Sheryl Lee Ralph speaks at her Walk of Fame ceremony
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00:00Whoo! Look at what the universe has done! I want to thank, I want to thank God and
00:17Goddess too. I want to thank the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce for this
00:26great honor. I want to thank Michelle. I remember that first time. I want to
00:37thank everybody that has come out here today.
00:44Thank you. I hear you. I see you, my sorors. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
01:02And I thank everybody around the world that is watching by stream. I really want to say,
01:14thank you to Loretta. Been a long time, girl. A long time. Thank you. Thank you, Quinta. Thank you.
01:31It's a brand new time. Thank you. Thank you both for lifting me up with your words.
01:39It was a career-changing moment for us, Loretta. And you were very mad at me for that Pepto-Bismol room.
01:48She hardly spoke to me for a week. And Quinta, you bought me into this brand new shining chapter of
02:02of my career. And I thank you as a young woman for reaching back and saying,
02:11I see you, Miss Ralph. Okay, it's just Cheryl now. I see you. Come take this journey with me.
02:25To have both of you here today. That's a real full circle moment. And I thank you both. I can look out here and there's so many people out here that mean so much to me.
02:44Jennifer and Jennifer and I met when we were 19 years old and could not afford to buy a whole slice of pizza from the Howard Johnson that used to be on Broadway.
03:00But we each had our own glass of water.
03:05Victoria, Raul, and I, together in distinguished gentlemen, fast friends and friends to this day.
03:16Jeffrey made the first call when I got left on the side of the road from the musical.
03:23Michael, he called me and said, stop the crying. Get on the boat, the train, the plane, come to Broadway.
03:29You're gonna be on Broadway, girl.
03:36My first agent and my friend for about 45 years until he retired with a big balloon.
03:43Michael is out here, my accountant to this day, who made sure I saved my money and invested well.
03:50I see Wendy Creed, who when I was starring on Broadway and they wouldn't pick a little black girl up for a cab ride home,
04:04Wendy would get out on the corner and hail a cab for me.
04:07And we're still friends to this day.
04:10I gotta thank God, cause all three of my brothers are here and sitting together. Amen.
04:17Stanley, Timmy, and Michael.
04:24But I'm standing here with all of you on this boulevard and I can still feel the determined spirit of that little girl who dared to dream big.
04:36Growing up, I felt my big dreams had to be whispered because that kind of ambition could be mistaken for arrogance.
04:46But my immigrant mother would look me in the eye and say what we always say in Jamaica.
04:53Good, better, best. Never let it rest till your good is better and your better best.
05:00I can still feel the carpet under my feet in our living room in Connecticut where I would dance in front of the mirror using my hairbrush as a microphone with my T-shirt on my head wishing I had Tina Turner's wig.
05:21Oh, the dreams I dared to dream.
05:28But you see me now, I don't look like my journey.
05:34There were days and not so long ago, I couldn't get into the room for the audition.
05:43And now I am literally cemented as part of the Industries Foundation.
05:55When I stood on that winning Emmy stage in 2022 singing,
06:02I am an endangered species.
06:09Those are not just lyrics.
06:12Honey, that is my life's testimony.
06:17Because I have been counted out.
06:20I have been passed over.
06:23I have been told I was too black, too strong, too much.
06:31And yet, here I stand.
06:43So you believe me when I say that this star, it isn't just mine.
06:50It belongs to every performer who made space for me when there seemed to be no space.
06:56Yeah?
06:57Rope Ruby Dee, Rosalyn Cashaaash,
07:01σηcella Tyson, Virginia Capers.
07:06more women whose brilliance
07:08lit the path for me
07:10through my darkest
07:12professional moments.
07:14This star is
07:16for the work still to come,
07:19for the legacy I
07:20leave walking
07:22in their footsteps
07:24and Mr. Poitiers too,
07:27making
07:28the path even wider
07:30with my big feet.
07:33For young
07:35artists to follow,
07:36it is
07:39for every artist
07:40who has ever felt unseen,
07:44every woman
07:45who was told to wait
07:47her turn,
07:48every dreamer who heard
07:51no, you're
07:53not right,
07:55but kept working and
07:57dreaming anyway.
08:00I walk
08:01this path with purpose
08:02because I know young and young at
08:05heart people are watching
08:07and representation
08:08matters.
08:10And when I am able
08:11to step on the set of
08:13Abbott Elementary
08:15every day
08:16with the same
08:19joy and
08:20enthusiasm
08:21I felt back in 20,
08:25when I was 24 years old
08:27in Dreamgirls,
08:28it's because I want
08:31generations to see
08:32what's possible,
08:34that their dreams
08:36are valid,
08:36that their voice
08:38is powerful
08:39and their potential
08:42limitless,
08:44especially in these times
08:46when history
08:47is being erased,
08:49books being banned,
08:52human and civil rights
08:55under attack.
08:56the arts
08:59are not a luxury,
09:00the arts
09:02are a lifeline.
09:04They tell
09:05the truth
09:06when truth
09:08is being
09:09twisted.
09:11They remind
09:12us
09:13who we are
09:14when others
09:16try to
09:17forget it.
09:18So let this
09:22moment
09:23remind you
09:25that the world
09:27may try to
09:27define you,
09:28define you,
09:30delay you,
09:32and even
09:34erase you.
09:35But if you
09:37speak up
09:38with your voice
09:39even when it
09:40trembles,
09:41if you refuse
09:43to dim
09:44your light,
09:45then you
09:46will come
09:47to a day
09:48when they
09:49cannot
09:50look away.
09:56To my
09:57beloved
09:58parents up
09:59in heaven,
10:00Dr. Stanley L. Ralph,
10:03a lifelong
10:04educator
10:04who taught
10:05me dignity,
10:07good posture,
10:08enunciation,
10:14and how
10:16to sing
10:16my mother,
10:20the Honorable
10:21Ivy Ralph
10:22Order of Jamaica
10:23who showed
10:24me courage,
10:26sharpened it
10:26with bravery,
10:27and taught
10:29me how
10:29to sew.
10:32I thank
10:33them for
10:33every sacrifice
10:35they made
10:35and the magic
10:36they are still
10:37continuing to
10:39make today.
10:39to my
10:41husband,
10:43the Honorable
10:44Senator
10:45Vincent
10:46Views.
10:51You have
10:52held me
10:53through nights
10:54of rejection
10:55and the ugly
10:56cry,
10:57and you
10:58still
10:59champion
11:00every little
11:01win like
11:02I had won
11:03an Oscar.
11:05Your love
11:06is a blessing.
11:07to my
11:09beautiful
11:10children,
11:10Etienne
11:11and Ivy,
11:12thank you
11:13for taking
11:14this journey
11:15with me.
11:17Thank you
11:18for always
11:19reminding me,
11:21Mommy,
11:22you can
11:23do
11:24anything.
11:29Coco,
11:29you make me
11:30look real
11:30good,
11:31girl.
11:35And Etienne,
11:36thank you
11:37for adding
11:38my beautiful,
11:39perfect daughter
11:40in love
11:41to the family.
11:45And to
11:46anybody who
11:47has ever
11:47been around
11:48me in my
11:49house,
11:50you know
11:50I've got
11:50to thank
11:51Miss May.
11:59Stand up,
11:59baby,
12:00there you
12:00go.
12:02There you
12:02go.
12:04That's
12:04right,
12:05the years
12:05and them
12:05knees
12:06won't hold
12:06you back.
12:07There you
12:08go,
12:08yes.
12:14There you
12:15go.
12:16Thank you,
12:17Miss May.
12:23To
12:23A,
12:24B,
12:25C.
12:28Do you
12:28know
12:29ABC
12:31has been
12:33with me
12:34from
12:36almost
12:37the start
12:37of my
12:38career
12:38to this
12:39moment.
12:40My
12:41first
12:41TV
12:42pilot,
12:44they
12:45made me
12:45number one
12:46on the
12:47call sheet,
12:48the
12:48Croft
12:48Family
12:50Comedy
12:50Hour.
12:52A great
12:52pilot
12:53didn't get
12:53picked up.
12:54but that's
12:56all right
12:57because there's
12:58Abbott Elementary,
13:00baby.
13:03Dana Walden,
13:05Craig
13:06Erwich,
13:07Carrie Burke,
13:09Simran Sethi.
13:13Oh,
13:14and Big Daddy
13:14Bob Iger.
13:19And
13:20Warner Brothers
13:21Studios.
13:23Footnote,
13:24my first time
13:25coming to
13:26Hollywood,
13:28walking through
13:28the gates
13:29of Warner Brothers
13:30Studio to meet
13:31Mr. Poitier,
13:33who cast me
13:34in my first film,
13:36A Piece of the Action.
13:37and to be
13:39on the
13:39back lot
13:39of Abbott
13:40Elementary
13:41and look
13:42where I
13:43walked
13:44and to
13:45see that
13:46office
13:46full circle,
13:48baby,
13:48full circle.
13:50Thank you
13:51to
13:52Channing
13:52Dungy,
13:54Rhett
13:56Paul,
13:56and Clancy
13:58Collins-White.
13:59Thank you
14:00all for
14:01believing in
14:01me,
14:01not just
14:02in my
14:02talent,
14:03but my
14:04vision,
14:05my voice,
14:06when so
14:07many others
14:08wouldn't
14:08listen.
14:09You see,
14:09your platforms
14:10and partnership
14:12made this
14:13dream moment
14:15possible,
14:15and I thank
14:16you.
14:17I thank
14:18every casting
14:19director and
14:20producer who
14:21saw me,
14:21every audience
14:22member whose
14:23applause I can
14:24still hear,
14:25I thank you
14:26for every
14:27colleague and
14:28cast member
14:28who lifted me
14:29up,
14:30especially my
14:31Abbott Elementary
14:32family,
14:33Stan,
14:34Lisa Ann,
14:35Tyler,
14:36Janelle,
14:37Chris,
14:38and Quinta.
14:39I will
14:39never forget
14:40you all for
14:41as long as
14:42I live.
14:48To my
14:49manager,
14:51who I met
14:5112 years
14:52ago,
14:53looked at
14:54me on
14:54day one
14:55and said,
14:55you have
14:56been overlooked
14:57and underpaid
14:58and that
14:58will change.
14:59she was
15:03right.
15:05To my
15:07publicist,
15:08Nikki
15:09Fioravanti,
15:10who said
15:11when she
15:12met me,
15:13you will
15:13be seen,
15:14you will
15:15be heard,
15:16and I
15:17know how
15:17to do it
15:18and you
15:19did that.
15:20To my
15:22CAA
15:23team,
15:25I see them,
15:26I know
15:26Brian's
15:27out here
15:27somewhere,
15:28I know
15:29Sam is
15:30somewhere here,
15:31I see you
15:32right there,
15:33I know
15:33Cindy is
15:34there,
15:34look at
15:35Baby T right
15:35there,
15:36look at
15:37Dennis,
15:38oh,
15:39and Kip's
15:40not here,
15:41Cindy's not
15:41here,
15:41they're in
15:42New York,
15:42I thank
15:43you all
15:44for seeing
15:46no limits
15:47in me,
15:49I thank
15:50you for
15:51seeing
15:51that my
15:52best work
15:53is still
15:54ahead of
15:55me,
15:56I thank
15:58you for
15:58that,
15:59look honey,
16:02this star,
16:03it is not
16:03the finish
16:04line,
16:04it's the
16:05starting
16:05block,
16:05and I
16:10just want
16:11to thank
16:11the people
16:14who told
16:14me no,
16:15no,
16:18no,
16:18no,
16:18no,
16:18no,
16:18no,
16:19no,
16:19no,
16:20you're not
16:22this,
16:22you're not
16:23that,
16:23you're too
16:24black,
16:24you're too
16:25short,
16:26you're not
16:26black enough,
16:27you're not
16:27this,
16:28you're not
16:28that,
16:29and some
16:30of them
16:30were not
16:30kind about
16:31it,
16:32but I
16:32thank you,
16:33I thank
16:35you,
16:36because your
16:36rejection
16:37was a
16:39redirection
16:41and look
16:43where it
16:44landed me,
16:45I am
16:53here today
16:54with the
16:552,808th
16:58star on the
17:00Hollywood Walk
17:01of Fame,
17:02so to all
17:04of you
17:04thinking it
17:06can't happen
17:07to you,
17:08thinking your
17:09dreams don't
17:10matter,
17:12you keep
17:13on,
17:14you keep
17:15doing the
17:16work,
17:17dreams don't
17:18have an
17:19expiration date,
17:20it is only
17:22over when
17:23you stop
17:25or when
17:25you say
17:27it's over,
17:28but keep
17:29showing up,
17:31keep being
17:32your authentic
17:33self,
17:33keep speaking
17:34the truth,
17:35because one
17:36day,
17:37baby,
17:38you just
17:40might look
17:41down
17:42and find
17:45your name
17:47written
17:49amongst
17:51the stars,
17:53this star
17:55is for
17:56you.
17:57people.