“Every mistake, every back break, every ‘No’, every rejection, in an industry that when I was 19 years old was quick to tell me there was no place for me,” Ralph began. “That Sidney Poitier looked at me and said, ‘You’re a damn good actress.’ That God could lead me to a moment when a young woman by the name of Quinta Brunson would look at me and say, ‘Ms. Ralph, I’m not sleeping on your talent.’”

“To the best cast on TV,” she continued. “Thank you. As a supporting actress, I am supported well, by an incredible crew, by incredible staff, by incredible producers, who put in the work, each and every day.”

With that, Ralph addressed all of us watching at home: “To all of you watching here, come close to the screen and listen: people don’t have to like you, people don’t have to love you. They don’t even have to respect you. But when you look in the mirror, you better love what you see.”

You need to hear Sheryl Lee Ralph’s powerful Critics Choice Awards speech about self-love