#BlackExcellence! Lena Waithe, Sterling K. Brown And Donald Glover Make History At This Year’s Emmys

Obviously not every Black performer nominated could win an Emmy on Sunday, but tonight’s ceremony still served up some serious #BlackExcellence! That, and tonight was definitely about making history.

First up was Donald Glover, who won two Emmys for his hilarious and poignant FX comedy Atlanta. The 33-year-old took home the gold for Best actor in a Comedy Series and Best Directing in a Comedy Series, making him the first African-American to win in this category in awards history!

Even better? Emmy winner and comedy legend Dave Chapelle handed the talented actor and director one of his golden statues:

Glover also snuck in there that he and his partner are expected baby #2– another boy! Congrats!

One of the best moments of the night later came from Master of None’s Lena Waithe, who along with co-star Aziz Ansari, won an Emmy for Best Writing in a Comedy Series. Waithe, an out and proud lesbian, is the first Black woman to win an Emmy in this category to which she received a standing ovation as she stood on stage.

And Waithe’s speech was absolutely inspiring.

“The things that make us different — those are our superpowers,” the Chicago native said. She made special mention of her “LGBTQIA family” and urged viewers who feel outside of the mainstream to rock a superhero cape every day “and go out there and conquer the world. It would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren’t in it.”

In addition to Glover and Waithe’s win, This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown won his second Emmy in two years–and his moment was history-making as well. He’s the first Black man to win in this category in 20 years. (Homicide: Life On The Street’s Andre Braugher won all the way back in 1997.)

“This one right here, when I think about it, like—Walter White held this joint?! Dick Whitman held this joint?! I may have lost some of y’all, but you know. Google it. And 19 years ago, Detective Frank Pembleton won this joint.”

Sadly, producers cut Brown off before he could thank his wife and finish the rest of his speech. But he got it all in backstage:

Other highs:

• Chance The Rapper’s moving political rap during the show’s opening act with host Steve Colbert

• Colbert’s cutting and on-point joke about Bill Maher and everything he said about #45–classic!
• Cicely Tyson and Anika Noni Rose reminding us that Black don’t ever crack

• Jane Fonda’s phony pony that we’re pretty sure she can whip back and forth

• Riz Ahmed (aka Who’d I’d risk it all for) won his first Emmy for HBO’s Night Of and became the first Asian male actor to win an Emmy in an acting category

• Gabrielle Union presenting at her first-ever Emmy awards

• Everything Star Trek’s Sonequa Martin-Green!

• Announcer Jermaine Fowler making this year’s Emmys Black AF! Did you hear him announce Issa Rae? LOL

• Speaking of Issa Rae: Her glow up is FOR REAL!

Oh what a great night!

BEAUTIES: Did you watch? What was your favorite moment of the night?

RELATED NEWS:

Once Again The Emmys Gets It Wrong, Full List Of Nominations And Snubs

Red Carpet Rundown: Angela Bassett And Courtney B. Vance Blaze The Creative Art Emmys

Check Out Sterling K. Brown In Exclusive Clip Of New Sitcom ‘This Is Us’

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