‘This is a win for us all’
Sheryl Lee Ralph celebrates Emmy Award
Published:Thursday | September 15, 2022 | 12:08 AMAaliyah Cunningham/Gleaner Writer
Arguably having the best acceptance speech of the night, Jamaican-American actress Sheryl Lee Ralph took home the highest honour in television on Monday night when she was awarded the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as a kindergarten teacher in Abbott Elementary.
In a statement to The Gleaner, Ralph, who is still basking in the historic win, shared that the award is even more than just a crowning of her work on the hit television series.
“This award not only celebrates the work I’ve poured into Barbara Howard on Abbott Elementary. This Emmy Award serves as proof that despite trials, heartbreak, oversights, and underestimations, perseverance wins. Determination wins. The barefaced courage to look ahead and keep moving forward will always win. This is a win for us all,” she said proudly.
She used her shining moment on stage to encourage people to relentlessly go after their dreams with the belting of a few lines from Endangered Species by Dianne Reeves and a powerful and heartfelt message. Ralph is the second black woman to have ever received this Emmy, which adds to the significance of the award. She told The Gleaner that she hopes that her win will be proof that the being black should not be viewed as an obstacle in the pursuit of one’s dreams but instead an opportunity to shake the table.
“It (her Emmy win) is for the child who took a look in the mirror one day and thought of the shade of their skin as a barrier to their aspirations. Let this be a reminder that it is not a stumbling block. It is not a hindrance. It is instead an open stage, inviting you to find your voice and allow it to rattle against the walls of uncertainty in one’s potential. I’m only the second black woman in 35 years to win this category but I’m also one of the many more to come. I’m truly honoured to be counted as one who can pave the way,” Ralph expressed.
Ralph has had legendary career over her years in Hollywood, dating from the 1980s Dreamgirls on Broadway to the much-loved sitcom Moesha and her unforgettable role in Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange said in a press release that this was a “well-deserved recognition of an outstanding actress who gives her all to every role”.
Grange noted that she looked forward to celebrating the Emmy win with the “inspirational Sheryl Lee” who will be made a member of the Order of Jamaica for her sterling contribution as an actress, cultural ambassador for Jamaica and contribution to the International Film Industry at the National Honours and Awards ceremony at King’s House on Heroes Day.
Always taking her Jamaican style, roots and culture with her wherever she goes, while speaking with Laverne Cox for E! News, Ralph – dressed in a statement-making black velvet gown made by Jamaican handbag designer Brandon Blackwood – reminded everyone of a popular Jamaican proverb.
“Don’t you ever give up on you. Don’t you ever give up on your dreams because no matter what, if it is meant for you, it will not miss you. As we say in Jamaica, ‘what is fi yuh cyaa be un-fi yuh’ so you must believe in yourself. Get up off of the sidelines of your own life and get in there and fight for you. You are the best person out there to put up the good fight for you.”