Lena Waithe Becomes First African-American Woman to Win Comedy Writing Emmy
Lena Waithe has embraced the history she made.
On Sunday night (September 17), Waithe became the first African-American woman to win the Emmy Award for comedy writing, which she collected for the "Thanksgiving" episode of Netflix's Master on None. She wrote the critically acclaimed episode with series creator and star Aziz Ansari, and the story's gone on to become an audience favorite.
Waithe, who also appears periodically on the show, did not back down from the enormity of the moment in her moving acceptance speech, thanking her girlfriend and her "LGBTQIA family."
"The things that make us different, those are our superpowers," she said. "Every day when you walk out the door, put on your imaginary cape and go out there and conquer the world because the world would not be as beautiful as it is if we weren’t in it."
Waithe's profile was certainly boosted by her victory and you can bet you'll see more of her — she's developing a Showtime series called The Chi, which will focus on her years as a child in Chicago.
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