Human beings have created wonderful things. Civilization has given people throughout history the opportunity to pull from the soul and mind and create roads, homes, government, education, electricity, trains, countries, culture and so much more. Out of the innumerable things we’ve produced, one that stands out strongly is art. With its various categories, art has been one of the most impactful parts of human civilization.
If you were to ask, I would tell you that the most beautiful thing to rise out of art is film. The countless stories, the countless labors of love and hardship depicted on screen and the joy and struggle found in the process of making it, is one that seemingly never gets old.
This year’s Emmys—like the ones that precede it—has not failed to bring me to tears. It was a beautiful display of human life and love where fellow living beings appreciate each other, while simultaneously feeling it themselves. This year, barriers were broken, as Liza ColĂłn-Zayas who stars as Tina Marrero in the television show “The Bear” became the first Latina to win best supporting actress in a comedy. Additionally, FX original series “ShĹŤgun” set a new high for most awards a single season of a show has ever won, receiving a whopping 14 awards. These actresses and actors are incredibly inspiring and are sparks of light to anyone who feels as if their dreams are just dreams.Â
As actors like ColĂłn-Zayas break racial barriers, it does not go unnoticed. Winners such as John Leguizamo, who received the Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program award at the 1999 Emmys, speaks on the diversity in the film industry saying, “I didn’t know that people like me could be actors.” As a person of color—a Black woman who loves to see characters from underrepresented groups have visibility in the industry—that message means a lot. Leguizamo then praises the current diversity in the most recent years saying “We need more stories from excluded groups: Black, Asian, Jewish, Arab, LGBTQ+ and disabled, and this show tonight is proof that our industry is making progress.”Â
The 2024 Emmys has had one of its most racially diverse years with first-time winners such as—previously mentioned Liza Colón-Zayas—Lamorne Morris, Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai and Indigenous representation from actors such as Kaylee Reese and the cast of “Reservation Dogs.”
All of these individuals have told stories and represented communities who have been almost excluded from the film industry. Actresses like 2022 Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph, who, during her speech said, “To anyone who has ever, ever had a dream and thought your dream 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.” This continues to encourage so many people from different walks of life to lead with their hearts and follow where it takes them.Â
The Emmys highlight television shows, giving praise to stories that can’t be told in two hours; some which are wrapping up their third season and others that are just getting started. Award season has always been a hopeful time period for me. It is inspiring to see people who thought the odds were against them, win and hearing the speeches of their struggles as they bask in the glory of their wins, knowing that at any point in my life a shift could happen, putting me in their shoes. The feeling I have can only be described as pure joy. A jubilant feeling I hope everyone can experience in life.