The 2017 Emmy Awards on Sunday were a great night for diversity in Hollywood. Granted, the fact that there are still so many "firsts" to be had regarding diverse winners is a bit problematic, but I digress. Last night was still a huge step forward in leveling the playing field for minority actors, directors, writers, etc.
All of the historic wins were inspirational, but it was Lena Waithe's acceptance speech in particular that got us feeling very emotional and ready to take on the world. Waithe, who is a writer on the Netflix series "Master of None" and also plays Denise on the show, took home the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series.
And while her coworker Aziz Ansari also won, he let Waithe do all the talking during the acceptance speech. Clearly, Ansari knew that Waithe had a lot of important stuff to say to multiple minority groups that are still vastly underrepresented at the Emmy Awards.
Not only is Waithe the first African American woman to win an Emmy for writing in comedy, she is also a vocal member of the LGBTQ+ community. The particular "Master of None" episode she won the Emmy for, titled "Thanksgiving," follows the longterm struggles Waithe's character faces on the show coming out to her family, and how being a black woman compounds those struggles.
"I want to thank my mother for inspiring this story and allowing me to share it with the world. I love you Ma," Waithe said during her speech. "To my girlfriend, I love you more than life itself," Waithe continued, before thanking the community she has found a second family in.
"Last but certainly not least, my LGBQTIA family. I see each and every one of you. The things that make us different, those are our super powers. Every day, when you walk out the door, put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world. Because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if we were not in it."
"And for everybody out there that showed us so much love for this episode, thank you for embracing a little Indian boy from South Carolina and a little queer Black girl from the South Side of Chicago. We appreciate it more than you could ever know."
This speech understandably won Waithe a standing ovation from the audience, and who can blame them? In a world with so much negativity, it's nice to hear a success story like this one every so often.