Viola Davis just recently made history at the 67th Emmy Awards after becoming the first black woman to win the Outstanding Actress in a Drama for her role as Annalise Keating in "How to Get Away With Murder." The actress' speech pointed out why it's taken this long for a black woman to win the award.
According to The Verge, the actress started off her speech with a reminiscent citation from Harriet Tubman, then she got to her point of why it's taken this long for a black woman to garner the Best Actress award. She stated, "Let me tell you something. The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity." She added, "You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there."
Davis touchingly went on to extend her gratitude to many other actresses, including fellow nominee Taraji P. Henson, "Scandal" lead Kerry Washington, and Halle Berry. She mentioned, "Thank you for taking us over that line." In a report by Entertainment Weekly, Davis' vocalizations on stage was a highlight of the event. The actress seemingly touched the audience and even got a standing ovation from Henson in the crowd.
While Davis made an impact on the awards' night, Uzo Aduba's and Regina King's also won earlier in the evening. The three victories for African American actresses tied a record set in 1991 for most acting Emmys awarded to black women in a single year, as reported by LA Times. Moreover, "Game of Thrones" also made history in the event. Combined with the Creative Emmys, the show also bagged an award last week, winning 12 Emmy Awards this year. This also includes its first for drama series.
And although the categories for the awards were filled with well-known names, along with a couple of exhilarating Emmy newcomers, Black American actresses' acting skills were highlighted at the awards' night. While Davis took home the Best actress award, her fellow contenders for the category seemed to be moved by her speech and are purportedly proud of her accomplishment.
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