It was a sight to see more representation while watching the 2022 annual Emmy awards on Monday.
After a long career, Sheryl Lee Ralph won her first Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in the comedy series “Abbott Elementary.” She is only the second Black woman to receive this award.
Zendaya won Outstanding Lead Actress for her role in the drama series “Euphoria,” and “Squid Game” star Lee Jung-jae became the first Asian to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a drama series.
What a mouthful, but that just shows how important and needed diversity and representation are in the industry.
I always thought that I would never see anyone that looks like me up on stage, let alone acquire a well-distinguished award like an Emmy. Little did I know, that that would change on Monday.
For her Amazon Prime show, “Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” Lizzo won the Emmy for Outstanding Competition Program. She is now halfway in becoming one of the few EGOT winners.
As mentioned in my first story about Lizzo, her show is about giving plus-size dancers an opportunity to perform on a large scale stage as she prepares for her upcoming tour. This is something we do not see on TV often. This win for Lizzo is not only for her, but for me.
Lizzo has helped break barriers and paved the way for big girls, like me, to get those big jobs that stereotypically skinnier people would receive.
“They are not that unique, they just don’t get the platform,” Lizzo said during her Emmys acceptance speech. “Let’s just tell more stories.”
Lizzo winning on such a high merit and distinguished award show means so much more than just the award itself. It allows viewers to see such excellence, and shows them that both women of color and big girls are here to stay.
Being a woman of color and of bigger size, I did not get many opportunities for jobs, school activities, or even sports in the past. This led me to start second-guessing myself, and developing low self-esteem and self-doubt.
Listening to Lizzo’s music and now witnessing her win an Emmy makes me feel empowered to keep going and being that change.
“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,” Lizzo said.
I can only hope for other prestigious award shows, or even just workplaces and classrooms, to follow Lizzo’s example and “give everyone their flowers,” meaning give someone their opportunity when they deserve it.
Women of color should not be setback and kept behind the scenes because of their appearance. We have so much to offer and this is only the beginning.