Sheryl Lee Ralph, a prominent figure known for her “remarkable talent and contributions”, was praised by producer Ana Martinez for receiving her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, describing the accolade as “more than worthy.” Ralph received the 2,808th star with assistance from Jennifer Lewis, the Abbott Elementary cast, her family, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorors. Quinta Brunson and Loretta Devine were the guest speakers.
Brunson stated, “We are here to honor the honorable, Sheryl Lee Ralph, she’s getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, because she should be. I don’t know anyone else who embodies the word, star more.”
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She continued, “And if we are going to give these out, it’s nice to see them go out to true stars. People with long and incredible careers. People who have the ability to influence the room with their aura alone, and people who have made a mark on this world. People like Sheryl.”
Ralph remarked in a recent interview, “I can still feel the determined spirit of that little girl who dared to dream big. Growing up, I felt my big dreams had to be whispered, because that kind of ambition could be mistaken for arrogance. I have been counted out, I have been passed over, I have been told I was too Black, too strong, and too much, and yet, here, I stand.”
Ralph, of course, also took the time to present the Black actresses who had preceded her with a well-deserved recognition for their trailblazing efforts in the industry.
She stated, “This star isn’t just mine, it belongs to every performer who made space for me, when there seemed to be no space. Ruby Dee, Rosalind Cash, Cicely Tyson, Virginia Capers, and many more women whose brilliance lit the path for me during my darkest professional moments. This star is for the work still to come, for the legacy I leave, walking in their footsteps and Mr. Poitier’s too. Making the path wider for young artists to follow.”
In closing, the actress who plays Barbara Howard from Abbott Elementary thanked everyone who told her, “you’re not this, you’re not that. You’re too Black, you’re too short, not Black enough, you’re not this, you’re not that,” adding how some of them were “not kind about it.”
She did point out, though, that their rejection was actually a redirection that brought her to this very moment.
She even gave some guidance to anyone going through a similar situation: “You’re thinking your dreams don’t matter. You keep on. Keep doing the work. Dreams don’t have an expiration.”
“It is only over when you stop and when you say it is over. But keep showing up. Keep being your authentic self. Keep speaking the truth.”
Ralph continued, “Cause one day, baby, you just might look down and find your name written amongst the stars.”
