The first Black actress to achieve the triple crown of acting is Viola Davis. Starring in many productions, Davis is an inspiration to many Black girls wanting to achieve their dreams. Davis was born on Aug. 11, 1965, in Saint Matthews, South Carolina. After she was born, she moved to Rhode Island, where she grew up poor. As a way of escaping, she found solace in watching movies.

Since she was in high school, Davis has always loved stage acting. While enrolled at Young People’s School for the Performing Arts, she was noticed for her talents by the program’s director. After graduating from high school, Davis enrolled in Rhode Island College, majoring in theatre, and continued her studies at Juilliard School of Performing Arts after graduating.  However, she believed that Juilliard helped her become a better “white actress” instead of just a better actor overall. 

At the start of Davis’s professional career, she starred in an off-Broadway play of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” in 1992. In 1996, she made her first Broadway debut in the production of August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars” as Vera. She then worked with Wilson again for his Broadway play “King Hedley II,” in which she won her first Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award. 

After being on Broadway, Davis decided to try being on the screen. She was on the medical show “City of Angels” and made many guest appearances on the show “Law and Order.” After TV series appearances, Davis gained the attention of film critics for a small role in “Antwone Fisher.” That role was able to take her career to the next level, and she gained a supporting role in the movie “Doubt,” receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In 2010, she made her return to Broadway in the play “Fences,” earning her another Tony. The year after, she starred in the movie “The Help” and continued to star in many things after. 

In 2014, Davis got the starring role in the hit series “How to Get Away with Murder,” winning her an Emmy, and made history as the first African American to win the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Two years later, she reprised her role in the film adaptation of “Fences,” winning Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. And in 2020, she earned several award nominations and the Screen Actors Guild award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.

Throughout Davis’s career, she continues to show that the color of one’s skin should not stop them from trying to achieve their dreams. She encourages Black girls to take their lives into their own hands and to create an image for themselves that they want.