“I want you to know that anyone who has loved a Rue or feels like they are a Rue, I want you to know that I am so grateful for your stories, and I carry them with me, and I carry them with her.”

Zendaya’s win wasn’t the only major milestone at last night’s ceremony. Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson became the second Black woman to win the outstanding writer for a comedy series trophy, and the third Black writer overall to take the award.

Her co-star, Sheryl Lee Ralph, also became the second Black woman to be awarded in the supporting actress in a comedy series category. Ralph, who appeared in the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, marked the occasion by singing a verse from Dianne Reeves’ song Endangered Species, which features the lyrics: “I am an endangered species, but I sing no victim’s song / I am a woman, I am an artist / And I know where my voice belongs.”

Zendaya has made history again with her win at the 2022 Emmys