Sheryl Lee Ralph took a minute or two to absorb the fact that she had won an Emmy for “Abbott Elementary,” but the actress used that moment to summon all her power when she took the stage.
Taking a deep breath, she began her acceptance speech with a stunning rendition of Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Species,” beginning with the lyrics: “I’m an endangered species, but I don’t sing a victim’s song/I’m a woman , I’m an artist/And I know where my voice belongs.”
Ralph, who won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Emmy for her role as kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard on the hit ABC series, then delivered a rousing speech that brought the audience to their feet.
It’s the first win and first nomination for the 65-year-old actress, whose numerous television credits include “Ray Donovan,” “Claws,” “Moesha,” “Designing Women,” “It’s a Living” and the soap opera “Search for Tomorrow.” .”
The Twitterverse was also on its feet, so to speak, with rave reviews, including this celebratory tweet from Gabrielle Union.
