On Monday, Quinta Brunson and Ayo Edebiri walked away with the Emmys—and as history-makers for their respective wins as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy series and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
For Brunson, she became only the second Black actress to win in that category and the first one in more than 40 years (the first and only actress to ever do so was Isabel Sanford in 1981.) As for Edebiri, she becomes the third Black woman to win for her category—previous winners include Jackee Harry (1987 and Sheryl Lee Ralph (2022).
Speaking to the magnitude of the moment, Edebiri told The Root: “It’s very special. Very special, I’m very humbled. That’s really, really special. Especially on today of all days, it’s really special.” (For context, Monday, Jan. 15 marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)
Donning a pink dress, the “Abbott Elementary” creator was presented the award by Carol Burnett—a fellow giant and icon in the comedy space. As Brunson took the stage, she tearfully shared how she was unsure as to why she was so overcome with emotion and that she did not have a speech prepared.
However, she pushed through as best she could to thank her parents and the cast and crew of “Abbott” for her win. She also shared how all her life all she ever wanted to do was do comedy and expressed how grateful she was for the win.
I have no doubt that both winners will revel in this moments for years to come given the strides that were made by giants like Luther King Jr. and the doors that are now opened thanks to their respective wins.