Rashad was the first black actress of any nationality to win the Best Actress (Play) Tony Award, which she won for her 2004 performance as Lena Younger in a revival of the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by playwright Lorraine Hansberry. She was nominated for the same award the following year, for "Gem of the Ocean". Several Black women have won in the Best Actress (Musical) category, including the late Virginia Capers, who won in 1973 for her portrayal of Lena in the musical adaptation of Hansberry's play, entitled "Raisin". Rashad also won the 2004 Drama Desk award for Best Actress in a Play for "A Raisin in the Sun", tying (split award) with Viola Davis for the play "Intimate Apparel".