Award Shows September 20, 2020
How Shirley Chisholm’s Legacy Inspired Uzo Aduba to Honor Breonna Taylor at the Emmys
ABC
Uzo Aduba won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress for her role as Shirley Chisholm in FX's “Mrs. America.” After her win, she talked with “Extra's" Rachel Lindsay.
Uzo, who called for her mom after her name was announced, told Rachel she was at home in her dining area, saying, “I will be celebrating after with some treats that FX sent.”
Asked whether she was surprised by her win, she replied, “Very much so…Wanting to share it with my mom, who was downstairs, just wanting to race and get her the news as fast as possible.”
Uzo said the award means a lot to her because she was playing the first Black woman elected to Congress, in 1968. “It means everything," she said, "To know that story, the beginnings and genesis of her story, to play it in this time when we are revisiting a lot of the culture wars that are addressed in 'Mrs. America,' it feels especially poignant and humbling.”
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Biggest Moments from the 2020 Emmys
View StoryShe added, “I am just very happy to hear her story told.”
Uzo made a statement with her fashion, wearing a Breonna Taylor shirt. She explained, “Shirley Chisholm, she represented the voiceless — that was her mission for going to Congress, to create safe space and be able to use her platform to represent those people who are often forgotten. This felt like the most appropriate thing to do as a Black woman and a woman playing her character… to really do what Shirley Chisholm would do and to hold space for those who aren't really given space, who are often forgotten or left behind.”
