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Angela Bassett accepted an Honorary Oscar at the 14th Governors Awards Tuesday night.
During her speech, she shouted out “trailblazing” Black actresses that paved the way for her, including Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Rosalind Cash.
“They were my North Star, my guiding light, proof that while the road may not be without curves and bumps, there was a way to fulfill what I believed deep in my soul was my destiny,” she said.
“It was standing on their strong, spiritually fortified shoulders that I often was sustained, and I thank them for every sacrifice, every doubt, every disappointment, every rejection, every triumph that I know they experienced along the way,” she continued.
Angela also spotlighted each of the 10 Black actresses who have won an Oscar, calling them “beacons of possibility and hope for little Black and brown girls who aspire to one day pursue the dream of becoming an actor.”
“This honor isn’t just for or about me,” she added. “What I hope this moment means is that we are taking the necessary steps toward a future in which it is the norm, not the exception, to see and embrace one another’s full humanity, stories and perspectives. This must be our goal, and to always remember that there is room for us all. When we stand together, we win together.”
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