We loved her in Girlfriends.  She slays us on social. And now, we’re having a #BlackGirlMagic moment for Tracee Ellis Ross, the first black actress in 30 years to receive an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Johnson, the matriarch on black-ish.

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The last nomination for a Black woman in this category belongs to Phylicia Rashad in 1986 nomination for her role as Clair Huxtable in The Cosby Show. Only five black actresses have ever been nominated in the category, including Diahann Carroll for Julia, Isabel Sanford for The Jeffersons, and Nell Carter for Gimme a Break!). In 1981, Isabel Sanford was the first Black actress to win the award for this category.

“At this age, at this point in my career, to be a first-time nominee is extraordinary. To be nominated on behalf of a show that I am so proud of,” Ross told ABC. “I have not yet gotten married or had a baby, and this is pretty up there on the list.”

Adding an even bigger boost to the major award show, Forbes reports that 18 out of 73, of the acting nominees in major categories are people of color. This is up from 21.9% last year.

Other Black actors nominated include Sterling K. Brown, Idris Elba, Courtney B. Vance, Colton Dunn, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Kerry Washington for Confirmation, Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, and Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele of Key & Peele.

Ross’s  co-star, Anthony Anderson is up for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series and black-ish, is up for Outstanding Comedy Series. While Tracee is never one to shy away from her accomplishments, she always reminds us of the importance of staying humble throughout her career.

“My goal is not necessarily to be an inspiration. I think if anything, I want to continue to be inspired and to continue to grow as a person,” Ross told EBONY. “You can’t know what you don’t know.”

Last year, Viola Davis, Regina King and Uzo Aduba all scooped wins. Here’s  wishing Tracee and all of the other talented actors and actresses the best!


Melissa Kimble is the Senior Social Media Manager for the EBONY brand. An advocate for Black Creatives via #blkcreatives, you can connect with her on Twitter at @Melissa_Kimble.