Viola
Davis
(born August 11, 1965) is an American actress. A graduate of the Juilliard School,
Viola has earned raves for such films as 'Doubt' and 'The
Help,' as well as for such Broadway plays as 'King Hedley II' and 'Fences.' In
2015, she became the first African-American woman, as well as the first
black woman of any nationality to win an Emmy for
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role on 'How to Get Away
With Murder.'
Below is
her emotional acceptance speech after becoming the first African-American to
win an Emmy for ‘best actress’ in a drama, a speech that placed her award
within the larger context of diversity in Hollywood…..
‘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.’
That was
Harriet Tubman in the 1800s. And let me tell you something: The only thing that
separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.
You cannot
win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there. So here’s to all the writers,
the awesome people that are Ben Sherwood, Paul Lee, Peter Nowalk, Shonda
Rhimes, people who have redefined what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to
be a leading woman, to be black.
And to the
Taraji P. Hensons, the Kerry Washingtons, the Halle Berrys, the Nicole
Beharies, the Meagan Goods, to Gabrielle Union: Thank you for taking us over
that line. Thank you to the Television Academy. Thank you.
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