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Viola Davis made history on Sunday night as the first Black woman ever to win the Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series award for her role on “How To Get Away With Murder,” and her accompanying acceptance speech was just as amazing as the accomplishment itself.
Taking to the stage in a stunning black and white gown, Viola first paid tribute to iconic abolitionist Harriet Tubman before later praising her fellow actresses of color including Sanaa Lathan, Halle Berry, Gabrielle Union, Regina King, Meagan Good and Taraji Henson (who was also up for the Best Lead Actress award), to name a few.
Take a look at Viola’s moving and inspiring acceptance speech in full below.
Not only is this another win on the books for Viola, but it’s also yet another monumental achievement for female African-American producer & director extraordinaire Shonda Rhimes, who is the mastermind behind the HTGAWM series.
In addition to Viola’s historic win, “Orange Is The New Black” star Uzo Adoba also took home a Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Emmy for the second year in a row, while Regina King won her first-ever Emmy for her role in “American Crime.”
#EmmyAwards: Watch Viola Davis’ Inspiring Acceptance Speech As First Black Woman To Win “Lead Actress In A Drama Series” was originally published on theurbandaily.com
