Did you watch the Emmys? If not, did you at least spend hours afterward reading numerous tweets about Viola Davis’s acceptance speech? If for some reason you didn’t know already because you’ve been living under a rock, Viola Davis was the first African American to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Some people think her acceptance speech was outlandish and unnecessary, but most people realize and respect that her achievement was a historical moment for actresses of color. However you feel is your prerogative but personally I was moved by her speech.
Of course she received a lot of backlash on social media for “turning the Emmys into a political mockery,” but I believe Davis’s speech was far from political because it was real. The reality of Hollywood, whether people want to recognize it or not, is that there are not a lot of roles for women of color in movies, television, or theater. I’ve experienced this myself when I would audition for roles in my drama days. Because my company was predominantly white, I was never eligible to audition for lead roles that were clearly created for white women. When I claim that Hollywood doesn’t offer a plethora of roles for women of color that includes Latinas, Native Americans, Asians, and other minorities. As a matter of fact, African Americans reign, being offered 15% of roles while Asian Americans and Native Americans fall way behind with 2% and 1%, respectively, of roles offered in movies and TV. When was the last time you saw a Native American female star in a movie and not play a stereotypical character? I’ll wait.
People always wonder why I’m such a huge fan of Mindy Kaling, a writer and producer of her hit series The Mindy Project and the hilarious sitcom The Office. Not only do I admire her writing style, but I also appreciate her efforts to pave the way for Asian Americans. Like most women of color, she was constantly told she could never star in a show because no one was creating characters that she could fit into on TV. Did that stop her? No, it made her better, and she blazed her own path by writing her own show and casting herself as the lead. Now that’s a REAL boss!
Women of color, we have to stop settling for “good enough.” We can’t continue to live contentedly because we have a few shows on ABC and FOX that reflect our cultures and diversity. I’m so happy that Viola Davis eloquently, yet powerfully took a stand and acknowledged the truth—something that is lacking in the fake world of Hollywood. People who can’t relate to her speech, her struggle, and rejection will never understand just how important Sunday, September 20, 2015, was for actresses of color. Will things change in the industry? I don’t know, but if you want to see a change, then it’s up to you. Technology is allowing us to move faster and better in the world. If you want to see something different in the theaters or on TV, you no longer have to wait for high-power “suits” to create and produce it for you. You can do it yourself. It’s not an easy process but it’s attainable, and the time is now.