The wait was long. More than three decades, in fact.

But on Sunday night, two African-American women won Oscars in nonacting categories: Hannah Beachler for production design and Ruth E. Carter for costume design, both for their work on “Black Panther.” They became the first African-American women to win Oscars in their categories, and the first to win in a nonacting category since Irene Cara in 1984, who won for best original song, “Flashdance...What A Feeling,” which she co-wrote.

[Read our analysis of the Oscars ceremony, and see the best looks from the red carpet.]

And Sunday night’s wins were perhaps appropriate given that the film they won for was a barrier-breaking spectacle and a box office smash. While there has been more progress in the high-profile Oscar categories in recognizing people of color, that advancement has historically been limited to onscreen work.

Beachler and Carter were instrumental in bringing to life the lush Wakanda, the fictional African country where most of “Black Panther” takes place. Carter, whose career stretches three decades, went to great lengths, like using a 3-D printer, to authentically create costumes influenced by indigenous people across the African continent. Beachler’s mapping of Wakanda was essential in helping Carter execute that vision.