something a little more ethereal, like social impact? Harder to gauge but arguably important, and possessed by probably an even smaller circle of creators. More vital to me, what happens we seek to define these concepts in light of American ethnic differences? I believe we would find that we contend with different versions of success and legitimacy designated for specific ethnic populations, with variations applied both by those within the group as well as those outside it.
We can take those difficulties straight to the numbers of the most financially successful members of these groups and the black and whites of the awards shows and become further confused (or vindicated) because there are clearly contradictions. Beyonce and 50 Cent have topped some year-end "Top Earning African Americans" lists and been in some successful flicks but don't hold your breath for either of them polishing a statuette anytime soon. Will Smith has a couple noms (and a fortune) but he made his name in Television and Blockbusters, the anti-Oscar. More to the point perhaps: at the end of the day Spike Lee and Albert and Allen Hughes haven't even been nominated once for an Oscar. Any Oscar.
So what does any of that say about our standards of "success and legitimacy" that we're working on here? I think it leads us to the question of the success and legitimacy of the Oscar. Doubly so of the academy, and thus, of the industry itself. Because that's pretty much all Oscar is, the outward manifestation of the whims, vagaries and prejudices of the majority feelings of the system as it stands, however that may shift from year to year. And as soon as you start to question the industry you can get to the real 'meat and potatoes' that's underneath this argument: why aren't there more and better roles for African-Americans in American Cinema and why are the better authors in American Cinema that happen to be African-American not being recognized.

Those Little Golden Statuettes

I can in no way claim to know how it feels to be a Black actor/director, but I can answer this question as an audience member, and as a member of the American public.

Personally, awards do not really mean that much to me, especially American ones like the Oscars. I've become resigned to the fact that the types of films that I esteem highly are not going to garner many accolades. But I'm also used to my film recommendations being met with the question, "Oh, has it won any awards?" So I know that other people (maybe even most people) are not so awards-jaded. There are people who watch award-winning films because they look interesting, and there are people who rush out to see them because they have won something. So getting an "official" honor does not necessarily win a film or its makers my respect, but it will often gain more box office receipts, and thus, success, as that is often judged monetarily. And having a title like "Oscar winner" next to someone's name would probably make both the American public, and industry executives, judge them as a more "professional" actor/director, as opposed to an "amateur." I mean, think of any actor or director who has won a highly-honored award or made a box office hit—only afterward are they considered successful, or a "real" actor/director, because only then has anyone heard of them.

So I think that awards can be hugely influential in the building of success/professional legitimization, but I think that this relates to actors/directors of any racial/ethnic group, not just Black Americans. I can't know the pressures Black American actors/directors face, not being Black, or an aspiring actor or director, but this is a very tough business for everyone involved, regardless of race. So yes, awards are paramount for Black American actors/directors in finding prosperity and respect, but they also just as important for anyone with the same aspirations.

Awards as a Gateway

Winning an award for directing or acting in a film for an African American director or actor/actress must be a very momentous occasion.

It seems to get the cogs turning for other people in the movie industry to be more conscious about how to write and incorporate African Americans in films. In addition, African Americans can be given more agency in how they are portrayed in films. Because it is less common for an African American actor/actress or director to win awards compared to whites it makes the occasion more important and progressive to African Americans working in this business.

Awards

I think that if you are a good actor or director you deserve to be recognized as such, and it is a good accomplisment in their career. I do not think they have to win an award to be considered a good actor by fans or fellow actors, but the nomination alone is an honor. Actors and directros continue to be admired with or without awards because of the quality of their work, that in my opinion is success in itself. Awards are not necessary to show the amount of success a black american actor or director has in the film industry, but it is an excellent achievement since it does not occur as often.

Award Nominations (8/28)

I do not think award nominations are extremely important in establishing legitimacy for African-American performers/directors, but they certainly can help. For instance, prior to winning the Oscar for Best Actor in 2002, Denzel Washington was already one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. His victory sort of reminded me of Kobe Bryant's Most Valuable Player award in 2008; neither Washington nor Bryant had won the Big Award in their careers, but most experts would agree that both were arguably the best at what they did. However, the fact that both men earned that Big Award served as validation for anybody who would still bother to question either man's skill. I do not think the award is necessary to the success of African-American performers, as there are plenty of successful actors who receive good reviews from critics (and big paychecks) without any Academy Awards in their living rooms. I think that if an individual is as successful and well-respected as Denzel Washington or Sidney Poitier, an award is nice, but it just verifies how the masses have felt for years.

August 26th Blog Post

How important are awards to the success and professional legitimatization of Black American actors and/or directors?

I think awards are beneficial to anyone that win them. However, that doesn't mean that they aren't more important to a specific demographic of people. In all fairness, Black Americans have obviously been 'snubbed' from Oscar ceremonies in the past. So in a way, I believe that winning for them is a greater achievement since it happens a lot less often. And if people were to look down upon people of color, it would allow them to be seen in a better light and to be taken more seriously.

Hollywood Bait and Switch

For those of you who have not seen the Quiet American, here is the trailer:



Also of possibe interest:

Denzel Washington winning the Oscar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLKDfyFjQtc

Halle Berry Oscar speech:

Halle Berry's Emotional Oscar® Acceptance Speech - Funny bloopers are a click away