Source: CBS Photo Archive / Getty
has already proven that her place in the realm of entertainment is well deserved, and her moving speech at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards cemented the fact. The Ghanaian-British actress made history at the ceremony by becoming the first Black woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for
I May Destroy You, and her acceptance speech was short but effectively to the point.
Coel, who also starred in the role of Arabella in the limited HBO series, arrived to accept her award in a stunning yellow two-piece Christopher John Rogers dress and used her brief time to accept the award and also center victims of sexual assault after she gave praise to her fellow scriptwriters.
“Write the tale that scares you, that makes you feel uncertain, that isn’t comfortable. I dare you. In a world that entices us to browse the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and to, in turn, feel the need to be constantly visible…for visibility, these days seems to somehow equate to success…do not be afraid to disappear. From it, from us, for a while. And see what comes to you in the silence, Coel said.
She ended her speech with, “I dedicate this story to every single survivor of sexual assault.”
While
I May Destroy You centers somewhat on the assault suffered by Arabella, it truly became about the young writer’s journey into discovering that the horrible incident didn’t define her overall, which is why it resonated with so many.
Oh, and let’s not forget the flex that Coe
l turned down a $1 million offer from Netflix due to them not wanting to let her retain some of the copyright of her intellectual property. Let that sink in.
On Twitter, many are praising Michaela Coel and her acceptance speech. We’ve got reactions below.
—
Photo: Getty
