Black Excellence: Donald Glover And Lena Waithe Make History At The 69th Annual Emmy Awards

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The 69th Emmy Awards was a historic night in the comedy genre for Atlanta’s Donald Glover and Master of None’s Lena Waithe.

This past Sunday, the multitalented Donald Glover broke barriers by becoming the first African-American to win an Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for the “B.A.N” episode of Atlanta. Furthermore, he also won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

“I don’t know what’s happening right now. It feels like a dream. I’m glad I was able to make history,” Glover told USA Today. “But that’s not what I was trying to do. I was just trying to make the best product possible. I was trying to make a really good show.” 

Glover’s humbleness makes him all the more deserving of the prestigious award, as his hard work was not left unnoticed.

We’re given more black excellence as Lena Waithe wins an Emmy for Outstanding Writer in a Comedy Series, making Waithe the first African-American woman to win an Emmy for comedy writing.

“To my LGBTQIA family, I see each and every one of you,” Waithe said during her acceptance speech. “The things that make us different, those are our super powers … The world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren’t in it.”

Waithe’s talents aren’t ending with the brilliance behind Masters of None. In the near future, the actress and screenwriter will be launching an autobiographical Showtime series, The Chi, along with working on other television projects.

More highlights:

On the red carpet, Insecure’s creator Issa Rae had no problem being candid when asked who she was supporting this year. “I’m rooting for everybody black,” she told Variety. “I am!” Although Insecure was snubbed for an Emmy nomination this year, we’re rooting for Issa and the entire cast at the 2018 Emmys.

Last but surely not least, This Is Us actor Sterling K. Brown was given one of the highest honors as he received an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. Since Brown’s acceptance speech was cut short, you can watch his full remarks below:

As the Emmys come to a close, we couldn’t be more proud for the black creators who are finally getting the recognition that they deserve. This year marked the most diverse group of Emmy nominees in history, as stated by Stephen Colbert, which is a significant step in the right direction.

Click here for the complete list of Emmy nominees and winners.