Actress Viola Davis made history at the 2015 Emmy Awards by being the first African-American woman to win the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
She won for her role as Annalise Keating on ABC’s hit show ‘How to Get Away with Murder’.
Viola, 50, became very emotional as she received the award and gave her thank you speech.
She said: ‘In my dreams and visions, I seemed to see a line, and on the other side of that line were green fields, and lovely flowers, and beautiful white ladies, who stretched out their arms to me over the line, but I couldn’t reach them no-how,’ Davis said, quoting black rights activist Harriet Tubman in her acceptance speech.
She continued: ‘Let me tell you something: the only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.’ Thank you for taking us over that line.’
She continued by thanking the other actresses of colour, including Washington, Halle Berry, Meagan Good, Gabrielle Union and fellow nominee Taraji P. Henson.
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