The Tribune

“I AM an endangered species, but I sing no victim song. I am a woman, I am an artist, and I know where my voice belongs.” These are the lyrics Sheryl Lee Ralph bellowed upon acceptance of her Emmy award — her first one — for best supporting actress in a comedy series. Ralph plays Barbara Howard, a veteran kindergarten teacher, in Abbott Elementary which will return for its second season starting next week. She received an enthusiastic, cheer-filled standing ovation from her peers who have seen her excellence — from her 1982 Broadway run with Dreamgirls to her role on Moesha — and know her to be deserving of her Emmy win — the first win in the category by a Black woman since Jackée Harry won for her role in 227 - 35 years ago.

Keep believing in your own excellence Ralph said, “To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream wasn’t, wouldn’t, couldn’t come true, I am here to tell you that this is what believing looks like. This is what striving looks like, and don’t you ever, ever give up on you.” She went on to recognise the people who helped to make it possible, including show creator Quinta Brunson and her family.

Ralph’s win felt like a win for many people. People who have worked and waited for recognition at the level they deserve, but have been overlooked by decision-makers were able to celebrate with Sheryl Lee Ralph. Her talent is one that everyone could see, and that we enjoyed over the years. Abbott Elementary is only the most recent place we have been able to witness her brilliance.

We have to remember that we ought to be the first to notice and name our success. We do not and should not wait for anyone else to bestow titles upon us, or allow awards to determine our value. Ralph spoke about her belief in herself, and that being the element that kept her dream alive. It can seem as though no one is paying attention. The silence of others could be taken to mean that we are invisible, that our work is invisible.

In an interview on the sidelines of the Emmys, Sheryl Lee Ralph said: “Thank God I didn’t give up on me.”

It is easy to become discouraged when external validation is not readily available, or does not come in the way we imagine for ourselves. Ralph, in her speech and in her interviews, reminds us that we are constantly writing our own stories, and though it can be tempting to write, “The End” somewhere in the long, often painful middle, when we keep going, we make our own wins possible.

HELP OTHERS TO SHINE, AND ENJOY THE LIGHT IT BRINGS

As notable as her belief in herself and her refusal to give up is her support system that is not only family, but peers who saw her greatness and created spaces for her to shine. When show creator Quinta Brunson met Ralph while working on A Black Lady Sketch Show, she was determined to work with her. She insisted that Ralph play the role of Barbara Howard, knowing that she would bring everything the show needed. Brunson is said to have aimed at putting Ralph in a position to win an Emmy. She was not only interested in casting her show and winning awards, but shining a light on someone deserving of accolades. In the process, her show shares the limelight and is dominating the conversation about the Emmys even two days later.

This is what healthy professional relationships look like. We see each other’s strengths, and we not only look to put them to the best possible use, but also in the best position to be seen and appreciated by others so that people’s contributions are clear and can be acknowledged beyond mere enjoyment or consumption of the final product. It is remembering that people can be good at more than one thing, but it makes a difference when they are put in a position to do the things that allow them to shine. We ought to want to help each other shine.

Ralph’s family is also visibly supportive of her and her work. Her daughter often posts on social media, sharing photos and clips of Ralph. Her children’s support on Monday night was not shown on television, but shared on social media. The siblings sat together, and both sprung from their seats to jump, cheer, and hug each other as she made her way to the stage. They were jubilant and could not seem to help but scream for her, saying, “Mommy!” They were loud and unabashed in their celebration of their mother, quieting only when she reached the microphone and began her speech.

DON’T WAIT, CREATE

Another beautiful moment on Monday night was Lizzo getting halfway to the EGOT everyone knows she will probably achieve. She won best competition programme for her show Watch Out for the Big Grrrls where women competed to become her backup dancer.

In her speech, Lizzo said, “When I was a little girl, all I wanted to see was me in the media. Someone fat like me, Black like me, beautiful like me.” This is a common dream. May people in entertainment longed to see themselves on television screens, album covers, and billboards. Some of us have young people in our lives who have more role models who look like them than we ever had at their age. We see the way they think and all they dare to try, and we know that they believe they can, at least in part, because they are seeing it done in real time. Representation matters, and sometimes we get it in parts. We may see a woman, but not a Black woman. We may see a Black woman, but not a fat Black woman. We want to see more of ourselves. It not only lets us know that we are not alone, but that we can. We can do whatever we see people who look like us doing.

Lizzo continued, “If I could go back and tell little Lizzo something, I’d be like, ‘You gon’ see that person, but [expletive], it’s gon’ have to be you.’” It is also interesting to hear what people would tell younger versions of themselves. Most often, it is advice or an affirmation. For Lizzo, it is both. Things will change, and you will get what you want, and it will be because you made the change by creating exactly what you wanted. Lizzo is using her position of power, as a multi-platinum recording artist with a serious fan base and the financial backing available to her, to bring more people along. In Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, 13 people compete for a spot on the Bonnaroo music festival stage with Lizzo. All of the contestants had time to shine, and all of the viewers saw a new possibility. Lizzo created it, and someone watching will one day create what they do not want to wait for too.