Expensive Teyana,
Some wins hit completely different when you know the way lengthy the world took to confess what you’ve been proving.
So let me begin right here: congratulations.
Not the type of congratulations that appears like a well mannered clap from the sidelines. The sort that appears like a deep exhale after years of being watched, studied, mimicked, and underestimated. The sort that claims: we noticed you the entire time. We simply wanted the business to catch up.
Since you’ve by no means been “new.” You’ve been subsequent. You’ve been now. You’ve been the blueprint in movement, even when the credit score didn’t come connected.
You’re a kind of uncommon creatives who doesn’t simply have expertise–you have got vary. Not the performative type individuals toss round once they don’t know the way else to explain a Black lady’s brilliance. Actual vary. The sort that appears like dancing, directing, performing, coaching, choreographing, writing, shaping visions, executing ideas, and nonetheless strolling into rooms such as you weren’t carrying a whole legacy in your again.
Though the world is celebrating you on a serious awards stage proper now, the reality is you’ve been doing award-worthy work lengthy earlier than they determined to name your identify. This recognition is just the room catching up.
RELATED CONTENT: “Brandy, A Love Letter — To The Lady Who Selected Herself, Even When The World Needed A Present”
Your Rise Was By no means the Traditional Route, And That’s The Level
Your story has at all times been unconventional. It didn’t come wrapped in business ease or predictable PR packaging.
You got here up by means of motion. By way of rhythm. By way of the type of artistic intuition you may’t educate. The sort that has you making your mark behind the scenes earlier than individuals even know they’re witnessing historical past.
Your begin says every little thing: choreography ties to Beyoncé, getting signed by Pharrell, then exhibiting up in a second so many individuals nonetheless reference in popular culture as we speak. That type of rise doesn’t occur accidentally. That occurs when anyone is plain.
That’s what’s so highly effective about you, Teyana. You’ve by no means waited for permission to be iconic. You simply saved creating.
It’s not simply your expertise that’s been plain. It’s your spirit.
Harlem made you. Not simply the grit, not simply the fashion, not simply the sting however the confidence, the honesty, and the way in which you know the way to maintain going whereas the entire world is watching. You’ve at all times carried your self like somebody who understands that legacy isn’t simply what you construct creatively, it’s how you progress by means of life.
Even when your private world grew to become public, you didn’t carry out ache for sympathy. You confirmed individuals what it seems wish to navigate change with grace, to prioritize peace, and to nonetheless present up as your self with out letting the toughest chapters harden you.
Now, seeing you step into a brand new period, one which feels lighter, freer, and filled with pleasure has been its personal type of glow as much as witness. Past the headlines, there’s somebody easier and sweeter: a lady who has executed the work, survived the noise, and is letting herself be herself in public with out having to elucidate it.
When You Spoke Up, It Wasn’t Quitting It Was Readability
You’ve at all times been trustworthy about the price of being distinctive. In 2020, you spoke brazenly about stepping away from music after feeling underappreciated and annoyed with how your work was being dealt with, selecting your emotional nicely being and your kids over forcing your self to maintain feeding a machine that wasn’t feeding you again.
That call wasn’t a disappearance. It was a boundary. In an business that always expects Black girls to maintain producing regardless of the non-public toll, that type of readability is its personal type of energy.
You by no means stopped being artistic. You by no means stopped being visionary. You simply refused to maintain providing your magic to areas that weren’t honoring it correctly.
They’ll At all times Speak However The Work Nonetheless Stands
After all, even in celebration, there must be noise.
Even on this second, some critics are attempting to show your achievement right into a debate about what Black girls “have” to do to be able to be awarded, praised, or acknowledged. They’re attempting to flatten your efficiency right into a dialog about sexuality, as if Black girls can solely be seen as highly effective once we’re additionally being consumed.
However we’re not doing that as we speak.
As a result of your win just isn’t a logo. It’s not a development. It’s not a storyline another person will get to regulate.
It’s earned.
Actually, the concept that Black girls solely get acknowledged once we are lowered to a picture doesn’t even maintain up while you take a look at the historical past of award recognition itself. Black actresses have been honored for vary, depth, grief, energy, softness, and storytelling that had nothing to do with being a sexual merchandise. The issue has by no means been whether or not Black girls are able to profitable. The issue has at all times been the inconsistency in how typically we’re allowed to.
Because of this your second issues much more. As a result of in rooms like that, you may really feel the mathematics. You’ll be able to see how few of us are even being nominated or centered within the first place. This 12 months, you weren’t only a winner. You have been one of many few Black individuals acknowledged in that area in any respect, which makes the victory land heavier and shine brighter. #OTWtotheOscars !
RELATED CONTENT: “For The Ladies Who Are By no means Allowed to Fall Aside: A Love Letter”
Sure, individuals will at all times have critiques. Some will attempt to generalize what it means when Black girls win huge, and others will try and make your character’s presentation the headline as a substitute of your craft. However decreasing a Black lady’s efficiency to how her physique was perceived misses all the level of performing. It ignores the self-discipline, the alternatives, the character work, the emotional vary, and the danger it takes to step into a task and make it plausible.
Even past the critics, the dialog round awards is layered. The Golden Globes typically acknowledge Black expertise extra often than some ceremonies, particularly with regards to tv. However that doesn’t reduce the load of your win. It provides context. It reminds us that sure areas have traditionally been extra prepared to applaud us in sure classes whereas nonetheless making it more durable for Black girls to totally dominate throughout the board.
That’s why this second shouldn’t be dismissed as a headline or a development. It must be understood as momentum. As a result of a Golden Globe win is not only a trophy. It’s additionally a sign in award season tradition. It typically locations a performer within the dialog in a much bigger manner. It tells the business to maintain watching. It hints that this is perhaps the beginning of a good bigger run of recognition in your craft.
As Charlamagne Tha God acknowledged in a current Breakfast Membership dialog, there are a lot of Black girls who’ve gained awards of this caliber with out being sexualized in any respect. The purpose isn’t whether or not a personality is sensual or not. The purpose is that Black girls should be totally expressed on display screen with out individuals utilizing it as a cause to dismiss our expertise.
You don’t want controversy to make your win actual. You don’t want anybody’s discomfort to validate your ability.
Right this moment, We’re Celebrating You Loudly
So allow them to argue. Allow them to overanalyze. Allow them to attempt to make your second right into a debate.
We’re protecting it easy.
Congratulations, Teyana Taylor.
For the years of labor individuals didn’t label correctly. For the creativity that didn’t get credited loud sufficient. For the trouble you place in when the cameras weren’t rolling. For the way in which you saved exhibiting up as a mom and a person, totally artistic in a world that’s extra comfy when Black girls keep in a single field.
For the way in which you used your second with intention. You didn’t simply settle for the award and transfer on. You spoke on to little brown women. You made certain they heard you. You made certain they knew that even when the room doesn’t appear like them, they belong in it. Even when individuals attempt to make them really feel like they’re visiting as a substitute of arriving, they nonetheless have a future in these areas. They only should maintain believing in themselves and maintain reaching.
That’s what made this greater than a win. That’s what made this a message.
That is your flower. That is your second. That is your win.
And it’s nicely deserved.
With love, delight, and loud Black applause.
RELATED CONTENT: A Love Letter to Jess Hilarious And To Each Black Lady Wrestling With This Dialog
