Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph won her first Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Barbra Howard.

Sheryl Lee Ralph is born in Waterbury, Connecticut on December 30, 1956. She has two children, Ivy-Victoria Maurice and Etienne Maurice. She is most famous for her role as Deena Jones in the musical Dreamgirls. 

Ralph was shocked when she won her award. It was her first Emmy and she was the second black woman ever to win an Emmy for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Her speech was very powerful. She tearfully sang “Endangered Species” by Dianne Reeves. When Ralph finished her song, she continued talking. In her speech, she described dreams and how if you keep believing in your dreams, they can get you anywhere. Everyone was on their feet when she was done. As Sheryl Lee Ralph walked off the stage with tears on her face, the whole crowd was clapping and cheering.