During a Very Black Night, 2 Young Women Make History at the 2024 Emmys

On Monday, Quinta Brunson and Ayo Edebiri walked away with the Emmys—and as history-makers for their respective wins as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy series and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

For Brunson, she became only the second Black actress to win in that category and the first one in more than 40 years (the first and only actress to ever do so was Isabel Sanford in 1981.) As for Edebiri, she becomes the third Black woman to win for her category—previous winners include Jackee Harry (1987 and Sheryl Lee Ralph (2022).

Speaking to the magnitude of the moment, Edebiri told The Root: “It’s very special. Very special, I’m very humbled. That’s really, really special. Especially on today of all days, it’s really special.” (For context, Monday, Jan. 15 marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day.)

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