Just a couple of days ago we saw the 2015 Emmy’s being awarded to television actors who demonstrated remarkable representation skills and I think we can all say that this year, was a great year! History was made that night when Viola Davis won as an Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and became the first black woman to win on a leading role. What a night! It was a historical win on an afro style.
While in the last century white people were being hired to perform highly exaggerated and anecdotal roles of black people, that night showed again how far things have come. Yes, Halle Berry was also the first black woman to win an Oscar for best actress in 2001, and other accomplishments have been reached since then, but damn it feels good every time. It’s nice to see a black woman come out triumphant and be recognised in her field, scratch that, it’s amazing it feels awesome! Even though I’m not American, I am of African descent and when a black woman or men shine a little bit brighter on this world, in whatever field, I feel proud, I feel boastful. It’s like I was there, it’s like I won the award too. It feels like all black people won too…
The fact that it was a woman, makes it even more special. It’s hard enough for black people to be recognised, and win roles where they can shine, but if you’re black and a woman as well it’s even harder. Just go and check how many black men have won an Oscar for best actor and how many black women have. It could all just be down to “roles that are simply not there” as actress Viola Davis mentioned in her acceptance speech, but we know it’s not. As she hinted, out black women can too be beautiful and sexy. Let us hope that the recognition of talent and professionalism of Taraji P. Henson, Uzo Aduba, Regina King and other black women continues to lessen these gaps and open doors even wider. Anyway, it was a wonderful night for all of us and, to top it all off Viola looked beautiful in her designer dress by Carmen Mark Valvo sporting her natural hair in an afro style.
A picture posted on Instagram gives us an inside look of her pre-Emmy award preparations. It shows us Viola’s glam squad, as she calls them, in a very relaxed environment striking a pose.
Thank you to my awesome glam squad!!! #Emmys A photo posted by Viola Davis (@violadavis) on
My first clear image of Viola Davis as an actress comes to me as Aibileen in the film The Help, where her performance won her an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actress, and then came other strong performances which helped me draw the picture of a strong black woman who doesn’t tip toe around issues close to her heart and who is not afraid stir a bit of controversy to open minds and awaken people.
Viola’s historical win and message driven speech sent out a strong vibration to all who have watched or read it. Moreover, the fact the she was there powerful, passionate and with purposeful intent delivering her acceptance speech in her mighty real, African, kinky black hair seemed to make everything more real and pertinent, demanding the attention of all. Don’t you agree!
Finally, I would just like to say – “Thank You, Viola! Thank you for being such a strong black woman, for sending out the message and making us all believe that we, black women, are talented too, we are sexy, beautiful, and capable of anything just as anyone else!”
What do you think of Viola Davis’ speech and historical win?
