With Black History Month around the corner, history was made again for the Black community on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The 2024 Emmy Awards premiere on Jan. 16 marked the achievement of numerous milestones for Black women, including Ayo Edebiri and Quinta Brunson winning Outstanding Lead Actress and Supporting Actress for Comedy. This was the first time in history that two Black women won the Lead and Supporting Actress for Comedy categories in the same year.
Recently winning Best Actress In A Comedy Series Or Musical for portraying Sydney Adamu in FX’s The Bear at the 2024 Golden Globes, 28-year-old rising star Edebiri had a similar reaction when being awarded Outstanding Supporting Actress in A Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys. Ultimately, Edebiri became the third Black woman to win Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series at The Emmys, with Jackée Harry in 1987 and Sheryl Lee Ralph in 2022 being her predecessors.
In her speech, Edebiri thanked and gave credit to her parents for her Emmy win. “I’m so incredibly grateful for this for so many reasons,” Edebiri told the crowd. “This show is about family, and found family and real family, and my parents are here tonight. I’m making them sit kind of far away from me because I’m a bad kid, but I love you guys so much. Thank you so much for loving me and letting me feel beautiful and Black and proud of all of that.”
In regards to her future on The Bear, Edebiri added that she hopes that her character, Sydney, develops more confidence. “I love the idea of Sydney finding more confidence and belief in herself, but it’s also fun getting to play someone who’s flawed and kind of a mess.”
Similar to Edebiri, Brunson also made history by winning Outstanding Lead Actress for her original series, ABC’s Abbott Elementary. Winning this award made Brunson become the second Black woman to have this distinction in over 42 years — the first being Isabel Sanford, who portrayed Louise in The Jeffersons. Additionally, Brunson’s Emmy award also made her the first Black woman under a network TV show to win in over 10 years.
While accepting her award, Brunson showed how proud she is, stating, “I love making Abbott Elementary so much, and I am so happy to be able to live my dream and act out comedy.”
All in all, the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards did not disappoint and social media viewers agree in regards to Brunson’s and Edebiri’s historic milestones. Here are some recent tweets revealing how fans reacted to Brunson’s and Edebiri’s win.
Similar to numerous social media viewers’ reactions, I’m always in joy seeing Black and African American women make history. With only approximately 35 Black women historically being awarded a Primetime Emmy before this, it’s amazing to see Edebiri and Brunson expand the list. Ultimately, Edebiri’s and Brunson’s achievements continue to pave the way for excellence within the Black and African American community.