Viola Davis Quotes Harriet Tubman in Historic, Inspirational Emmys Acceptance Speech

Viola Davis’s history-making win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series — the first actress of color to be awarded the honor — was already a dramatic moment before the How to Get Away With Murder star took the stage. But Davis upped the stakes even further with a beautiful speech that had her chief competitor in the category, Empire’s Taraji P. Henson, standing and applauding. 

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The veteran character actress began her speech by quoting civil rights pioneer Harriet Tubman: “In my mind, I see a line. And over that line I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me over that line. But I can’t seem to get there no how. I can’t seem to get over that line.”

Davis then applied Tubman’s words directly to the challenge confronting minority actresses in Hollywood: “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.” That observation reverberated through the Microsoft Theater, reflecting both the huge strides that had been achieved in the diversity of the winners’ circle (particularly the numerous awards won by women in the directing and writing categories), as well as how far the industry still has to go in reflecting the many and varied faces of the audiences watching at home.

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Bringing her speech home to a rousing conclusion, Davis offered a tribute to the other women who had crossed the line Tubman spoke about two centuries ago. “Here’s to all the writers, the awesome people… Shonda Rhimes. People who have redefined what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to be a leading woman. To be black. And to the Taraji P. Hensons, the Kerry Washingtons, the Halle Berrys, the Nicole Beharies, the Meagan Goods, to Gabrielle Union. Thank you for taking us over that line. Thank you, for the television academy. Thank you.“