Last night was the 67th Emmy Awards ceremony, brought to us by the Television Academy. Last night, many outstanding actors won awards for the amazing roles that they play on shows such as Mad Men, Veep, and Transparent. And, in case you missed it, last night Viola Davis (who you should may know from ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder made history by being the first African American woman to win in her category–ever.
When Davis won, as per the norm, she gave an acceptance speech, which she used to highlight and honor the struggles that she and many other non-white actresses have had to overcome in order to be recognized in their field of entertainment. In her speech, Davis also included this line from the abolitionist Harriet Tubman:
“In my mind, I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful, white women with their arms stretched out to me over that line, but I can’t seem to get there no how. I can’t seem to get over that line.”
You can watch Davis’s full acceptance below.
Now, unfortunately, the speech did not come without predictable criticism. Still, the majority of responses to Davis were positive, supportive and encouraging. The fact stands that in the sixty-six years that the Emmy Awards have run, Davis stands to be the first black woman to win in the category of “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.” This is an accomplishment in and of itself, for which she deserves celebration.
Congratulations, Viola! Your win is well deserved!
We can’t wait to see you back in your role as Annalise Keating this Thursday!